Ohio History Journal

REPORT ON THE PRESENT CONDITION OF

MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS OF OHIO.

HAVING been appointed by the Ohio Archaeological and

Historial Society Chairman of a Committee to consider

the necessity and the means of preserving the prehistoric

mounds and earthworks of Ohio, I arranged last summer

to spend a week, in company with Judge C. C. Baldwin,

of Cleveland, in making a tour of inspection which should

enable us to supplement investigations, which we had

previously made together, or singly, in the interests of the

same subject. The following are the results of the inves-

tigations. We will take the southern portion of the State

in order, beginning with Montgomery county, mentioning,

however, only the more important works:

The largest mound of the State is found at Miamisburg,

on the high lands to the southeast of the town. This

mound is sixty-eight feet in height, and is still well pre-

served; and, being near a railroad station, can be easily

visited. McLean estimates that it contains over 300,000

cubic feet of a material. It is certainly worthy of per-

petual preservation, and, being a single mound, the cost

of purchase could not be great.

A few miles southwest, near Carlisle Station, situated

partly in Montgomery county and partly in Warren county,

upon a bluff where Twin Creek joins the valley of the

Great Miami, is an important enclosure readily accessible

to tourists, the wall of which is about 3,600 feet in length,

and enclosing an area of about fifteen acres. This we did

not visit, but Mr. McLean reports the southern half of the

wall to be well preserved, but so covered with briers and

underbrush as to be almost inaccessible, while the northern

half of it is under cultivation, and will soon be entirely

demolished.

Butler county is one of the most interesting localities for

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342    Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

the study of prehistoric earthworks. Mr. McLean esti-

mates that there are 250 mounds and seventeen enclosures

in the county. Of the enclosures, that known as " Forti-

tied Hill," located in Ross township, section twelve, and

less than two and a half miles from the Great Miami, is

the most celebrated. The most recent account of this is

given by Mr. McLean in the QUARTERLY, for June, 1887,

p. 64. The enclosure has been described by nearly all

the manuals treating of prehistoric earthworks in this

country, and comprises about sixteen acres, situated upon

a bluff about 250 feet above the river. Mr. McLean de-

scribes its present condition as deplorable, the northern

half being under cultivation, and "the wall for the most

part is sadly damaged by the plow," while a crescent line

of exterior embankment, and the walls enclosing the gate-

way are nearly obliterated.

The most important earthwork remaining in Hamilton

county is to be found in the extreme southwestern portion

of it, between the Miami and Ohio rivers. Here a rocky

bluff 200 feet high protects on three sides a plateau con-

taining about twelve acres, which is surrounded by a con-

tinuous wall, following the outline of the precipice. Presi-

dent Harrison, whose home was near the spot, regarded

this ancient fortification as evincing extraordinary military

skill. It is certainly one of the works that should be pre-

served for all time.

Perhaps the most extensive and interesting of all the

earthworks to be found in the State, or indeed in the Uni-

ted States, is Fort Ancient. This is situated in Warren

county, on the east bank of the Little Miami River, a few

miles north of Morrow, and 33 from Cincinnati. The ter-

race upon which the enclosure is made is 230 feet above

the river, and is composed largely of the compact glacial

deposit, so characteristic of the greater portion of the State.

The enclosed terrace is really a promontory containing

about 150 acres, descending as steeply as the stiff soil will

stand, both to the level of the Miami on the West and to

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The Present Condition of Ohio's Earthworks.  343

the valley of a tributary stream which rises near the head

of the fortification and runs with many windings along the

eastern side. Small tributary streams have also worn gul-

lies down from this terrace on each side. The walls of the

enclosure follow the windings of the natural embank-

ments, making a very tortuous line, forming re-entrant

angles at the head of every tributary gully, and running

out nearly to the extreme point of every projection be-

tween adjacent gullies.  The whole length of the sur-

rounding embankment is about five miles, and every

where the outer side of the embankment coincides with

the extreme edge of the promontory. The artificial em-

bankment is pierced by more than seventy gateways, and

varies from nine to twenty feet in height, and is estimated

by Mr. Locke to contain 628,800 cubic yards of material.

