- In the 1800's, settlers cleared the forests and drained the swamps to make farm fields. Sand and gravel deposited by the glaciers were mined and sold. Deeper underground, the discovery of bituminous coal ushered in a boom time for the region. Seven coal beds were deep-mined and later the land was strip-mined. In the late 1800's, gas wells were drilled to extract oil and gas. When the wells dried
wildernet.com