The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-08
-IFOr bic San Counts prnocnAr.l
THE MOUND BUILDERS OLD FORT
7" ANCIENT. U.

About six miles east Of Lebanon In Warren
county, Ohio, there are remains of ancient works
now known as Fort Ancient Several weeks
since the Surveying and Engineering classes Of
the National Normal School made survey Of
TINS very interesting place, The company mum.
bered thirty and were divided into four sections.
one section did the leyellng and the remaining
three the surveying Each surveying section
consisted OF compassman, hagman, and four
chainmen and two for calculating. The survey
was found to be very accurate one. The num-
Der OF stations made was one hundred and thirty.
one the area measuring on the summit of the
embankment surrounding the fort is about one
hundred acres. The altitude of the fort above
the level of the Little Miami river as reported by
the Engineering section is two hundred and thir.
ty feet The fertilization is situated on hori.
zontal plateau between two branches Of the Little
Miami. There is an embankment around the
fort varying in hight from ten 10 thirty feet.
There are about sixty gateways part of which
appears to have been washed by water collecting
IN the fort but there are Others on the level so
that 1t is reasonable to suppose that they were in.
tended by the builders of the fort as gateways
Aiter making plat we found that the outline of
the fort resembled very much the outline of North
and South America, and some imaginary persons
suppose that the builders had some knowledge of
the form of the western continent but we think
that 1t was made in that form more for the pur
pose Of having 1t similar TO the form of the
plateau. There are several moHnds situated in
and near the fort, The manner in which these
mounds are built is an evidence that the build
ers knew something of the sciences of Astrono.
my and Geometry Taken as whole the work
appears to be that of an intelligent man. There
are really two forts known as the North and
South fort. The works appear to have been built
as means of defense against enemies. The enc.
my if there should have been any would be more
likely to come in from the north as that is the
most accessible, and the small fort was used as q
last retreat The place where the two forts are
| connected is very narrow, the distance between
the embankments being only about three or four
chains. This is the place that some persons think
that corresponds to the Isthmus of Panama. AL
most entirely around the small fort the banks are
very steep, almost perpendicular. As we looked
down those steep banks, we thought that should
an enemy try to take the fort II would be almost
impossible, On the west side of the small fort
there are three parallel roads. 1t is rather diff.
cult to assign reason for their construction but
1t Is supposed that they were built for the pur-
pose of having place of standing, for those act.
ing as guards Of the fort Northwest of the fort
are two parallel roads. The object of these ap-
pears 10 be as places of amusement. Some have
gone so far as to suppose that their games were
similar to those of Ancient Greece and Rome. Be
that as 1t may, we think that they were not built
by the North American Indians, for the purpose
of having foot races and such games as they have.
After examining what remains yet of the fort
one would naturally inquire who constructed the
fort2 We have only heard two answers to the
question. A man who formerly had his residence
near the fort gave 1t as his opinion, that it was
built by the Jews about the time of Christ This
answer is not generally accepted as the correct
one.
| 1t is generally conceded that the socalled
mound builders were the ones that did the work
There are remains of crockery and other material
which go to prove that they knew something Of
| the arts.
We do not see why more Is not said about this
place in history. And much might be found out
about Pre- Historic races If this place was made
more an object of study, We think that no one
should lose the opportunity Of seeing this fort
should II be at all convenient for them to gel
there. Respectfully yours,
VA, G. and P. c. 8,
Lebanon, Ohio.