The following interesting information is from a University of Kansas State Geological Survey prepared by Kenneth Landes for the Kansas State Planning Board. Mr. Landes is Assistant State Geologist.
Water. Northern and north-central Comanche County is veneered with the Ogallala formation of Tertiary age in which abundant supplies of water are available for domestic, farm, and municipal use. The valleys of Cimarron river and its tributaries in western and southwestern Comanche county are filled with river alluvium, dune sand, and terrace deposits in which water is available at shallow depths.
Undeveloped Mineral Resources. Comanche county lies between Clark county, with its recently discovered Morrison oil and gas field, and Barber county with three oil and gas fields. The Clark county discovery late in 1936 caused considerable leasing activity in western Comanche county. So far no deep tests have been drilled in this county.
The gypsum beds which are quarried at Sun City in northwestern Barber county extend about 12 miles up the valley of Salt Fork Creek into southeastern Comanche County. Gypsum has not as yet been exploited in Comanche county, but a fairly large tonnage is apparently available.
At least two deposits of volcanic ash occur in Comanche county. One of these is about 1 mile north of Wilmore and the other about 5 miles south of the same town. A small amount of material has been removed from these deposits and used in the construction of U. S. Highway 160.
Several sand and gravel deposits with commercial possibilities occur in the Tertiary area of northern Comanche county.
Also see:
Gas At The Watchorn Test Well & other 1925 & 1926 news articles about the well.
Coal & Salt Deposits, 1884 - 1888 articles, Comanche County, Kansas
Hell's Half Acre - Comanche County, Kansas.
Photos from Comanche County, Kansas - Kansas Geological Survey. (This off-site link will open in a new browser window.)
Data from Comanche County - Kansas Geological Survey
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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