The Big Bottom Memorial is located on SR 266 near Stockport, Ohio, in Morgan County. If you are in Marietta, take State Route 60 toward Stockport. This is a pleasant drive as the road runs along the east bank of the Muskingum River. The early settlers probably followed the same route as they headed north.
When you get to Route 266, turn west toward Stockport. Before you reach Stockport, you will come across the Big Bottom Memorial. It is in a roadside park between you and the river. The memorial marks the massacre of 9 men, 1 woman and 2 children who had come to Big Bottom to homestead. The settlers knew there were Indian hunting parties in the area but decided not to complete the palliside around their cabins. A mixed group of Delaware and Wyndott attacked and killed 12 of 15 settlers.
Look for a small 10” high, lichen covered memorial on the left. It lists the names of the male survivors. The woman and children are anonymous. The park is peaceful today—filled with large trees and the sound of the river. It is hard to imagine this place filled with war whoops, shots, and the screams of the dying.
The memorial reminds us that Ohio was settled by brave people who went into a lonely land without any back-up. They needed to be totally self sufficient. If something went wrong, they handled it or they didn’t survive. I think the memorial also should help us remember the other, unknown settlers who died in the wilderness while they were trying to make a new life for themselves and their families.
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