Alum Creek State Park
Encyclopedia
Alum Creek State Park is a 4630 acres (1,873.7 ha) Ohio state park in Delaware County
, Ohio
, in the United States. Alum Creek Lake
was constructed from 1970 to 1974 as part of the Flood Control Act
of 1962. Alum Creek Reservoir holds 3387 acres (1,370.7 ha) of water and is open to fishing, boating, ice fishing, ice boating and swimming. The park is just north of the state capital of Columbus
and contains the remnants of a settlement by freed slaves that arrived in Ohio from North Carolina
.
. The Adena were a Pre-Columbian
Native American
culture that existed from 1000 BC to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period
. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system. Seven mounds were found in the Alum Creek valley and six of the mounds were excavated by archaeologists before the valley was flooded, creating Alum Creek Reservoir.
The Lenape
tribe inhabited the area at the arrival of Anglo-Americans
. The Lenape had originally lived along the Delaware River
in what is now New York
, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey
. They were displaced by the arriving colonial settlers and the Iroquois
Indians who were the dominant group in the area. The Lenape established a large community on the banks of the Olentangy River
at what is now the city of Delaware
. In fact that had a 400 acres (1.6 km²) corn
field in what is now downtown Delaware.
. He owned over 11000 acres (44.5 km²) of land in the area that he was able to purchase as part of the settlement program given to veterans of the American Revolutionary War
.
The pioneer settlers were forced to build fortifications during the War of 1812
to protect against attack by warriors under the leadership of Tecumseh
and his British allies. One such fortress, Fort Cheshire, was constructed along Alum Creek. It was two stories tall with the second story reaching over the entry to the fort thus enabling the defenders to shoot and drop boiling water on any attackers. Fort Cheshire stood until the American Civil War
and was later used as a schoolhouse
. A plaque commemorating the fort is located at the family campground of Alum Creek State Park.
Ohio, sharing a border with the slave state
of Kentucky
, played an important part in freeing slavery in the United States along the Underground Railroad
. A major path of the Underground Railroad ran along Alum Creek
. It is thought that over 40,000 slaves passed through the area on the Sycamore Trail. The white bark of the sycamore
tree provided a guide for fleeing slaves making their way north to Canada
at night. The Hanby House in Westerville
was an important safe house in Franklin County. Escaping slaves would wade in Alum Creek as a means of hiding their scent from pursuing dogs and slave catchers. Also, there was a settlement of former slaves from North Carolina
along what became known as Africa Road on the southern end of what is now Alum Creek State Park. These former slaves also played a role in the Underground Railroad in Ohio.
basin. Construction of the dam was authorized by the United States Congress
as part of the Flood Control Act of 1962. Dam construction began in 1970 and was completed in 1974 with the establishment of Alum Creek State Park.
Alum Creek Dam which was constructed is located on Alum Creek
, a tributary of Big Walnut Creek
, which drains into the Scioto River
. The dam is a rolled earth-fill embankment 10000 ft (3,048 m) in length with a maximum height of 93 ft (28.3 m) The spillway is located high on the right abutment with the raceway dropping off in front of it to the stilling basin below. Control is provided by three 34 by 25 ft (7.6 m) tainter gate
s supported by 8 ft (2.4 m) wide concrete piers resting on concrete ogee sections. The ogee sections have a crest elevation of 878 and are founded at elevation 839.
and maple
trees were cut down for farming purposes, but in the area of the park these trees have comeback to form a thriving secondary forest
. Wild flower species include, bloodroot
, wild geranium, spring beauties
and trillium
. The forest provides a habitat for white-tail deer, groundhog
s, fox squirrel
s, and rabbits
.
, boating and ice boat
ing and swimming. There are five boat ramps around the lake and boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on the lake. The man made lake with a jagged shore provides excellent fishing opportunities. Game fish found in the lake include large mouth and small mouth bass, bluegill
, crappie
, sunfish
, channel catfish
, saugeye, walleye
and muskellunge
. Saugeye and muskies are stocked
by the State of Ohio, Division of Wildlife. Alum Creek Lake is the host to numerous fishing tournament
s throughout the year. The lake is open to ice fishing during the winter months. There is a 3000 feet (914.4 m) beach on the lake that is the largest inland beach in Ohio. The beach is open from dusk until dawn and is home to a beach house and beach volleyball
courts.
