Lake Ridge Island Mounds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lake Ridge Island Mounds
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One of the Lake Ridge Island Mounds
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Western side of State Route 368 on Lake Ridge Island in Stokes Township |
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| Nearest city | Russells Point, Ohio |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001549 |
| Added to NRHP | October 16, 1974 |
The Lake Ridge Island Mounds are a group of small hills in Logan County, Ohio, United States. People believe these hills might be ancient Native American mounds, which are special burial or ceremonial sites. They are also known as the Wolf Mounds I-IV.
These mounds are found on Lake Ridge Island, which is part of Indian Lake. They cover an area of about 5 acres (2 hectares). The mounds are close to the village of Russells Point. A road called State Route 368 even curves a little to avoid them!
Contents
What are the Lake Ridge Island Mounds?
The four mounds on the island are quite small. They are less than 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall and about 40 feet (12 meters) wide. Because they are so small, they can look like natural little hills.
In the 1970s, a report said that the mounds were in "excellent" condition. This means they had not been disturbed by people looking for old artifacts. This is important because it helps archaeologists study them better.
History and Discovery
In 1914, experts looked for ancient sites in Logan County. They found many mounds on the southeastern shore of Indian Lake. However, they did not see any mounds on Lake Ridge Island at that time.
One famous mound nearby is the Dunns Pond Mound. It is located a short distance south of Lake Ridge Island. The Dunns Pond Mound is much larger than the Lake Ridge Island Mounds.
Possible Hopewell Connection
The report from the 1970s suggested that the Lake Ridge Island Mounds could be important archaeological sites. They looked similar to small mounds made by the Hopewell tradition. The Hopewell were an ancient Native American culture that lived in Ohio and other parts of the midwestern United States.
It is thought that these mounds might have been built by small groups of Hopewell people. These groups might have lived a bit separately from the main Hopewell centers. Studying these small mounds could help us learn more about how the Hopewell culture began and ended.
Why are the Mounds Important?
Because of their possible historical value, the Lake Ridge Island Mounds were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This is a special list of places in the United States that are important to history. They were listed as a historic district, which means they are a group of important sites in one area. They are the only historic district in Logan County.
The Ohio Historical Society helped get the mounds listed. They pointed out that the mounds are located inside Indian Lake State Park. This is a great spot for learning about history! They hoped that visitors to the park would learn about the mounds. This way, people might want to protect other ancient sites on their own land too.
