page_title: Scioto River
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Scioto River / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio
context_page_description: The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County just west of Roundhead, Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth. Early settlers and Native Americans used the river for shipping but it is now too small for modern commercial shipping. The primary economic importance for the river now is for recreation and drinking water. It is the longest river that is entirely within Ohio.
context_section_description: The Scioto River valley was home to many Native American cultures. The best known groups are the Mound Builders of the Hopewell tradition with mounds constructed by the Adena people more than 2000 years ago.  Numerous burial mounds can be seen near Chillicothe at the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park. The former strength of these cultures is demonstrated in settler accounts from as far east as Virginia. The name Scioto is derived from the Wyandot word skɛnǫ·tǫ’ “deer” (compare Shenandoah, derived from the word for deer in another Iroquoian language).
  During the antebellum years, the Scioto River provided a route to freedom for many slaves escaping from the South, as they continued north after crossing the Ohio River.  Towns such as Chillicothe became important stops on the Underground Railroad.
  A traditional fiddle tune in the Appalachian repertoire, “Big Scioty”, takes its name from the river. The melody is attributed to the Hammons family of West Virginia.
  In 2012, the river dropped to record- or near-record-low water levels as a result of the acute effects of the 2012 North American drought in Ohio.
caption: Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio
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