Ohio's first state park, Fort Ancient on the chopping block

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Fort Ancient, (not an actual fort) is the site where Hopewell and Adena Indians built a huge Earthworks to establish monitoring of the seasons and other celestial event. In 1891, it was purchased by the State of Ohio to preserve the mounds and became the State's first State Park.
A few years ago it was nominated as a World Heritage site.
Many local Indian tribes have gatherings and Powwows there, Boy Scouts camp there, children come during the winter and learn about history. Archaelogists recently discovered a "Woodhenge" circle nicknamed the "Moorehead Circle". All of this is scheduled to come to an end in July if funding is not secured.

We're petitioning the Ohio Assembly to do something about this, it you want to preserve this place as well, please consider signing this petition.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/26239.html

You can learn more about Fort Ancient here:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw04/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ancie ... non,_Ohio)
http://www.shakerwssg.org/fort_ancient_ ... ve_ame.htm

The yearly Four Corners celebration:
http://www.kingsmills.us/fortancientcelebration.pdf

[Innocent Bystander]

I am signatory number 13. Damn! Is that all?

I've taken the liberty of stealing your post to repost elsewhere, Daniel!

[missy]

Daniel - I hadn't heard about this!!!! I spent many, many hours walking the mound, looking over the river, etc.


I'll post this on a couple of the Enquirer boards!!!!

[djm]

What an excellent opportunity for the First Nations to step up to the plate and actualy own a piece of property that should be, by all that's right, theirs in the first place.

djm

[Doug_Tipple]

The states are desparate to raise money any way that they can, and an obvious way is to sell or lease state assets, such as state parks, state forest lands, and roadways. I don't approve of doing this. Sure, selling or leasing your state asset to a corporation is a way of getting money up front, but the long-term consequences are greater fees and tolls for usage for what once belonged to the people of the state.

[susnfx]

And in Utah, our legislature (bless their evil little hearts) approved a land swap that will allow development of a tract of land previously set aside because it contains thousands of artifacts (including housing) of a 3000 year old Native American site. No, they said, we need a commuter rail station instead.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705290184,00.html

(I liked this from one of the online comments on the article: "If the legislature ever does anything in the best interest of the people, it is solely an unintended by product of helping out the wealthy.")

Susan

[Daniel_Bingamon]

What an excellent opportunity for the First Nations to step up to the plate and actualy own a piece of property that should be, by all that's right, theirs in the first place.

djm

That's a great idea, maybe we should write to the Seminole tribe, you know they own Hard Rock Cafe?

That's hard part of finding alternate funding for the site, finding someone that respects that land today is not easy.

[djm]

Maybe they could make a movie.

djm

[Daniel_Bingamon]

If anyone here is within the area, the celebration that they're having this year at the silent auction booth. I'm donating some Native Flutes and a Cigar Box fully functional acoustic Mandolin. A friend of mine is make a Willow chair for it and there will be many other things there - with every bit of the proceeds going to help the park.

[anniemcu]

I am signature 697... so some progress from 13.

I'm sharing it around as well.

[missy]

from today's Cincinnati Enquirer:

State budget cuts have trimmed hours of operation at Ohio Historical Society sites, including Fort Ancient in Warren County.

The site, which features a museum and 18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by American Indians, will be closed in April except to groups by appointment.

In May, Fort Ancient will be open to the public on weekends only. Summer hours also will change. Go to www.ohiohistory.org for details.

The Historical Society will furlough all of its employees the week of March 28-April 3. Any orders placed online at OhioPix and Ohio History Store will be processed April 6

[Daniel_Bingamon]

I sent them a letter a few days ago. I was hoping that they would say something about the petition.
Posted the message on few more forums.

[Walden]

The ancient mounds and earthworks are such an unfathomably important link to our heritage. Couldn't they maybe sell off a few state assemblymen instead? A people which forgets its antiquities is a poor people indeed.

A couple of years ago, one of my classmates' husband discovered an intact ancient burial site on the edge of a local man-made lake, and the first thing they did was call in the Cherokee national government, which affirmed it was not Cherokee, and so the National Geographic Society and archaeologists came down and excavated it.

In Oklahoma, we used to not have protection for mound sites, and in the 1930's treasure hunters went and blasted one of the most significant sites in the region, Spiro Mounds. Skeletons and fabrics lay everywhere. After that, strict laws were put into place, and Spiro Mounds became a state park.

It is when funds get tight that we see where priorities lie.

[djm]

Which is why I suggested the local first nations come in and buy the site instead of letting outsiders have it. If it is anyone's heritage at stake it is theirs, and if it means anything to them they will find the funds.

djm