Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/191

 HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��179

��however, many have doubted the authenticity of the statements made concerning it. The pioneers say it was used by the Indians as a place of burial.

In Jackson Township, on John Palmers farm (Section 29), there is a mound about four feet high and twenty feet in diameter. Dr. J. W. Craig took from this mound several spear-heads. There was also found burnt cla}', with charcoal and bones, which evidenced that it was a sacri- ficial mound. A few miles to the east of this there is another small mound, which has not yet been explored.

Dr. William Busluiell remembers there was a mound in Mifflin Township, situated about fifteen rods to the east of Black Fork, just

��east of the city of Mansfield. The work con- sists of a well-defined oval embankment with aged oaks growing thereon, and is 594 feet long, 238 feet wide, and contains two and two-thirds acres. South 75 degTces, and west 710 feet, is a living spring of considerable power, and it was evidently here that the prehistoric man, who made this place his home, obtained water. From the lower end of the embankment to the spring is a ravine, perhaps artificial, which made a very convenient path. On the way to the spring is a " furnace," an excavated place walled with uncut stone. Several years ago a portion of this "furnace" was excavated, and a con- siderable amount of charcoal, stone implements, paint, etc.. were discoA^ered ; but the work

���SCRAPERS FLINT.

��northeast of the A. & (i. W. R. R. bridge. He thinks it may have been fifteen feet high and fifty feet in diameter. It had several large oak- trees gi'owing on its top, showing it to have been of ancient formation. It has been almost entirely obliterated by the plow, and could hardly be located now. There is another mound in this township, on the farm of Solomon Bal- liet. It is about eighty rods southeast of Simpson's Schoolhouse. It is placed on a high ridge, is of stone, and is about three feet high and fifteen feet in diameter. It was, doubtless, a mound of observation, a place of outlook, oi\ did it exist in use to-day, would he termed a " sentinel mound."

The most noted earthwork in the county is in Madison Township, aliout one-half mile north-

��ceased in its incipiency, owing to a lack of funds. Leadinaf out from the embankment is a series

O J.

of depressions, arranged geometrically, of va- I'ious widths and depths, some of which are four feet in depth, and some ten to twenty feet in diameter.

A partial investigation of this earthwork was made in September, 1879, by a few inter- ested individuals, and a survey made by Mr. John Newman, the County Surveyor. Owing to alack of funds, the work was only temporally made. One of the depressions referred to was excavated to the depth of eight feet. The in- dications were that the ground had been exca- vated by the prehistoric man, but for what pur- pose was not made apparent. It is hoped that a full investigation will in time be made of this

��^

�� �