Leo Petroglyph

The Leo Petroglyph is comprised of 37 incised drawings of humans, footprints, and animals. It is fun to try and find all of the glyphs and to try and identify what they are.

The petroglyphys were carved into a large, flat surface of sandstone. Currently, it is believed that they were carved by the Fort Ancient Indians sometime between 1000AD and 1650AD. Why the Indians cared these images or what they meant to the Fort Ancient peoples is unknown.

The petroglyphs are protected by a small, roofed shelter located in a very small park. The park has some picnic tables but no other amenities.

Local teens have been busy decorating the shelter with spray painted names. There is some evidence that some have also tried their hand at making petroglyphs. The only supervision of the park was provided by a neighbor’s two dogs who came by to see what we were doing.

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• none

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Related sites:

• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph—photo


• Leo Petroglyph


• State Parks.com


• Appalachian Adventure Trail: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio State Parks: Leo Petroglyph, nearby sites of interest

Buckeye Furnace

I was impressed with the reconstruction effort that has been made at Buckeye Furnace. The furnace is located deep in the hills of southern Ohio. Today it seems quiet and remote. During its heyday, the area was bustling with workmen and their families.

The furnace is a reconstructed charcoal-fired iron blast furnace. The sandstone stack is original. The blast furnace was located in an area where all the materials needed for producing iron were available—iron ore, limestone to separate the iron from the slag, and trees to produce the charcoal needed to fuel the furnace.

The furnace was built in 1852 and produced iron until 1894. During that period, the forest around the furnace was cut down to produce charcoal.
The site also contains a reconstructed company store which functions as the visitor’s center and a reconstructed supervisor’s house which is a private residence.

Open hours are limited. The Historical society has provided kiosks describing the buildings and the activities. You can use them to give yourself a self-guided tour if there is no staff available.

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• Not handicapped accessible .

Related sites:

• Friends of Buckeye Furnace


• State Parks.com


• Ohio Iron Furnaces

Buffington Island Mound I

This is a conical mound about 20 feet high and with a base diameter of 125 feet. Concrete steps up the side allow you to walk to the top. You cannot see the river from the top of the mound but you can see the river bottom lands. There are supposed to be 2 smaller mounds nearby. We were unable to identify them.
The mound was probably excavated sometime around the beginning of the 20th century but there are no records of the work. The mound was restored in 1931 and is in good condition.

The mound is located on the Buffington Island Battle Memorial.

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Fees; (if applicable): none

Additional information:

Ohio History Central: Buffington Island Mound

Buffington Island Battleground

This site has two points of interest—one is the memorial to the only Civil War battle fought on Ohio soil and the second is an Indian mound.
In 1863, General Morgan, a Confederate officer, led a column of men across the Ohio. The Confederates were stopped by a Union army led by Major Daniel McCook together with eight of his sons and five of his brothers.
The memorial to the battle, made of glacial boulders, is set in a small 4 acre park that contains a shelter, picnic tables, and a restroom with pit toilets.
Near the memorial is the Buffington Island Mound 1, also known as Price Mound.
We visited the memorial and mound on a beautiful early fall day. This was the first of three stops. We went exploring and also visited the Leo Petroglyphs and the Buckeye Furnace.

Hours:
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Fees; (if applicable): none
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Related sites:
Ohio History Central: Battle of Buffington Island
Battle of Buffington Island

Buffington Island, Ohio