274 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MOUND
CITY PARK
Mr. A. C. Spetnagel, Chairman of the
Committee,
read the following report:
The Committee appointed to supervise the
restoration of
the Mound City Group of prehistoric
earthworks and the con-
struction of a state park from the tract
on which they are lo-
cated, offers the following brief
report:
Foreword
For the benefit of those who may not be
informed, it may
be stated that the Mound City group of
earthworks is one of
the most important in the state. It
consists of 23 burial mounds,
lying within a rectangular earthen
embankment or enclosure,
embracing 13 acres. The group was
brought forcefully to the
attention of the archaeological world
through its partial explora-
tion, and the report thereon, by Squier
and Davis, in 1847. The
great finds of these pioneer explorers
were equalled or surpassed,
however, when this Society carried out
complete examination of
the group in 1919-1920.
At the time of the construction of Camp
Sherman, in which
the group is located, the Director of
the Museum succeeded in
averting threatened destruction of the
mounds, through personal
appeal to the military authorities, and
later, as above stated, ef-
fected their scientific exploration. At
the close of the war, mainly
through the efforts of Mr. Albert C.
Spetnagel, of Chillicothe,
the War Department of the Federal
government was prevailed
upon to turn over to the Society the area
on which the mound
group is located, together with
desirable additional acreage --
a total of 57 acres -- in order that the
noted prehistoric monu-
ments might be preserved in the form of
a state park.
The site of the Mound City group is not
of archaeological
interest alone: for it has been the
scene of military cantonments
in three wars -- the War of the
Rebellion; the Spanish-Amer-
ican War, and the late World War.
Without doubt no other
site in Ohio combines, in so great a
measure, records of pre-
historic and historic human activities.
Realizing the importance of the site and
the desirability of
its restoration and conversion into a
state park, the State legis-
lature, at its recent session,
appropriated the sum of $2,000 for
this purpose.
Fortieth Annual Meeting 275
On October 1, the preliminary work of
clearing the Mound
City area of obstructions and beginning
the restoration of the
mounds and earthwork, was begun by the
Society, with Curator
H. C. Shetrone in charge. The ten days,
up to the present time,
have been spent in carting away refuse -- some
50 wagon loads
--left on the tract as a result of razing the barrack
buildings
formerly occupying the site; in
grubbing, mowing and burning
the dense growth of brush which had
taken possession of the
area since its abandonment as a
cantonment: and in grading and
filling in basements, grease-traps and
other depressions in the
surface.
In view of the fact that several of the
smaller mounds of
the group were graded off in the
construction of the canton-
ment and their exact locations made
uncertain, it was thought
advisable to subject the area
immediately occupied by the earth-
works to deep plowing, which already has
begun. This will
facilitate the locating of missing
mounds, and in addition will
disclose further burials and habitation
evidences that may exist,
besides aiding materially in leveling
and grading the land.
Preliminary to beginning the work of
restoration and park-
ing, Mr Spetnagel and Curator Shetrone
called upon Dr. Row-
land, superintendent of the U. S.
Veterans' Hospital, at Camp
Sherman, and solicited his cooperation
and assistance. Dr. Row-
land and his farm manager, Mr. Dean
Godden, graciously con-
sented to extend the Society whatever
aid lay within their
command, particularly as regards
machinery, tools and power.
Owing to extensive farming operations,
no laborers are available,
and power is available only when teams
or tractors can be spared.
However, we already have had the use of
a team and wagon
for several days, and at present are
using a tractor and mowing
machine. All these aids are without
cost, and their use will ef-
fect a material saving to the Society,
and result in the limited
fund available for the work reaching
much farther than it oth-
erwise would. The committee wishes
heartily to thank Dr.
Rowland and Mr. Godden for their
assistance.
The work of restoration and preliminary
parking will con-
tinue for two, or three weeks, weather
conditions permitting.
Further progress will be made next
spring.
There is one feature of the restoration
and parking prob-
lem that has given the committee
considerable anxiety, to which
the serious attention of the membership
is invited. Through
the efforts of Director Mills, the Y. M.
