, OH
Indian Trail Caverns, first opened in 1927, is one of many caves that occur on the dolomite ridge traversed by State Route 568 in Wyandot and Hancock counties. Sheriden Cave, a karst sinkhole associated with the caverns, was discovered in 1989. It has collected a remarkable record of Ice Age animal and human activity in its sediments. Excavations have revealed remains of many extinct Late Pleistocene Epoch animals-giant beaver, stag moose, flat-headed and long-nosed peccary, and short-faced bear, among many others-that were sealed in the cave by glacial deposits more than ten thousand years ago. Paleo-Indian tools, including projectile points and scrapers, are evidence of the earliest-known human activity in this region.
, OH
This recess cave was named for the “old man” Richard Rowe, a recluse who made the cave his home in the 1800s and is a part of scenic Hocking Hills State Park. Hocking comes from the Wyandot Indian word “hockinghocking,” referring to the Hocking River’s bottle-shaped gorge near Lancaster. Streams and percolating groundwater carved the hollows and caves in this area from layers of sandstone bedrock that vary in hardness. The hollow’s moist, cool climate preserves more typically northern tree species such as eastern hemlock trees and Canada yew, which have persisted since the glaciers retreated 15,000 years ago.
, OH
In 1897, a farm boy investigating the disappearance of water into a sinkhole in a nearby field discovered this system of subterranean passageways. Digging down a few feet, he found an opening to a cave that had begun forming perhaps several thousand years earlier during the Ice Age in soluble limestone bedrock that was approximately 400 million years old. Ground water dripping down from the cavern’s ceiling continues to form stalactites, stalagmites, and mineral coatings on the cavern’s walls, floor, and ceiling. A portion of Ohio Caverns near the discovery site was opened to the public in 1897, but that section closed in 1925 when a more extensive and geologically interesting part of the cave was discovered. Ohio Caverns is the largest known cave system in the state and is widely considered to be the most beautiful of all Ohio caves.
, OH
Some of the main Ohio Underground Railroad lines that fugitive slaves used on their way from the Ohio River toward Canada and freedom followed the Muskingum River. These lines, however, were not easy. Under the 1793 and 1850 fugitive slave laws, runaway slaves could be captured and returned to their owners. Therefore fugitives traveling this route were led by “railroad conductors” in a zig-zag pattern to elude the bounty hunters. And because it was so dangerous and difficult many of the early runaways were young men. Conductors hid slaves in caves, barns, and secret places at or near the Underground Railroad. And many people helped their friends and neighbors involved in these activities. Various routes connected the Muskingum River from Belpre on what is today State Route 339 to Waterford and Little Hocking via State Route 555 to Putnam in Muskingum County.
, OH
In 1879, local hardware store owners L.W. Loomis and H.E. Parks established a summer resort at Front Street and Prospect Avenue. The High Bridge Glens and Caves park spanned both sides of the Cuyahoga River and featured a dance and dining pavilion, scenic trails and overlooks, cascades and waterfalls, deep caverns, curious geological formations, and a suspension footbridge. The park also offered several manmade attractions, including what is believed to have been one of the earliest roller coasters in the area. At the height of its popularity, the park attracted more than 8,000 visitors a day, including Congressman (later president of the United States) William McKinley. (continued on other side)
614.297.2300
Contact Us
