Sandst🌎ne Gateway EarthCache

History:

Highland Park is a 43-acre park that was deeded to the City of Guthrie by President William McKinley in 1890. It is Guthrie's most used open space and serves as a focal point allowing residents to enjoy a multitude of outdoor activities including disc golf, tennid, swimming, and several playgrounds. Highland Park was planned as a natural city park. The park was originally used for picnics, camping, and nature walks. In 1902, plans were prepared to turn Highland Park into a destination park. In order to draw people to the park, an 18 x 18’ orchestra stand, a 36 square foot level dancing platform, and a 16’ high refreshment stand were built inside the park. During the summer of 1902, Troop A Band performed twice a week in the park. One concert was open to the public for a 10 cent admission and the second performance was reserved for private parties.

In 1935, a five year plan was created for the park, with a budget of $1,500 a year. Projects included several improvements to the park including a Sandstone building known as Highland Hall and the impressive Sandstone Gateway entrance to the park.

Construction started in 1938. It was expected to take 6 months to complete. Stone for the project was to be quarried from the park, but there was not enough quality stone remaining in the area. Once started, the project kept getting delayed due to funding and stone issues.   A quality quarry source was finally found 13 miles north of Guthrie. Many buildings throughout historic downtown Guthrie and in other towns across the state have this same Oklahoma sandstone. 

Oklahoma Sandstone

Oklahoma Sandstone is a sedimentary rock and is composed primarily of sand-sized grains of mineral, rock, or other organic material. It is found throughout the world and is mined for use in construction. Sandstone contains a materials that bind the sand grains together known as a cementing material, which contains silt or clay sized particles filling the spaces between the grains of sand.

Oklahoma Sandstone also known as Garber Sandstone is a geologic formation from the Permian Period in Oklahoma. This sand stone band is also responsible for the state rock which is a barite formation known as the Oklahoma Rose rock. It also has the distinctive red coloring like Oklahoma Sandstone

Sandstone comes in many colors. Typically, a sandstone ranges in color from an off-white to a tan to brown. Pure quartz is very light in color, while feldspar is more of a darker amber color. A light-colored sandstone indicates that it has a high quartz content and a low feldspar content, and the darker the sandstone indicates a greater feldspar content with much less quartz.

The red color itself is due to the presence of hematite. Hematite is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth’s surface and in the shallow crust. It is an iron oxide, a common rock-forming mineral, and an important ore of iron.

Sedimentary stones such as sandstone are relatively soft, porous, and have easily crumbled surfaces. The cements that bond the various sediments together can be easily damaged by weathering, salts, and pollution. Anything that causes a difference in the behavior of the outer surface of stone structures compared to the inner regions can lead to stresses that eventually cause cracking and the exfoliation of the outer surfaces.

Weathering

In the case of the Sandstone Gateway of Highland park the damage or weathering can be see where the surface of some stones is flaking off. This weathering Is known as Physical Weathering. 

Physical weathering is caused by the effects of changing temperature on rocks, causing the rock to break apart. The process is sometimes assisted by water. It is likely that these stones, which have been in place for almost 85 years, have been affected by freezing and thawing which has caused layers to flake off from the surface. The also have been smoothed over the years by wind and particles blowing in the wind causing the smoothing of the surfaces. 

Physical Weathering from freeze / thaw causing flaking surface.

Additional weathering evident on the Sandstone Gateway is Biological Weathering.

Logging Requirements

You will need to complete the following requirements to log this Earthcache:

Send a geocaching message or email  with the answers to the questions below. Found It logs without the required information sent within 7 days of logging will be deleted. Do NOT post any answers in your found It log. 

Answer the following questions based on your reading and observations at the posted coordinates. 

1. Based on your reading to what would you attribute the dark discoloration in this Sandstone gateway?

2. Gently rub your hand against the sandstone surface. (DO NOT scratch off the surface) Do the grains feel solidly cemented or do they rub off easily? 

3. Describe any of the types of weathering you observe at the location and include at least 1 photo of weathering .

4. Describe in your own words what you can see from observing many of the sandstone bricks that would indicate the process of layers upon layers of sediment being deposited as the sandstone formed. 

5. Include in your log a photo with you or your favorite Geocaching item at the Sandstone Gateway. 

 

Thank you for visiting this earthcache. 

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