"During the summer of 1905, by special request of a number of citizens and
local archaeologists of Jackson county, the Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society sent an expedition into the county, under the direction of
the writer, which examined a few of the many rock shelters, mounds and
petroglyphs located in Lick, Liberty and Jackson townships. The object of the
examination was to determine, if possible, whether the rock shelters and other
places of abode were occupied for any great length of time as a domicile by
prehistoric man or were used as a temporary and convenient stopping place for
roving bands in search of food."
Pg 208. "In the immediate vicinity of
Lick township and the saline springs evidences of early Indian occupancy are
quite marked, as shown upon the archaeological map of Jackson county, by mounds,
earthworks, and village sites; and these evidences gradually diminish in all
directions from this great center for the supply of salt. It might be inferred
from the number of temporary camp sites and small mounds that the region
surrounding the saline springs might have been common ground even with tribes
that were at war with one another, but in this vicinity we find the only
defensive earthworks in the county. Immediately back (north) of Boone rock
shelter is a splendid example of defensive earthworks, and directly south are
two earthworks near a village site, which were no doubt used for defense. The
two prehistoric cultures, namely, the Fort Ancient and the Hopewell, were no
doubt isochronological in the Scioto and Miami valleys, and we find them both
represented upon the same site at Boone rock shelter.
The survey examined four mounds in the county; two in Coal
township and two in Lick township. These mounds will be described later. The two
mounds in Coal township were undoubtedly Fort Ancient culture; the two in Lick
were Hopewell, showing that both cultures built the mounds, and the presence of
so many mounds surrounding the region of the salt springs would
indicate that many deaths occurred, perhaps in warfare to gain possession of or
to retain the much coveted springs. Therefore the entire region would be in
constant turmoil and strife, making it a region undesirable for any lengthy
habitation."
Mounds Examined
"Jackson county is noted for the great number of small mounds located for the
most part upon the level portions of the tops of the hills and in the narrow
valleys along the streams. The mounds are all small, seldom exceeding six or
seven feet in height for the largest, and would perhaps, taken as a whole, not
average over 2 to two and one-half feet, with a diameter of ten to twenty feet.
The survey examined two small mounds located upon the farm of Mr. Morehead, Coal
township, near Wheldon....
The third mound examined was in Lick township, on the farm of Mr. Werneke,
which adjoins Jamestown, a suburb of Jackson. This mound was only seventeen
inches high at the center, with a diameter of eighteen feet. No doubt the
diameter had been enlarged by cultivation and the height diminished. At the
center of the mound was found the cremated remains of an adult. The cremation
had taken place away from the mound. The small remnants of the calcined bones
were placed in a pile upon the level ground, and the small mound of earth heaped
over them. No implements or ornaments of any kind were placed with the burial.
The second mound examined, upon Mr. Werneke's farm, was located partly in his
barnyard and partly in his orchard. A board fence dividing the mound into
thirds, two-thirds being in the barnyard and one-third in the orchard. The
two-thirds in the barnyard was examined. A fruit tree was growing upon the
portion extending into the orchard, and this was not disturbed. The director of
the survey feels under many obligations to Mr. Werneke for his kindness in
permitting this examination.
The Werneke mound was not a large one, being three feet eight inches high
at the center, gradually sloping in all directions, with an average diameter of
twenty-one feet. Two cremated burials were found in this mound. One upon the
base line near the center. Two celts and one spear point and a quantity of flint
spawls were placed with the burial. One celt was made of slate with the cutting
edge finely polished. The second celt was rudely chipped of ferruginous
sandstone. The spear point was four and three-eighths inches long, with a
stemmed and shouldered base, and showed excellent workmanship in its
manufacture. The second cremated burial was placed eighteen inches above the
base of the mound. With the cremated remains were placed a broken pipe made of
limestone, the stem of the pipe is four and one-half inches long; one copper
bracelet, one-fourth inch thick at the center, gradually tapering to the end,
see Fig. 12; one finely made hematite hemisphere, one and one-half inches in
diameter, see Fig. 13; one flat sandstone, two and five-eighths inches by three
and three-quarter inches and one-half inch thick, used for grinding or
polishing; one flint drill, three inches in length, and six small arrowheads.
The mound also contained a number of small caches of broken flint. Also a small
cache of hematite paint ground ready for use. The two mounds examined upon Mr.
Werneke's farm contained burials from the Hopewell culture, as evidenced by the
mortuary customs and the artifacts placed in the burials."
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This is a copy of the 1875 plat map of Lick
Township in the city of Jackson showing the proximity relationship of the
James Cemetery (small yellow rectangle at bottom center of map) to
the old William Werneke farm (to the northwest) and the Joseph Watson farm
(to the northeast). Renowned local historian D.W. Williams, in his 1900
book the History of Jackson County, described 3 ancient Indian mounds
forming a 'triangular configuration' on these 3 parcels of land. The
Werneke and Watson farm Indian mounds have long ago been destroyed leaving
only the James Cemetery mound in that triangle grouping. The 'squiggly'
yellow-highlighted line running generally southeast to northwest at
the bottom left of this map is the historic Salt Creek where ancient Indians,
modern-day Indians (Shawnee, etc) and, later, white men thru the
early 1800's came to boil precious salt at the Scioto Salt Works. The ancient
Hopewell Indian mounds spoken of here were only a few hundred yards from this
precious reservoir of water and
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