Editing Caledonia County, Vermont (section)

== Geography ==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|658|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|649|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|8.7|sqmi}} (1.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_50.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 28, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

Caledonia is the most populated county of the three in the [[Northeast Kingdom]]. However, it is the smallest in area of the three.

The county has a number of brooks and rivers. The [[Connecticut River]] runs along the southeast and forms one of the eastern boundaries of the county. The northern towns are drained by the head branches of the [[Passumpsic River]], which is the largest in the county. It flows south and empties into the Connecticut River in Barnet. There are the Wells, Stevens and Joe's Rivers in the south. In the west the head waters of the [[Winooski River|Winooski]] and [[Lamoille River]]s. There are about twenty lakes and ponds in the county. The largest are Harvey's Lake, in Barnet; Wells River and Lund's Ponds, in Groton; Cole's Pond, in Walden; Clark's and Center Ponds, in Newark; and Stile's Pond, in Waterford. There are falls at different places on the Connecticut, Passumpsic, Wells and Joe's Rivers. Stevens River, near its mouth, falls {{convert|80|ft}} in a distance of {{convert|20|rd}}. Some of the water power has been harnessed for electricity.<ref name="Child">{{cite book | author = Child, Hamilton. |title = Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884  | publisher = Hamilton Child | date = May 1887}}</ref>

There are sulphur springs in Wheelock, Haynesville, in Hardwick; and in St. Johnsbury, near the Moose River.<ref name="Child"/>

=== Geology ===
Calciferous mica [[schist]] underlies much of the county. There is [[Argillaceous minerals|argillaceous]] [[slate]] running through Waterford and Kirby, which narrows in Burke.<ref name="Child"/>

Waterford had a lot of [[talc]]. This belongs to the gold bearing formations. Specimens of gold were found in town, and iron and copper pyrites in veins. But none in commercial quality. In Waterford there was an outcrop of slate that was quarried for roofing. Kirby Mountain, in Kirby, was largely granite of commercial quality.<ref name="Child"/>

Ryegate had {{convert|300|acre}} granite on the south and west sides of Blue Mountain. The granite was created by volcanic action. This was a medium colored granite of commercial grain and texture. It was quarried in the 19th century. It lay in sheets {{convert|3|in}} to {{convert|10|ft}} or {{convert|15|ft}}.<ref name="Child"/>

Perhaps the most widely known monument locally using this granite was the soldiers monument at [[Peacham, Vermont]]. Monuments from this granite exist all over the country. This was one of the best quality quarries in the country in the 19th century.<ref name="Child"/>

The presence of [[Kame|Kame terraces]] in the country are of interest in connection with the [[Drift (geology)|drift]] that gave the Northeast Kingdom its soil, and its surface stones and boulders. These terraces have beds of sand and clay from which bricks were once manufactured.<ref name="Child"/>

Based on research by [[Edward Hitchcock]] two or three basins can be identified based on a larger number of interconnected terraces in the Passumpsic River Valley.<ref name="Child"/>

The first extends from the mouth of the Passumpsic River in Barnet, to the northwest corner of the town of Waterford, on the railroad. It is about {{convert|4|mi}} long. The river runs through a narrow valley in Barnet, a gorge with no terraces. Narrow terraces in the Town of Passumpsic expand and form a basin. The fourth terrace on the west side of the river is part of the next basin, which is in St. Johnsbury and Lyndon. St. Johnsbury Village is on this high terrace which is called "St. Johnsbury Plain". The base of the terraces at St. Johnsbury is composed of clay. The same terrace occurs on both sides of the river valley beyond Lyndon. There are lower terraces at intervals.<ref name="Child"/>

Lyndonville has a high terrace. This may have once extended across the valley to form the end of a basin. Its lower strata are clayey, and are folded and curved. West of this terrace the level is lower. There is the course of a former river bed which ran towards the east. At the upper village of Lyndon<!---may mean Lyndon Center. Cannot tell from the text---> the first terrace is about {{convert|1|mi}} wide. There is a lot of sand and fine gravel adjoining.<ref name="Child"/>

Every stream from either side of the valley has its large terraces to correspond with those of the Passumpsic River. It is a characteristic of these terraces that they are large while their quantity is small. The count never exceeds five which is unusual.<ref name="Child"/>

The third basin includes the east branch of the Passumpsic River which runs through the Town of Burke. In East Burke there are several terraces. Near the village there are four on the west side, and two on the east side. Above East Burke the valley rises so that its bottom appears like a terrace. Its steep slope crosses the valley at right angles. There are indistinct terraces on its sides. Since the valley seems to be too wide to correspond with the size of the river, the valley may have been formed by water from unknown sources in prehistoric times.<ref name="Child"/>

Caledonia has more [[Muck (soil)|muck]] deposits than any other county in the state. This was once thought to be profitable for farmers.<ref name="Child"/>

=== Adjacent counties ===
* [[Orleans County, Vermont|Orleans County]] – north
* [[Essex County, Vermont|Essex County]] – northeast
* [[Grafton County, New Hampshire]] – southeast
* [[Washington County, Vermont|Washington County]] – southwest
* [[Orange County, Vermont|Orange County]] – south
* [[Lamoille County, Vermont|Lamoille County]] – west