The Fort Hays Limestone is a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

Niobrara Formation The Niobrara Formation , also called the Niobrara Chalk, is a geologic formation in North America that was deposited between 87 and 82 million years ago during the Coniacian, Santonian, and Campanian stages of the Late Cretaceous. It is compose ...

of the

Colorado Group Colorado is a geologic name applied to certain rocks of Cretaceous age in the North America, particularly in the western Great Plains. This name was originally applied to classify a group of specific marine formations of shale and chalk kn ...

exposed in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota and is named for the bluffs near the old

Fort Hays Fort Hays, originally named Fort Fletcher, was a United States Army fort near Hays, Kansas. Active from 1865 to 1889 it was an important frontier post during the American Indian Wars of the late 19th century. Reopened as a historical park in 1 ...

, a well-known landmark in western Kansas. Defining the southeast border of the

High Plains High Plains refers to one of two distinct land regions: * High Plains (United States), land region of the western Great Plains *High Plains (Australia) The High Plains of south-eastern Australia are a sub-region, or more strictly a string of adja ...

, the towering stone-capped bluffs of the Fort Hays Escarpment are "perhaps the most conspicuous physiographic boundary in Kansas." Fort Hays Blockhouse 01

The Fort Hays Limestone was a generally practical building stone. However, it deteriorates when in contact with soil (note the repaired foundation on the Old Fort Hays Blockhouse). In contrast, the

Fencepost limestone Fencepost limestone, Post Rock limestone, or Stone Post is a stone bed in the Great Plains notable for its historic use as fencing and construction material in north-central Kansas resulting in unique cultural expression. The source of this sto ...

is quite durable in the ground, so, the Fencepost can be seen in foundation course of buildings that are otherwise faced with Fort Hays Limestone. Particularly in Hays and

Ellis Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis. Surname A * Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series ' ...

, where the Fort Hays and Fencepost outcrops are in close geographic proximity, the two limestones are seen in combination in buildings.

References

Cretaceous Colorado Cretaceous Kansas Cretaceous Nebraska {{Cretaceous-stub

See also

References