Shawnee Hills facts for kids
The Shawnee Hills is a beautiful hilly area in southern Illinois. It stretches across the southern part of the state, looking a bit like a big arc. This region is special because its ancient rock layers, which are usually deep underground in central Illinois, actually stick out of the ground here!
These hills are mostly made of strong limestone and sandstone. They look the way they do because the last Ice Age's glaciers didn't reach this far south. Glaciers usually flatten hills and cover them with soil, but the Shawnee Hills were safe from that.
The name "Shawnee" comes from the Shawnee Tribe, a group of Native American people who used to live in the Ohio Valley. Sometimes, people call the Shawnee Hills the "Illinois Ozarks" because they look similar to the The Ozarks in Missouri. However, they are not actually part of the Ozarks.
A big part of the Shawnee Hills is inside the Shawnee National Forest. This forest, along with the beautiful hills and the Ohio River Valley, makes the area a popular place for tourists to visit.
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What Are the Shawnee Hills?
The Shawnee Hills are a unique landform in southern Illinois. They are known for their rolling hills and rocky outcrops. Unlike much of Illinois, which is very flat, this area has a lot of ups and downs.
How Were the Shawnee Hills Formed?
The hills were formed over millions of years. They are made of very old rock layers from the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian periods. These rocks are strong and have resisted wearing away.
The main reason the Shawnee Hills stand out is because of the Ice Age. During the last Ice Age, huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, covered much of North America. These glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, smoothing out the land. But the glaciers didn't reach the Shawnee Hills. This means the hills kept their original shape while other parts of Illinois were flattened.
Resources Found in the Hills
The Shawnee Hills are not just pretty; they also have important natural resources.
Limestone and Coal
People dig for limestone in the Shawnee Hills. Limestone is a rock used in many ways, like making cement and building materials. North and south of the hills, people also mine for coal. Coal is a fossil fuel used to create electricity. Some coal is found close to the surface, and some is deep underground.
Fluorite: A Special Mineral
The Shawnee Hills area also has a special mineral called fluorite. This mineral is used to make the element fluorine, which has many industrial uses. A long time ago, about 80% of the world's fluorite came from mines near the towns of Rosiclare and Cave in Rock in this region. The earth's movements created cracks in the rocks, which allowed fluorite to form.
Exploring the Shawnee Hills
You can see the Shawnee Hills from far away, even from a town called Vergennes to the north. The western part of the hills starts south of Murphysboro and goes all the way down to Olive Branch.
Large flat areas of farmland separate the hills from the Mississippi River. These plains are especially wide near towns like Wolf Lake, Grand Tower, and Ware. The Big Muddy River cuts through the hills south of Kinkaid Lake, creating amazing rocky cliffs that you can see if you take a boat ride down the river.
