of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio
of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio August 2005 | |
"Still grows the vivacious lilac a generation after the door and lintel and sill are gone, unfolding its sweet-scented flowers each spring..." |
Back in 1995 - before Buzzard's Roost became a public preserve - I found a book in a rural Virginia bookstore that reminded me of my old stomping ground near the Roost.
Shenandoah Vestiges by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is a little black-and-whie book that describes the remnants left behind by residents of Shenandoah National Park who left when the land became a park during the Great Depression. Like Cade's Cove in the Great Smokies, they were bought out and removed, but they left behind much of their lives. Unlike Cade's Cove, there appears to be much more uninterpreted artifacts left behind - which Shenandoah Vestiges interprets.
Our hobby got its start when hiking on the established trails became boring to our children. To create some new interest we decided to explore one of the faint abandoned trails we had noticed. Before long we saw a patch of green on the level forest floor and found a neatly rocked in spring, then rows of rocks in a rectangular outline--the foundation of a cabin! When one of the children found a rusted-out dishpan and called it an artifact, we were hooked.
- page 11
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One of the popular places to visit in the Earl H. Barnhart Buzzard's Roost Preserve is the Hoggard House ruins. Beyond the daffodils, the vernal pools, and the bathtubs, is the homesite of the Hoggard family. The bought the land in 1844, and left it during the Depression of their own free will. That left the hilltop abandoned, so the public road to their home was abandoned too.
The house may have been left to rot, or more likely, was burned to the ground. The most noticable remnants are rocks - a foundation wall, porch piers, a pile in the center that was probably a chimney. When I first glanced through Shenandoah Vestiges I saw an illustration that reminded me of that vignette.
When guests pick up one of our photos albums, they're in for a surprise. Instead of family groups and vacation scenes they find tunbled-down cabins, stone chimneys, broken crockery, and strange metal objects.
- page 27
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Rocks aren't the only remants to be found. Humans have always been messy, leaving trash wherever we go - though old trash is called "artifacts!" Scattered around the homesite, and especially in the mostly-blocked up well, are pieces of earthenware, shards of glass (dulled by time), bits of steel and copper and brass, and other materials.
"Last weekend we added another cemetery to our collection--a real gem." A sentence like that could be a real conversation stopper! ... We add a cemetery to our growing collection by marking the location on our map, noting pertinent details, and photographing the grave markers.
- page 47
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People don't leave the world without leaving something else behind. And their fianl resting place in Buzzard's Roost has become another series of artifacts. The Hoggard Cemetery, almost across from the homesite, has a markers ranging from a little footstone, plain unlettered sandstone slabs, a marble Gothic arch, and a granite Victorian obelisisk.
...And sometimes when we've admired the the crafstmanship in the stonework of chimnneys and fences, handled often-used tools or kitchenware, and traced the faint lettering on mossy gravestones, we feel we know these faceless people better than our own ancestors whose faded photographs show us but an isolated moment in their lives.
- page 71
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Some artifacts weren't made, but rather shaped. A road is a form of artifact, and since most in Buzzard's Roost were never paved or even gravelled, they are cultural remnants molded and carved into the earth.
By the time of the Great Depression, there was a public road running from Hatmaker Lane near Slate Mills to Red Bird Land and on to Polk Hollow Road. Though it is unlikely that they were anything more than porperty-line paths that evolved into farm lanes, they still record the echo of human activity, and remind us of the fencerows, pastures, crops and livestock that used to exist among what is now woods and brambles.
Of course, this treaure hunting can lead to abuses of the preserve. Remember that Buzzard's Roost is a preserve, not just a park - it is meant to stay the same indefinitely for many future generations to enjoy. The old adage "take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints" remains a good guidline, as it does for the authors of Shenandoah Vestiges.
NEVER remove anything - except modern visitor's trash (which will have no future value as artifacts). Step lightly, and avoid going off-trail (though there are few established trails as of yet). Enjoy and help protect what previous generations have left for our descendants to appreciate.
A part of the Ross County Park District, The Earl H. Barnhart Buzzards' Roost Preserve is open daily during daylight. Park at the end of Red Bird Lane off Polk Hollow Road, and follow the bridge across Polk Hollow Creek for the Hoggard Trail, or the road past the Harley House for the Buzzard's Roost route - and don't be intimidated by the locked gate! You are best to plan at least an hour to casually enjoy the wildlife, buildings, artifacts, and peacefulness.
I am available as a tour guide to enhance your visit - and usually at short notice. Call or email me at the number and address at the bottom of this page if you are interested.
