Inscription Rock (Kelleys Island, Ohio)

Inscription Rock is a large slab of limestone measuring approximately 32 by 21 feet located on the south shore of Kelleys Island in Lake Erie in Erie County, Ohio. It is situated near the intersections of E Lakeshore Drive and Addison Rd under a large shelter structure with a viewing platform and is open to the public. The rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was also located near a series of crescent shaped mounds thought to be created by Pre-Columbian peoples. More mounds were documented to be on the island[2] and another rock with inscriptions was located on the north shore of the island. Unlike Inscription Rock, this boulder was granite - likely a glacial erratic - and engraved with two upside-down figures.[3] However now only Inscription Rock remains since island quarry workers dynamited the petroglyph rock on the north shore.[4]

Inscription Rock
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Inscription Rock
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Nearest city	Kelleys Island, Ohio
Coordinates	41°35′34″N 82°42′25″W
Area	less than one acre
NRHP reference No.	73001432[1]
Added to NRHP	June 18, 1973

Rediscovery

Inscription Rock was discovered partially buried in the sand of the lake shore in 1833[5] and by 1915, it was appearing on postcards for tourists in the area and is still a well-visited site to this day.[6] In 1851 Col. Eastman of the United States Army was commissioned to analyze and create detailed drawings of the rock and petroglyphs. He then submitted copies to Shingvauk, a Native American with a knowledge of pictography, for further interpretation.[7] There are over 100 images on the rock and the carvings were noted to be similar to ones used by the Iroquois in Canada.[4] Due to the soft nature of the limestone rock in the area, the carvings are generally believed to be less than 1,000 years old but the Inscription Rock remains one of the most significant and accessible examples of native petroglyphs in the area. Due to its proximity to the Lake Erie shoreline, it is under constant threat of further erosion by wind and wave activity.[7]

Gallery

• 
  Inscription Rock from Ohio State Route 575
• 
  Re-creation of the drawings
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  A panorama of the rock
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  An alternate panorama
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  An alternate panorama
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  A semi clear view of some drawings
• 
  A close up of some drawings
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  A side view of the rock
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  An alternate side view of the rock
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  Defacement on the rock
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  The rock is under constant threat of erosion. A plant can be seen growing on the rock in the upper right

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. "National Register of Historic Places - Nomination Form for Inscription Rock". Ohio SP Inscription Rock. National Archives Catalog. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
3. Ryan, James A. (8 August 1934). "Kelley's Island Prepares to Observe its Centenary". Cleveland Plain Dealer (1845-1991). NewsBank/Readex. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
4. "Inscription Rock". Ohio History Central. Ohio History Connection. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
5. "Inscription Rock Petroglyphs". Ohio History Central. Ohio History Central. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
6. "File:Inscription Rock, Kelly's Island.jpg". Ohio History Central. Ohio History Connection. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
7. "Inscription Rock's Fame Threatend". Cleveland Plain Dealer. NewsBank/Readex. 9 February 1922. Retrieved 12 September 2017.

External links

• Inscription Rock Petroglyphs at ohiohistory.org