Indian Mounds Of The Hocking Hills

The Adena culture refers to the prehistoric American Indian
peoples that lived in southern Ohio and neighboring
regions of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana during
the Early Woodland Period. They were the first people in
this region to settle down in small villages, cultivate
crops, use pottery vessels, acquire exotic raw materials,
such as copper and marine shell, to make ornaments |
and jewelry, and bury their honored dead in conical
burial mounds.
There are three mounds in Hocking County.

The George Defenbaugh Mound is at Mount Crossing on
Route 180 north of Laurelville and was added
in the Registery of Historical Places July 15, 1974.



This is the Edith Ross Mound on Route 56 east
of Laurelville about 1/2 mile.




The Edith Ross Mound was entered in the
Registry of Historical Places June 18, 1973.







This is the Karshner Mound and the Bethel United
Methodist Church was built beside of it. The Karshner
Mound was entered into the Registry of Historical Places on
June 18, 1973.





The cemetery is located upon the mound itself.
Leland Conner, much missed, was a fountain of
information on the history of the native American
people of the area.

Mary Sutherland author of the 'Living in the Light'
has some very fascinating information on the Mound
Builders, the " Giants of Ohio".

Excerpt:
The first record of giants in Ohio can be traced back to 1829.
A near by mound was being used to furnish the material to build
a hotel in Chesterville. As they dug into the mounds, the
workers dug up a large human skeleton. The local physician
examining the skeleton said that the skull could have easily
fit over a normal man's head with no difficulty.
Another peculiarity of the skeleton was the additional
teeth it had compared to modern man.



For more information on the Giants of Ohio:
Mary Sutherland

Hocking Hills, Ohio

Adena Culture

Mounds

Indian Burial And Sacred Grounds Watch