Bridging Time

Mound City.





Ohio has one of the largest concentrations of ancient burial mounds in the world and there are a number of parks and areas across the state that protect these precious and sacred sites. Mound City is just outside of Chillicothe, Ohio the original state capitol. It's full name is Mound City Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. The museum has a collection of artifacts found at the site including over 200 carved clay pipes in the shapes of birds, turtles, snakes and human heads all that had been ritually broken. There are 23 mounds enclosed within a low wall also of earth. It is an area of rolling green grass covered mounds surrounded by trees all around. It is very peaceful and calming to walk here, to imagine that people have been coming here for thousands of years.

I suggest seeing the wonderful movie within the museum as it really gives you an overview of the history and the research that has been done upon the mounds and the buildings that were here at one time. It also explains the dynamics of building this site and similar sites that all match identically in shapes and measurements.  The volunteers in the museum are quite gracious and helpful, obviously quite passionate about the park. You can also check out the website Ancient Ohio Trail for information on the whole trail that crosses the state. I can't wait to go to some of the other parks. It was also listed on the Haunted Ohio map as a sacred site.

Buckskin Bridge 1873.

On the way back we decided to drive the back country roads and visited this covered bridge, Buckskin, built in 1873 which has been beautifully restored. It is on Lower Twin Road in the
                                           Appalachian countryside of Ross County. 

Buckskin covered Bridge.

The little township over the rise is South Salem and is the home of the Salem Academy and a wonderful cemetery that we, of course, had to visit. The stone, Federal style academy was built in 1842 and was founded by a Presbyterian minister Hugh Fullerton. It is a historical site.

Salem Academy.

The cemetery has some beautiful carvings and a lot of graves with these rectangular stone bases that were built up. There is also the grave of Mary Morter, who was supposedly the daughter of  Queen Victoria's father, Prince Edward, but it was not proven. Her husband carved a simple stone for her when she died at the age of 34, weakened by her journey to the America in 1852. At the bottom of her stone it says "Think". Does make one think!

We also went looking for this bridge/tunnel which was on the Haunted Ohio map. A bit more difficult to find but we persevered and finally found it on the other side of Chillicothe. Schrader Road tunnel is supposedly haunted by a woman and her crying baby that you can hear if you drive through the tunnel with your windows down. Also reportedly by a woman who hanged herself from the north end of the tunnel. We didn't experience anything but one of the pictures I took did have orbs.

Schrader Road Tunnel.

We spent the better part of the day driving in and around the area and it is quite a lovely part of Ohio. Stopped at a wonderful barbecue restaurant in Chillicothe on East 7th St., called 7 Miles Smokehouse which was fantastic and reasonable. Everyone enjoyed their lunch and left with doggy bags. I had looked up suggestions before we went and I can honestly say that not one of us would have stopped at this restaurant if I hadn't seen they had gotten top ratings. It looks like a dive and has no atmosphere but the food well makes up for it. A little curb appeal would probably serve them well!