The Marcellus black slates are exposed through the Firestone valley north of this ridge, while the Genessee slates occupy the Knight’s valley to the south. The Chemung rocks create a high ridge along the Chapman line and further west on the waters of Mahantango creek in this township fill the trough of the Shamokin synclinal.
22, Chapman township in Snyder county.
This is a large township extending for about 10 miles along the Susquehanna river and occupying the southern corner of the county, south of Washington and east of Perry township, and divided by the Mahantango creek from Susquehanna township of Juniata county. Its area will not fall far short of 25 square miles.
Port Treverton on the Susquehanna opposite Herndon is the principal place in the township, a village strung along the river bank for nearly a mile, but not having a large population.
Chapman and McKee’s Half Falls are two smaller places further down the river bank whose prosperity has declined somewhat with the stagnation of business along the Pennsylvania canal.
Meiserville, situated on Mahantango creek, about 1½ miles above the forks of the stream, is another small village.
Drainage of the township is all south and eastward into the Susquehanna river. Mahantango creek is the principal stream in this section of the county but it drains a comparatively small portion of this township, which contains only small streams, rising in the high land along the Washington and Perry township lines and flowing directly into the river. While not of great importance themselves, they create deep and narrow valleys in the generally soft Devonian measures, which occupy four-fifths of this township, each branch furnishing a natural location for a public road, with which the township is plentifully supplied.
The structure in the main is simple, consisting of the Shamokin synclinal of Catskill and Chemung rocks on the