C. A. building, situated
upon the tract, was secured to the
Society for use in its park
plans. In common with other buildings of
the cantonment, it
has suffered seriously as a result of
exposure, neglect and van-
276 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
dalism since the abandonment of the
cantonment. The building
consists of two parallel structures, connected by an
enclosed
passage-way. Either of the two would be
a complete building
of itself. However, the rear portion, and much the
larger of the
two, has suffered regrettably as a
result of rain and snow reach-
ing its interior through broken windows
and defective roof. The
front structure, fortunately, is in very
good condition, roof and
floors being intact, and walls carefully
ceiled with matched lum-
ber. It contains a large brick fireplace
and other conveniences,
and would readily lend itself to repair.
This smaller front por-
tion, together with the connecting
structure would, at no great
outlay, be convertible into an
acceptable dwelling.
Since presumably the ultimate plans for
the park will de-
mand a dwelling for a caretaker, as well
as a shelter house of
some sort; and in view of the fact that
another winter's expo-
sure, without repairs, will detract very
materially from the value
of the building in question, it is the
sentiment of the Committee
that some means of taking advantage of
conditions at this time
would effect a saving of several
hundreds of dollars to the So-
ciety. The logical procedure, the
committee believes, would be
to salvage the larger portion of the
structure, now rapidly de-
preciating, but containing much valuable
lumber, and to utilize
this lumber for the repair of the
smaller structure, for use as a
caretaker's dwelling, and for the
construction of a shelter house.
Immediate steps might be confined to
salvaging the larger
structure, using sufficient
window-frames, doors and lumber to
make the smaller portion secure against
the winter's devastations,
and piling or storing in the latter the
surplus lumber to be used
later.
The Committee knows of no fund or means
of effecting this
much-needed measure, but feels it to be
its duty to bring the
situation to the attention of the
Society.
In submitting this report, the Committee
cannot but voice
its enthusiasm for the future of the
project under consideration.
In addition to its paramount
archaeological and historical im-
portance, the site of the state park now
under construction is
altogether ideal. Its eastern boundary
borders the Scioto river
for almost one-third of a mile, the
declivitous bank dropping
some sixty feet to the water's level.
The view of the river from
this vantage point is most charming,
while directly to the east-
ward, across its waters is seen the
historic Mount Logan and its
companion hills -- a most inspiring
view. The fact that the loca-
tion of the park is so central and so
easily available, will result
in thousands of visitors annually. In
our opinion, it will im-
Fortieth Annual Meeting 277
mediately become one of the Society's
most valuable and appre-
ciated out-door museums.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) A. C. SPETNAGEL,
Chairman.
On motion the report was ordered
received and filed.
President Johnson stated that the
recommendations
made in the report of Mr. Spetnagel will
be referred to
the Board of Trustees.
Secretary Galbreath read certain
proposed changes
in the Constitution of the Society, as
follows:
Insert at the close of the first
paragraph of Section I, Ar-
ticle 3, the words: "Seven members
shall constitute a quorum
of the Board of Trustees", making
the section read as follows:
Section 1. The government of this
Society shall be vested in a board
of fifteen (15) trustees, nine (9) of
whom shall be elected by ballot by
the Society at its annual meetings. The
other six (6) trustees necessary
to complete the number of fifteen (15)
shall be appointed by the Governor
of Ohio, as provided by the legislative
(joint) resolution of April 16,
1891, (88, O. L., 1932), two to be
appointed each year to serve for the
period of three years or until their
successors are appointed and qualified.
The nine (9) elected by the Society
shall be divided into three classes,
three (3) only being elected each year,
to serve for three years each from
the time of their election, or until
their successors are elected and qualified.
In case a vacancy occurs among the
trustees thus elected by the Society
during their term of service, the
remaining trustees shall fill such vacancy
until the next annual meeting of the
Society, when the vacancy shall be
filled by the Society. Seven members
shall constitute a quorum of the
Board of Trustes.
The Governor of the State of Ohio shall
be ex-officio a member of
the Board of Trustees of the Society;
also the Superintendent of Public
instruction as provided by the
"administrative code," approved April 26,
1921.
In Section 2, Article 3, strike out the
word "Curator" in the
third line and insert in lieu thereof
the word "Director". Strike
out the last sentence which reads:
"Seven members of the Board
of Trustees shall constitute a
quorum", making the section read
as follows:
Sec. 2. The Board of Trustees shall
elect a President, two Vice-
Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a Director
and such other officers or
agents as the proper management of the
Society may require.
In the third paragraph of Section 5,
Article 4, insert after
"Curator" in the second line
the words "or Curators", making
the section read as follows: