Buck Creek State Park
Encyclopedia
Buck Creek State Park is a 4016 acres (1,625.2 ha) Ohio state park in Clark County
, Ohio
in the United States. The park is leased by the state of Ohio from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It includes C. J. Brown Reservoir and Dam, a flood control
dam and reservoir built by the USACE as part of a flood control system in the Ohio River
drainage basin. Buck Creek State Park is open for year-round recreation including camping, boating, hunting, fishing, swimming, picnicking and hiking.
prior to settlement by Anglo-American pioneers. As happened all over the Ohio Territory white settlers from the east sought to drive the Indians from the land. One of the first major conflicts in Clark County happened in 1780 when George Rogers Clark
, for whom Clark County is named, led a group of some 1,000 men from Kentucky
in an attack against the Indians in Ohio. This attack forced the Shawnee
to abandon their camp near what is now Xenia
. They fled Old Chillicothe for Piqua
near the present site of Springfield and Buck Creek State Park. Clark pursued the Shawnee and defeated them at the Battle of Piqua
. Many of the Shawnee were not killed in the battle. They managed to escape into the woodlands. Tecumseh
was one of those Indians and he vowed to gain vengeance on Clark and his fellow attackers. Clark and his men did not hold the land they gained in the battle. They retreated back to Kentucky and the Shawnee built a new Piqua on the banks of the Miami River
. Hostilities between whites and Indians were at a brief standstill in the area of Buck Creek and the Mad River
.
and resulting Treaty of Greenville
when the Wyandot, Lenape
, Shawnee
, Ottawa
, Chippewa
, Potawatomi
, Miami
, Wea
, Kickapoo, and Kaskaskia
tribes surrender their claims to the land in what would become Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois
. Simon Kenton
led a group of six Kentucky families into the area of Buck Creek and the Mad River. This group of settlers remained at the confluence
of Buck Creek and the Mad River for two years before moving elsewhere. Kenton would then build a home along Buck Creek north of present day Springfield. Kenton and following settlers began clearing
land for farming
. The fallen trees were used to build homes and barns.
Settlers quickly moved into the area and farmed the fertile land. Springfield was established in 1801 and was named the county seat
of Clark County. Markets to the east and west were opened to the Buck Creek State Park area in 1840 with the completion of the National Road
, now U.S. Route 40
. Springfield transformed from an agriculture based community to an industrial center. In fact the city led the nation in the production of farming tools.
who was the State Statistician of Ohio and published several newspaper
s at the president of the Brown Publishing Company. Brown was also the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
from 1919-1923, the Ohio Secretary of State
from 1927-1933, was the Republican
nominee for Governor in 1934 and finally served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 until his death in 1965. The House of Representatives named the dam project in his honor with a bipartisan resolution.
The dam was built across Buck Creek to control flooding in the Ohio River basin. It is made of rock fill with a sand and gravel core. It measures 6620 feet (2,017.8 m) across and 72 high. The reservoir covers 2120 acres (857.9 ha) with a drainage area of 83 square miles (21,496.9 ha).
. It on the west shore of the reservoir in Buck Creek State Park. The homestead was settled in 1813 by David and Barbara Crabill who arrived in the area on a Conestoga Wagon
from Virginia
. The home is a two story Federal style house that is surrounded by various outbuildings. The homestead remained in the family until the early 1900s when it was left unoccupied until 1971. The property was slated to be demolished with the construction of the dam. Instead the Clark County Historical Society acquired the property and painstakingly restored and preserved the homestead having it open to public from 1975-2007.
In 2010, the Homestead was acquired by George Rogers Clark Heritage Association of Clark County, and will again be opened seasonally, offering a picturesque environment on the shoes of Clarence J. Brown Reservoir for public tours, historical lectures, meetings, banquets, and weddings, beginning Spring 2011
s. That are a result of the Last glacial period. The moraines are low hills that were built as the glaciers receded over 12,000 years ago. They are made of gravel and sand that piled up as the pace of glacial retreat changed over the course of time. Ancient streams were covered by sand and gravel deposited by the retreating glaciers. These streams are now springs
. The springs form the numerous bog
s and fen
s that are found throughout Clark and Champaign Counties
.
The bogs and fens are home to a variety of rare and unusual plant species including horned bladderwort and round-leaved sundew. Also found in the park is the spotted turtle
which is endangered in Ohio. Buck Creek State Park is also home to many migrating waterfowl
species and some rare songbirds including, Henslow's sparrow
s, dickcissel
s, and bobolink
s.
