Ohio History Journal

312       Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.  VOL. 3

 

 

FORT ANCIENT.

 

The General Assembly at the last session passed an act to

purchase this remarkable earth-work on the bluffs on the left

bank of the Little Miami river in Warren county. By some

oversight, the number of acres authorized to be purchased did

not include the entire fortification, and there still remains a por-

tion of the south or "old" fort and little of the north end un-

purchased. A bill was afterward introduced by Senator Jesse

N. Oren, through whom the first bill was introduced, to buy the

remainder; but by an oversight it was omitted in report of the

House Committee, after having passed the Senate. The meas-

ure will be again introduced at the coming session, and it is con-

fidently believed the next General Assembly will complete the

work. The "care and control of Fort Ancient was," by an-

other act of the Assembly, " vested in the Trustees of the Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Society."  The trustees have

accepted the trust, and placed the Fort in charge of a commit-

tee, consisting of Jesse N. Oren of Wilmington, Israel Harris of

Waynesville, and Israel Williams of Hamilton. A competent

custodian has been placed in charge of the grounds, and will

proceed at once to put the same in proper keeping. In time, it

is hoped to have a fine park here, such as is now the "Serpent

Mound Park" in Adams county, enclosing the famous effigy of

the serpent.

Mr. Warren K. Moorehead, of Xenia, has spent almost a

year measuring, surveying, and exploring Fort Ancient. He

has written a very creditable work of 130 pages on the subject,

and at my request has furnished the following brief description

of the fort. The following map used to illustrate this article is

a reduced copy of the large map in his work.

A. A. GRAHAM.