Limestone fence posts, Reservoir Road, near Minooka Park (Core of Engineers), Wilson Lake, north of Dorrance, Kansas, September 12, 2019
Fencepost limestone
Fencepost limestone
Wikipedia
Accessed July 24, 2022
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 Fencepost limestone is a relatively thin, resistant, and recognizable bed of stone that forms the middle range of bluffs in the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas, ranging from the Nebraska border near Mahaska, Kansas, about 200 miles southwest to within a few miles of Dodge City, Kansas, where it is seen in the buildings of the farms and cities of the area.
The Fencepost limestone is unique for its contribution to the cultural landscape of Kansas, appearing as miles of stone fence posts lining austere fields and pastures. The drier climate coupled with the grazing habits of buffalo and the prairie burning practices of Plains Indians meant that the first European settlers to the region did not have enough local timber for construction and fencing. However, a suitable, easy to quarry stone was available. No other “area of the world has used a single rock formation so extensively for fencing.”
The source of this tough chalky limestone is the widespread and persistent topmost bed of the Greenhorn Limestone.