Large trees are growing upon the works, and there are

other indications of great age. In the words of Squier and

Davis, "In every point of view, it is certainly one of the

most interesting remains of antiquity which the continent

affords." To preserve this monument for all time, and to

set it apart as a public park for the benefit of our citizens

and as an attraction to visitors from all the world, would be

a most appropriate thing for the State to do this cen-

tennial year. The expenditure of a few thousand dollars

for its purchase and protection would be but a fitting rec-

ognition of the interest already shown by parties outside

the State in the purchase of the serpent mound, and its

presentation to the use of the public free of expense. The

need of prompt action in this as in other cases arises from

the fact that at various points the rains are beginning the

work of destruction which will go on at increased speed as

the forests are removed.

Going upon the Eastern railroad from Cincinnati to

Peebles Station in Adams county, we are within a few

miles of the Serpent Mound, in Franklin township, in the

extreme northern part of the county. The farm upon

which this mound is situated has been purchased recently

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344    Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

by the ladies of Boston, and presented to the Peabody

Archaeological Museum, of Cambridge, Mass., for per-

petual preservation. Altogether, between five and six

thousand dollars have been raised for the purchase and

restoration of this mound, and it is now thrown open free

of cost to the general public.

About eight miles north of the Serpent Mound, in the

southeastern part of Highland county, is Fort Hill, de-

scribed (from a new survey secured by Judge Baldwin and

myself) by H. W. Overman in the December number of

our QUARTERLY. This is one of the most remarkable and

best preserved of all the fortified works in the State. The

embankment is more than a mile and a half in length, and

contains upwards of 50,000 cubic yards of material, enclos-

ing an area of thirty-five acres. This is situated on the

summit of a hill left by the eroding agencies of many

thousands of years, and is one of the highest points in

the State. The work is well worthy of preservation, and

as the land is not specially valuable, could doubtless be

obtained for a reasonable sum.

Circleville, in Pickaway county, as its name indicates,

was once a most interesting center of enclosures and earth-

works, but they have long since been obliterated to make

way for the streets of the city.

The earthworks in the fertile valley of Paint Creek, in

Ross county, have been for so long a time under cultivation

that all of them are sadly defaced, and some of them en-

tirely obliterated. The elaborate works four miles above

Bourneville we did not visit, but the large circle about a

mile below Bourneville on the farm of Mr. Grimes, as well

as the irregular shaped enclosure a mile and a half to the

southeast, we found to be under cultivation and rapidly

disappearing. The extensive Fortified Hill east of Bourne-

ville was also so far obliterated that we could scarcely find

any traces of it.

Chillicothe, in the same county, is one of the most re-

markable centers of ancient civilization. A few miles to

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The Present Condition of Ohio's Earthworks.  345

the southeast, in the valley of the Scioto, and near the

railroad, are the High Bank works, so called because they

are on the upper glacial terrace, fifty or sixty feet above

the flood plain of the river. These works consist of an

octagon and a circle touching each other and include about

forty acres. The farmers are diligently cultivating the

land, and before long the whole works will be leveled to

the ground. A few miles farther on, in Liberty township,

there are other works of similar character, which we did

not see, but we visited the numerous enclosures five miles

north of Chillicothe, near Hopeton. The two larger of the

enclosures at that point are about the dimensions of the

High Bank works, and are going to ruin in much the same

way. Across the river is an enclosure with so many

mounds in it that it is well called Mound City, and large

mounds are frequent over the wide terrace extending north

of Chillicothe, on the west bank of the Scioto. Land in

that vicinity is worth about one hundred dollars per acre.

Still it is not too much to hope that some one representa-

tive work might be preserved at that center.

At Piketon, in Pike county, is the celebrated Graded

Way, now utilized as a road, and leading up from the lower

bottoms of the Scioto to the second terrace, about thirty

feet above. This gives one a most impressive sense of

ancient industry. To make the Way, dirt was thrown up

on either side, forming parallel ridges about twenty-five

feet high; the ascent is regular, and the ridge on the west

side, being overgrown with large trees, is well preserved.

