American Antiquities: Read Before a Joint Meeting of the Pioneer Associations of the Counties of Franklin, Muskingum and Licking, at Their Celebration of the National Anniversary, at Pataskala, Ohio, July 4, 1870 (Classic Reprint)

American Antiquities: Read Before a Joint Meeting of the Pioneer Associations of the Counties of Franklin, Muskingum and Licking, at Their Celebration of the National Anniversary, at Pataskala, Ohio, July 4, 1870 (Classic Reprint)

Samuel Park

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Excerpt from American Antiquities: Read Before a Joint Meeting of the Pioneer Associations of the Counties of Franklin, Muskingum and Licking, at Their Celebration of the National Anniversary, at Pataskala, Ohio, July 4, 1870

When called upon by Mr. Smucker, Secretary of the Licking County P loneer Association, to treat more fully in my Pioneer Papers on this mysterious fort and mound question, I said, and thought, that there was nothing m that on which I could write an article that would be of any in terest to the public. It was a subject on which I had read and thought but little, and what little attention I had given to the subject, had impressed upon my mind the impropriety of any attempt on my part to penetrate the darkness or solve the mystery with which they are surrounded; because men of science, and the most profound antiquarians of our land had ex hansted their skill in vain research to solve the mystery of their existence; military men had searched in vain, for a system of tactics adapted to their situation and character. Almost every effort had but tended to increase the mystery and intensify the gloom with which they were surrounded. Hence I dreaded to say anything about them, further than to merely men tion the fact of their existence in a portion of Union Township. But this did not seem to satisfy Mr. Smucker. He thought the subject had not been exhausted, and wanted a paper on the mound question. Having been quite familiar, in early life, with the location of several fine mounds in the northeast part of Union, as well as a few m Granville Township, and knowing that some of them afforded a fine prospect of Licking Valley, I determined to ascend to the top of one on my old farm, , and look for something to write about.

When I reached the summit of the mound, I was astonished at the change that had taken place since I last visited that elevation, some twenty years ago. Much of the timber had been removed from the surrounding country, especially to the west, which had greatly extended the view from this point. While sitting on this elevated tumulus and contemplating the beauty of the scenery, I began to call to mind the several mounds with which I had been familiar in other years, Within a radius of two\to three miles, and being well acquainted with the topography of the surrounding country, I was astonished to see that they Occupied so nearly a common level on the hilltops, and that, with a little more timber removed, all were in plain view from the position I then occupied; and further, that of some ten or more that I could then call to mind on a territory of some twenty, five or thirty square miles nearly if not quite all of them could be seen from each and all the others and further, that while there was an extensive common view to all of them, yet each mound overlooked a valley or plain, more or less of which could not be seen from any other one. To make this more clear, let me specify a few cases, to-wit: From the position we now occupied, we had a delightful prospect of the country for many miles around us, extending west into Harrison Township, north into Granville, and to the east and southeast the whole Licking Valley was spread out be.

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