Flint Ridge

Ohio History

Flint in the Rock

Did you ever wonder how the Indians made the tools to build all those mounds...and manufactured spearheads, arrows, and knives? We found out at the Flint Ridge Museum (also in Newark)—with flint! This beautiful, hard rock was mined in flint pits, then napped, or filed down, to nice sharp points. After marveling at the colorful samples of flint in the museum, we saw old flint-mining pits used by the Indians in the surrounding woods. The settlers even used flint for grindstones in their first mills!

Great Circle Mound

Ohio History

Into the Mound

Now for the real Indian stuff. Descending this stairway into the Great Circle Earthworks, we were surrounded by dirt walls. The ring-shaped mound stretching 1,200 feet across was really amazing—imagine hauling and shaping this much dirt with only hand tools and baskets! Inside the circle lay several smaller mounds called the Eagle Mound, as they resemble a bird in flight. An open gateway had been left at one end, and we had a good cross-section view of the towering height of the dirt walls!

Dawes Arboretum

Ohio History

Hedge Letters

If you want to be literally surrounded by Native American history, there’s one place in Ohio to visit: Newark. So that’s where we were headed for our next historic trip just northeast of Columbus. On the way, we stopped to enjoy Dawes Arboretum—but didn’t see all 1,800 acres! We did visit the All Seasons garden of gorgeous flowers, a shady cypress swamp, and a log cabin retreat in the woods. When we climbed into the 30-foot lookout, we saw shaped hedges that spelled…(what else?) DAWES ARBORETUM!

Kiser Lake

Ohio History

Lakeside Sunset

This peaceful scene was our final stop. Kiser Lake, a manmade reservoir east of Piqua, proved a nice ending for our day. It was perfect for a picnic supper and fishing from a pier, with the beautiful sunset, splashing fish ripples, and gentle waves...we didn’t want to leave for home!

Lockington Locks



Ohio History

Canal Locks

The stone walls in this picture are a lot bigger than they look! We had a lot of fun exploring the ruins of these five locks lined up back to back. They allowed canal boats to travel 67 feet up the hill. When a boat entered into a lock, the gates were closed behind it, then the water was raised or lowered so the boat could go forward into the next lock. The Lockington Locks were used from 1825 until the great flood of 1913 devastated the canal. But the massive locks survived to this day!

Johnston Farm House

Ohio History

Johnston Parlor

How would you like to settle down in this pretty sitting room to read the paper or do needlework? This was my favorite room in the large Johnston house. The home also afforded a fancy dining room for Mr. Johnston’s constant guests (Indians and traders) and four upstairs bedrooms for his large family. The kitchen in the basement wasn’t too far from the outdoor cider house, fruit-drying racks, and springhouse—a little less convenient than the refrigerator! The huge log barn that housed the hogs was very impressive and one of the oldest double-pen barns in Ohio.

Johnston Farm Canal

Ohio History

Canal Boat Team

Canals in John Johnston’s day were like turnpike highways to us: they slashed costs of taking farm goods to cities and drew business to the area. It’s no wonder Mr. Johnston worked hard to get the Miami & Erie Canal to run through his backyard! We got to ride on a replica canal boat around a remnant of the real Erie Canal—a shallow water ditch not wider than a two-lane road. These horses had an easy job compared to teams pulling boatloads of grain or coal!

Johnston Farm Museum

Ohio History

Indians & French Fur Traders

 In 1811, John Johnston moved to unsettled territory in western Ohio to work as a government Indian Agent. He negotiated land treaties with the Indians, ending with the removal of the last tribe in 1839. The Johnston Farm & Indian Agency in present-day Piqua preserves his large homestead. Of course, we had to see the museum first, which featured this life-size diorama of the French and Indians trading. I especially liked the beautiful beaded moccasins and Indian clothing on display.

Cedar Bog



Ohio History

 Flowers in the Bog

 Would you imagine that we also found these lovely flowers in Urbana? They’re growing at Cedar Bog, a restored farmland-to-swamp park. As we strolled along the boardwalk through the bog, we saw native hemlock, giant tulip trees, and (of course) cedars. The swamp stream actually stays at fifty degrees all winter! We enjoy visiting this park through the year to see the changing display of blooming flowers!

Johnny Appleseed Museum

Ohio History

Apple Tree

Here we go, off on a trip to western Ohio. We’ll head for Urbana and Piqua, and then stop to fish at Kiser Lake via the Lockington Locks. Do you know why this tree is famous? It is found in Urbana at . . . the Johnny Appleseed Museum. It was actually propagated from a tree planted by John Chapman! I liked seeing the collection of Johnny Appleseed dolls inside the museum (but interestingly enough, there are no photographs of him and no one knows what he looked like).