More than 4000 acres (1,618.7 ha) of land are protected at Buck Creek State Park. Early settlers to the area described this land as being a prairie
or wet prairie. The soil was very fertile and most of it was converted into farmland. Not all of the land was farmed and it was left in its natural state in isolated patches. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have been able to use seeds from these patches to restore the prairie to some of the land at Buck Creek State Park. A large restored area is below the dam at the park. The 40 acres (16.2 ha) field as nest boxes that attract Tree Swallow
s and Eastern Bluebird
s. Non-native and invasive plant species are managed by hand pulling, cutting, mowing, burning and spraying projects. Seeds from the native plants are gathered in autumn and planted in spring in an ongoing effort to restore the area to a natural prairie environment.
, bass
and pan fish. A swimming area on the lake is open during the summer months. Trails that are open to hiking, horse-back riding and snowmobiles measure 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in length. Picnic areas are spread throughout the park.
Clark County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 144,742 people, 56,648 households, and 39,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 362 people per square mile . There were 61,056 housing units at an average density of 153 per square mile...
, 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. The park is leased by the state of Ohio from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It includes C. J. Brown Reservoir and Dam, a flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
dam and reservoir built by the USACE as part of a flood control system in the Ohio River
Ohio 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...
drainage basin. Buck Creek State Park is open for year-round recreation including camping, boating, hunting, fishing, swimming, picnicking and hiking.
Indian wars
The land in and around Buck Creek State Park was inhabited by various Indian tribesNative 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...
prior to settlement by Anglo-American pioneers. As happened all over the Ohio Territory white settlers from the east sought to drive the Indians from the land. One of the first major conflicts in Clark County happened in 1780 when George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
, for whom Clark County is named, led a group of some 1,000 men from 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...
in an attack against the Indians in Ohio. This attack forced the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
to abandon their camp near what is now Xenia
Xenia, Ohio
Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. They fled Old Chillicothe for Piqua
Piqua
Piqua may refer to:*Pekowi, a band of the Shawnee Native American tribe and the origin of the word "Piqua"Communities in the United States:*Piqua, Kansas*Piqua, Kentucky*Piqua, OhioOther...
near the present site of Springfield and Buck Creek State Park. Clark pursued the Shawnee and defeated them at the Battle of Piqua
Battle of Piqua
The Battle of Piqua, also known as the Battle of Pekowee or Pekowi, was part of the western campaign during the American Revolutionary War...
. Many of the Shawnee were not killed in the battle. They managed to escape into the woodlands. 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...
was one of those Indians and he vowed to gain vengeance on Clark and his fellow attackers. Clark and his men did not hold the land they gained in the battle. They retreated back to Kentucky and the Shawnee built a new Piqua on the banks of the Miami River
Miami River
Miami River may refer to:Florida*Miami River , a tributary of Biscayne BayNew York*Miami River , a tributary of Lewey LakeOhio*Great Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio River*Little Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio RiverOregon...
. Hostilities between whites and Indians were at a brief standstill in the area of Buck Creek and the Mad River
Mad River (Ohio)
The Mad River is a stream located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It flows from Logan County to downtown Dayton, where it meets the Great Miami River. The stream flows southwest from its source near Campbell Hill through West Liberty, along U.S...
.
Pioneer settlers
Clark County was safely opened to settlement by whites following the Battle of Fallen TimbersBattle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
and resulting Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
when the Wyandot, 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...
, Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, Ottawa
Odawa people
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
, Chippewa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
, Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
, Miami
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
, Wea
Wea
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking tribe originally located in western Indiana, closely related to the Miami. The name Wea is used today as the a shortened version of their many recorded names...
, Kickapoo, and Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia
The Kaskaskia were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation or Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in the Great Lakes region...
tribes surrender their claims to the land in what would become Ohio, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton was a famous United States frontiersman and friend of Daniel Boone, Simon Girty, Spencer Records and Isaac Shelby.-Family and early life:Simon Kenton was alive even before Ohio was a state...
led a group of six Kentucky families into the area of Buck Creek and the Mad River. This group of settlers remained at the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of Buck Creek and the Mad River for two years before moving elsewhere. Kenton would then build a home along Buck Creek north of present day Springfield. Kenton and following settlers began clearing
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
land for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The fallen trees were used to build homes and barns.