The upper terrace, to which this leads, was formerly dotted

with mounds, but now only a few remain. What could

have been the object of the graded way it is difficult to

conjecture. The eastern embankment of the parallel is

rapidly undergoing destruction at the hands of the plow,

the harrow, and the hoe, and could be preserved for a very

small sum. The purchase of two or three acres would in

this case be sufficient for its preservation.

In Scioto county the works at Portsmouth are nearly ob-

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346    Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

literated, a few remains being preserved within the limits

of the city. There is nothing to be done here except what

the corporation itself may do. The same may be said of

the system of earthworks in Marietta, Washington county.

The city could in no way more fittingly celebrate this cen-

tennial year than by restoring the "Sacred Way" (sold by

their Board of Aldermen some years ago to a brickmaker)

and providing for the permanent protection and care of

what still remains of the former glory of these extensive

and remarkable prehistoric works.

At Newark, Licking county, the great circle occupied by

the fair ground is well preserved, though the extensive

system of the connected outworks was destroyed long ago.

Near Granville, also, the Alligator Mound is still in pretty

good condition. But one of the most vivid things in my

memory is the picture of the sheep, cattle and horses which

I saw stamping flies under the shade cast by a solitary tree

upon the Alligator Mound. Their busy hoofs will not long

suffer any remnant of it to continue visible.

From this rapid survey of the situation it is evidently

important to have the attention of the State turned as

soon as possible to devising some practical measures for

the preservation of this class of works within its borders.

The whole task is too great for private benevolence, and it

would seem a work eminently fitting for the State itself

to undertake, for the public good of her own citizens, even

if the more remote results of preserving historic monu-

ments for the benefit of future historical students are not

deemed of first importance. As a means of education,

and as affording the citizens attractive objects to visit by

way of recreation, these relics of ancient civilization are

worth, or might easily be made worth, many times the

cost to the State of their purchase and preservation as

public parks. Nor would the cost be excessive. Much of

the land on which they stand is comparatively worthless,

and the timber growing on it would in the end more than

meet the interest on the investment at the rate at which

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The Present Condition of Ohio's Earthworks.  347

the State can borrow money. The need of prompt action

in the matter is evident from what has been said about

the agencies now at work for their destruction.

For the benefit of such as may wish to spend a little

time inspecting these works for themselves, I subjoin a

convenient itinerary.

The most feasible route by which to take in as many

as possible of these works, in the shortest time, would be

as follows: Go down the valley of the Great Miami from

Dayton, taking in the mound at Miamisburg, the Fortified

Hills near Carlisle and Hamilton, in Butler county, and

that near North Bend, in Hamilton county. Then ascend

the valley of the Little Miami to Fort Ancient, thirty-three

miles from Cincinnati. Returning to Morrow, go eastward

to Greenfield, and thence to Bainbridge, whence trips can

be made south about twelve miles to Fort Hill, in High-

land county, and the Serpent Mound, in Adams county;

also down Paint creek to Bourneville. Thence going to

Piketon, in Pike county, the Graded Way, and various

other earthworks, are within easy reach. Thence ascend-

ing the Scioto to Chillicothe, the works in Liberty town-

ship, at High Bank, Hopeton and Cedar Bank, are within

a few miles, as well as Mound City and various minor

works. Thence going by the way of Columbus to Newark,

its celebrated circular enclosure, as well as the Alligator

Mound at Granville, are within easy reach. Thus, with-

in a week's time, the tourist can take in all of the most

important ancient earthworks in Ohio, and see more of

antiquity than in any other portion of the continent in the

same length of time. No citizen of our State should think

of visiting the ancient monuments of the Old World until

he has first learned what remains there are at home. And

the State would render a great service to science, as well

as to her own citizens, by placing within their reach a

goodly number of the best preserved of these monu-

ments, and putting them beyond danger of further de-

struction. We can raise wheat and corn; we can mine

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348    Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

coal from the hills, and we can smelt iron in our furnaces;

but we can not make earthworks and give them the fla-

vor of antiquity. To have them, we must preserve what

are already in existence.

G. FREDERICK WRIGHT.

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