The park is also open to camping, hunting, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, snow mobiling and horseback riding. There are several hiking trails along the lake shore. A multipurpose trail is open to biking, riding, snow mobiles and hiking. There are 38 miles (61.2 km) of bridle trails at the park. Common game species at the park include white-tail deer, squirrels, and raccoons. Numerous picnic tables and pavilions are available along the shore of the lake. The campground has 286 sites with electricity in a wooded area overlooking Alum Creek Lake. The campground offers free WiFi
for registered campers. Shower and restroom facilities are open to campers. As are basketball
courts, horseshoe
pits and playgrounds. Additionally that are 8 cabins available to rent and a primitive camp along the bridle trail.
Delaware County, Ohio
Delaware County is a fast-growing suburban county in the state of Ohio, United States, within the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau's 2004 population estimates, Delaware County's population of 142,503 made it the fastest growing county in...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in the United States. Alum Creek Lake
Alum Creek Lake
The Alum Creek Lake reservoir was built in 1974, covers 123 sq mi and has a maximum capacity of .- Dam Construction :...
was constructed from 1970 to 1974 as part of the Flood Control Act
Flood Control Act
There are multiple laws known as the Flood Control Act. Typically, they are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers:-List of Flood Control Acts:*Flood Control Act of 1917...
of 1962. Alum Creek Reservoir holds 3387 acres (1,370.7 ha) of water and is open to fishing, boating, ice fishing, ice boating and swimming. The park is just north of the state capital of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and contains the remnants of a settlement by freed slaves that arrived in Ohio from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Native Americans
The first evidence of man living in the Alum Creek State Park area dates back over 2,000 years ago to the Adena cultureAdena culture
The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...
. The Adena were a Pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
culture that existed from 1000 BC to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system. Seven mounds were found in the Alum Creek valley and six of the mounds were excavated by archaeologists before the valley was flooded, creating Alum Creek Reservoir.
The Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
tribe inhabited the area at the arrival of Anglo-Americans
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
. The Lenape had originally lived along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in what is now New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. They were displaced by the arriving colonial settlers and the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Indians who were the dominant group in the area. The Lenape established a large community on the banks of the Olentangy River
Olentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio.It was originally called keenhongsheconsepung, a Delaware word literally translated as "stone for your knife stream", based on the shale found along its shores. Early settlers to the region translated this into "Whetstone River"...
at what is now the city of Delaware
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
. In fact that had a 400 acres (1.6 km²) corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
field in what is now downtown Delaware.
Early settlers
Most of the Native Americans in Ohio were driven out or killed by the arriving Anglo settlers and military. The first permanent white settler in the area was Moses Byxbe. He built his home in 1805 along Alum Creek in Berkshire TownshipBerkshire Township, Delaware County, Ohio
Berkshire Township is one of the eighteen townships of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,251 people in the township, 1,946 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
. He owned over 11000 acres (44.5 km²) of land in the area that he was able to purchase as part of the settlement program given to veterans of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The pioneer settlers were forced to build fortifications during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
to protect against attack by warriors under the leadership of Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
and his British allies. One such fortress, Fort Cheshire, was constructed along Alum Creek. It was two stories tall with the second story reaching over the entry to the fort thus enabling the defenders to shoot and drop boiling water on any attackers. Fort Cheshire stood until the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and was later used as a schoolhouse
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
. A plaque commemorating the fort is located at the family campground of Alum Creek State Park.
Underground Railroad
Slave state
In the United States of America prior to the American Civil War, a slave state was a U.S. state in which slavery was legal, whereas a free state was one in which slavery was either prohibited from its entry into the Union or eliminated over time...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, played an important part in freeing slavery in the United States along the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. A major path of the Underground Railroad ran along Alum Creek
Alum Creek
Alum Creek is long creek that runs north to south in central Ohio. The creek originates in Morrow County and then flows through Delaware County and finally into Franklin County, where it ends at Big Walnut Creek, which drains into the Scioto River. In 1974, the Army Corps of Engineers completed...
. It is thought that over 40,000 slaves passed through the area on the Sycamore Trail. The white bark of the sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
tree provided a guide for fleeing slaves making their way north to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at night. The Hanby House in Westerville
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
was an important safe house in Franklin County. Escaping slaves would wade in Alum Creek as a means of hiding their scent from pursuing dogs and slave catchers. Also, there was a settlement of former slaves from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
along what became known as Africa Road on the southern end of what is now Alum Creek State Park. These former slaves also played a role in the Underground Railroad in Ohio.
