Flint Ridge

FLINT RIDGE--

History presented from geologic time

Sue is looking into a pit from which flint was mined by the earliest civilizations to reside in what is now known as Ohio.  To her right, an artist's rendition of an early man is shown with samples of products made from this same flint; axes and knives and spear points and arrow heads; the sharp tools of defense and sustenance that allowed early man to survive.

The phrase "early man" is representative of humans living here since the last ice age, some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.

A native American (left) is depicted mining flint in the pit Sue is viewing from above. 

The mineral, flint, that Sue sees began its formation under the pressure of an overlying ocean that once covered this area eons ago; a length of geologic time that generally defies human comprehension.

Plate techtonics ultimately pushed the North American continent above sea-level exposing the bounty of it's minerals.

The ridge, spreading across Licking and Muskingham Counties, is a mineral deposit some 3 to 9 miles in size and 2 to 10 feet thick.  The site's museum (above) was built over one of the pits used to quarry the flint and to preserve it as the artifact of history it truly is.

Hundreds of quarry pits and workshop sites are scattered across more than 2,000 acres of ridge top in these Appalachian foothills.

Flint mined here was as important to early man as iron and coal have been to their modern successors.

During the stormy day of our visit (hence no outside photos) we had the pleasure of meeting Bill and Pat Weaver, site managers.  Over recent years the Ohio Historical Society has suffered budget problems, consequently moving the responsibility of funding and maintaining many, if not most, of Ohio's historically significant sites to community history groups.

In this case enter the Weavers and their small cast of dedicated volunteers who are working hard in the critical task of historic preservation.

They are doing us a more obscure favor in the process:

It has been said, "Folks ignorant of history are condemned to repeat it's mistakes."

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Do yourself a favor.  Load 15300 Flint Ridge Rd., Glenford, OH 43739 into your GPS and do what it says.

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