New Indian Ridge Museum facts for kids

The New Indian Ridge Museum, Historic Shupe Homestead, and Wildlife Preserve is a private museum and nature area located in Amherst, Ohio. It sits right next to Beaver Creek. This special place includes the old Shupe Homestead and lots of wooded land. You can find wetlands, small temporary ponds called vernal pools, and a floodplain here. The preserve is home to many different kinds of trees, wildflowers, ferns, and about fifty types of birds.

The museum has a wide variety of items, from ancient times (prehistory) to more recent years. Many of these items came from an older museum called the Indian Ridge Museum in Elyria, Ohio. That museum was started by Raymond C. Vietzen. Matt Nahorn founded the current museum in 2000. It is not open to the public right now.

What is the New Indian Ridge Museum?

Matt Nahorn worked hard to bring back Raymond Vietzen's collection. Most of Vietzen's items were sold at an auction in the 1990s after he passed away. Nahorn honored Vietzen by using a similar name for his new museum. Vietzen's original museum, started in 1930, was called the Vietzen Archaeological Museum. You could only visit it if you were invited.

In recent years, the New Indian Ridge Museum (NIRM) has also focused on nature and protecting animal homes. The NIRM started the Beaver Creek Watershed Group (BCWG). This group works to prevent changes to the land that could cause more flooding or pollution. The BCWG especially focuses on keeping floodplains and riparian zones (areas along the creek) healthy. They also created private trails for people to enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife. The NIRM has sometimes let local schools, like Lake Ridge Academy, visit the property. They give tours to students and teachers. The museum's main goals include teaching students and others about the area's nature, ancient history, and pioneer past.

Who was Raymond C. Vietzen?

Most of the items at the New Indian Ridge Museum come from the collections of Raymond C. Vietzen. He was the curator of the old Indian Ridge Museum near Elyria, Ohio. In 1930, Vietzen started the Vietzen Archaeological Museum at his family home. For over sixty-five years, Vietzen and his wife, Ruth Bliss, explored the ancient and recent history of their local area and other parts of the United States.

Raymond Vietzen used to be a car mechanic. Later, he wrote seventeen history books and became a talented artist. He was also an expert on the Erie Indians, sometimes called the Cat Nation. Several Native American groups adopted him. His museum was often visited by local schools and groups. Vietzen had promised the community that his collection would never be sold, especially since many people had donated items to his museum. However, after he died, his entire collection was sold piece by piece at an auction. Vietzen was the last living founding member of the Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society, which is now called the Archaeological Society of Ohio.

Who is Matt Nahorn?

Colonel Matthew W. Nahorn is the founder and curator of the New Indian Ridge Museum. He graduated from Lake Ridge Academy in 2008. In 2006, he worked with Lake Ridge Academy to create the Lake Ridge Archives. This project aimed to protect the school's long history. He still works as an archivist at Lake Ridge Academy.

Nahorn studied Environmental Studies at Oberlin College. He continues to research his hometown and local environmental issues. He has started working with the Lake Ridge Academy staff to create a historical list of the school's items. He also takes care of the New Indian Ridge Museum complex. Local newspapers, like the Lorain Morning Journal and Elyria Chronicle Telegram, have featured the museum. Because of Nahorn's work to protect nature, members of the Archaeological Society of Ohio asked the Kentucky State Government to give him an honorary title. In 2007, he was named a Kentucky Colonel. This is the same honorary title that Raymond Vietzen had received.

The Historic Shupe Home

In 1811, Jacob Shupe settled in what would later become Amherst Township, Lorain County, Ohio. The current owners of the Historic Shupe House have done 23 years of research. They learned that the house was built around 1812. It is the oldest house in Amherst and was probably the first wooden frame house built in Lorain County. The house still stands on its original foundation.

Images for kids

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  A mature forest with a tree over 250 years old is a part of the wildlife preserve.

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  Beaver Creek and its watershed are being actively maintained.

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  Beaver Creek expands into its floodplain after a sizable rainfall.

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  Raymond C. and Ruth Vietzen conducted numerous archaeological explorations in the 1940s in Kentucky and Tennessee.