Blazes in the Woods

Join historian Keith Bengtson at Fort Ancient Earthworks for a hands-on exploration of Ohio's colonial past. As part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration, this event focuses on the surprising connection between the Fort Ancient site and Virginia's Military District of the late 1700s. You'll discover how surveyors divided up the landscape and learn the techniques used by both 18th-century mapmakers and Native Americans thousands of years before. Families will have the chance to actively participate by using recreated measuring tools to lay out a plot of land and understand just how large an acre actually is. Historian Bengtson will have a period surveyor's camp on-site where he'll explain and demonstrate the geometric methods behind the ancient earthworks. This works well for curious kids and adults who enjoy interactive history. Admission ranges from free (for Ohio History Connection members and children under 5) to $7 for adults, with discounted rates for seniors and children ages 6–17.