Settlers quickly moved into the area and farmed the fertile land. Springfield was established in 1801 and was named the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Clark County. Markets to the east and west were opened to the Buck Creek State Park area in 1840 with the completion of the National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
, now U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
. Springfield transformed from an agriculture based community to an industrial center. In fact the city led the nation in the production of farming tools.
C. J. Brown Reservoir
C. J. Brown Reservoir and Dam is named for Clarence J. BrownClarence J. Brown
Clarence J. Brown, Sr. was an American newspaper publisher who represented Ohio as a Republican in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1965.-Life and career:...
who was the State Statistician of Ohio and published several newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s at the president of the Brown Publishing Company. Brown was also the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve as acting governor if a vacancy in the governorship...
from 1919-1923, the Ohio Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
from 1927-1933, was the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Governor in 1934 and finally served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 until his death in 1965. The House of Representatives named the dam project in his honor with a bipartisan resolution.
The dam was built across Buck Creek to control flooding in the Ohio River basin. It is made of rock fill with a sand and gravel core. It measures 6620 feet (2,017.8 m) across and 72 high. The reservoir covers 2120 acres (857.9 ha) with a drainage area of 83 square miles (21,496.9 ha).
Crabill Homestead
Crabill Homestead is on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It on the west shore of the reservoir in Buck Creek State Park. The homestead was settled in 1813 by David and Barbara Crabill who arrived in the area on a Conestoga Wagon
Conestoga wagon
The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The home is a two story Federal style house that is surrounded by various outbuildings. The homestead remained in the family until the early 1900s when it was left unoccupied until 1971. The property was slated to be demolished with the construction of the dam. Instead the Clark County Historical Society acquired the property and painstakingly restored and preserved the homestead having it open to public from 1975-2007.
In 2010, the Homestead was acquired by George Rogers Clark Heritage Association of Clark County, and will again be opened seasonally, offering a picturesque environment on the shoes of Clarence J. Brown Reservoir for public tours, historical lectures, meetings, banquets, and weddings, beginning Spring 2011
Natural history
Buck Creek State Park is located in an area of moraineMoraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s. That are a result of the Last glacial period. The moraines are low hills that were built as the glaciers receded over 12,000 years ago. They are made of gravel and sand that piled up as the pace of glacial retreat changed over the course of time. Ancient streams were covered by sand and gravel deposited by the retreating glaciers. These streams are now springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
. The springs form the numerous bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s that are found throughout Clark and Champaign Counties
Champaign County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,890 people, 14,952 households, and 10,870 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 15,890 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
.
The bogs and fens are home to a variety of rare and unusual plant species including horned bladderwort and round-leaved sundew. Also found in the park is the spotted turtle
Spotted Turtle
The Spotted turtle , the only current species of Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of yellow tiny round spots...
which is endangered in Ohio. Buck Creek State Park is also home to many migrating waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
species and some rare songbirds including, Henslow's sparrow
Henslow's Sparrow
Henslow's Sparrow, Ammodramus henslowii, is a small American sparrow.Adults have streaked brown upperparts with a light brown breast with streaks, a white belly and a white throat...
s, dickcissel
Dickcissel
The Dickcissel is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species...
s, and bobolink
Bobolink
The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps...
s.
More than 4000 acres (1,618.7 ha) of land are protected at Buck Creek State Park. Early settlers to the area described this land as being a prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
or wet prairie. The soil was very fertile and most of it was converted into farmland. Not all of the land was farmed and it was left in its natural state in isolated patches. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have been able to use seeds from these patches to restore the prairie to some of the land at Buck Creek State Park. A large restored area is below the dam at the park. The 40 acres (16.2 ha) field as nest boxes that attract Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
The Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, is a migratory passerine bird that breeds in North America and winters in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe....
s and Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York....
s. Non-native and invasive plant species are managed by hand pulling, cutting, mowing, burning and spraying projects. Seeds from the native plants are gathered in autumn and planted in spring in an ongoing effort to restore the area to a natural prairie environment.
Recreation
Buck Creek State Park is open for year-round recreation. Twenty-six air conditioned cottages are available to rent in a wooded area. Some have a view of the reservoir. There are 89 electric and 22 rustic campsites at the park. C. J. Brown Reservoir is open to all boating. Water skiing is permitted at the park. Common game fish include walleyeWalleye
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...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and pan fish. A swimming area on the lake is open during the summer months. Trails that are open to hiking, horse-back riding and snowmobiles measure 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in length. Picnic areas are spread throughout the park.