Alum Creek Dam and Alum Creek State Park
Alum Creek Dam is part of the flood control plan for the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
basin. Construction of the dam was authorized by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
as part of the Flood Control Act of 1962. Dam construction began in 1970 and was completed in 1974 with the establishment of Alum Creek State Park.
Alum Creek Dam which was constructed is located on Alum Creek
Alum Creek
Alum Creek is long creek that runs north to south in central Ohio. The creek originates in Morrow County and then flows through Delaware County and finally into Franklin County, where it ends at Big Walnut Creek, which drains into the Scioto River. In 1974, the Army Corps of Engineers completed...
, a tributary of Big Walnut Creek
Big Walnut Creek
Big Walnut Creek starts near Mount Gilead, Ohio in Morrow County. It flows south to eastern Delaware County and parallels Alum Creek. It passes to the east of Sunbury and into Hoover Reservoir. The reservoir crosses into Franklin County and flows through Gahanna and Whitehall...
, which drains into the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
. The dam is a rolled earth-fill embankment 10000 ft (3,048 m) in length with a maximum height of 93 ft (28.3 m) The spillway is located high on the right abutment with the raceway dropping off in front of it to the stilling basin below. Control is provided by three 34 by 25 ft (7.6 m) tainter gate
Tainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter....
s supported by 8 ft (2.4 m) wide concrete piers resting on concrete ogee sections. The ogee sections have a crest elevation of 878 and are founded at elevation 839.
Natural history
Alum Creek State Park is in central Ohio and is surrounded by farmlands and new housing developments. The park is home to many species of plants and animals that cannot live on the surrounding farmland. The old-growth forest of beechBeech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees were cut down for farming purposes, but in the area of the park these trees have comeback to form a thriving secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
. Wild flower species include, bloodroot
Bloodroot
Bloodroot is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada southward to Florida, United States...
, wild geranium, spring beauties
Claytonia virginica
Claytonia virginica, the Eastern spring beauty, Virginia spring beauty, or fairy-spuds, is a flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to eastern North America. It is found in moist woods and clearings. It is a trailing plant growing to 5-40 cm long. The leaves are slender lanceolate,...
and trillium
Trillium
Trillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
. The forest provides a habitat for white-tail deer, groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
s, fox squirrel
Fox Squirrel
The fox squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America...
s, and rabbits
Eastern Cottontail
The eastern cottontail is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.-Distribution:...
.
Recreation
Alum Creek State Park is open for year-round recreation. Alum Creek Lake is open for fishing and ice fishingIce fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
, boating and ice boat
Ice boat
An ice boat is a boat or purpose-built framework similar in functional design to a sail boat but fitted with skis or runners and designed to run over ice instead of through water. Ice yachting is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats. Sailable ice is known in the sport as "hard water" versus...
ing and swimming. There are five boat ramps around the lake and boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on the lake. The man made lake with a jagged shore provides excellent fishing opportunities. Game fish found in the lake include large mouth and small mouth bass, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, sunfish
Lepomis
Lepomis is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The most recognizable species of the sixteen in this genus is the Bluegill....
, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, saugeye, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
and muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
. Saugeye and muskies are stocked
Fish stocking
Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...
by the State of Ohio, Division of Wildlife. Alum Creek Lake is the host to numerous fishing tournament
Fishing tournament
A fishing tournament, or derby, is an organised competition among anglers. Fishing tournaments typically take place as a series of competitive events around or on a clearly defined body of water with specific rules applying to each event...
s throughout the year. The lake is open to ice fishing during the winter months. There is a 3000 feet (914.4 m) beach on the lake that is the largest inland beach in Ohio. The beach is open from dusk until dawn and is home to a beach house and beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
courts.
The park is also open to camping, hunting, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, snow mobiling and horseback riding. There are several hiking trails along the lake shore. A multipurpose trail is open to biking, riding, snow mobiles and hiking. There are 38 miles (61.2 km) of bridle trails at the park. Common game species at the park include white-tail deer, squirrels, and raccoons. Numerous picnic tables and pavilions are available along the shore of the lake. The campground has 286 sites with electricity in a wooded area overlooking Alum Creek Lake. The campground offers free WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
for registered campers. Shower and restroom facilities are open to campers. As are basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, horseshoe
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people using four horseshoes and two throwing targets set in a sandbox area. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart...
pits and playgrounds. Additionally that are 8 cabins available to rent and a primitive camp along the bridle trail.