| Alum Creek State Park | |
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 Alum Creek State Park in autumn | |
  Alum Creek State Park Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Alum Creek State Park Alum Creek State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Delaware County, Ohio,United States |
| Coordinates | 40°11′30″N82°58′23″W / 40.19167°N 82.97306°W /40.19167; -82.97306[1] |
| Area | Land: 4,630 acres (1,870 ha) Water: 3,387 acres (1,371 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 899 ft (274 m)[1] |
| Established | 1974 |
| Administered by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Ohio state park |
| Website | Alum Creek State Park |
Alum Creek State Park is a 4,630-acre (1,870 ha)Ohio state park inDelaware County,Ohio, in the United States.Alum Creek Lake was constructed from 1970 to 1974 as part of theFlood Control Act of 1962. Alum Creek Dam was constructed onAlum Creek, a tributary ofBig Walnut Creek, which drains into theScioto River. Alum Creek Reservoir holds 3,387 acres (1,371 ha) of water and is open to fishing, boating, ice fishing, ice boating, and swimming. The park is just north of the state capital ofColumbus and contains the remnants of a settlement by freed slaves that arrived in Ohio fromNorth Carolina.[3]
The first evidence of man living in the Alum Creek State Park area dates back over 2,000 years ago to theAdena culture. The Adena were aPre-ColumbianNative American culture that existed from 1000 BC to 200 BC, in a time known as the earlyWoodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system. Seven mounds were found in the Alum Creek valley and six of the mounds were excavated by archaeologists before the valley was flooded, creating Alum Creek Reservoir.[2]
TheLenape tribe inhabited the area at the arrival ofAnglo-Americans. The Lenape had originally lived along theDelaware River in what is nowNew York,Pennsylvania andNew Jersey. They were displaced by the arriving colonial settlers and theIroquois Indians who were the dominant group in the area. The Lenape established a large community on the banks of theOlentangy River at what is now the city ofDelaware, and had a 400-acre (160 ha)corn field in what is now downtown Delaware.[2]
Most of the Native Americans in Ohio were driven out or killed by the arriving Anglo settlers and military. The first permanent white settler in the area was Moses Byxbe. He built his home in 1805 along Alum Creek inBerkshire Township. He owned over 11,000 acres (45 km2) of land in the area that he was able to purchase as part of the settlement program given to veterans of theAmerican Revolutionary War.[2]
The pioneer settlers were forced to build fortifications during theWar of 1812 to protect against attack by warriors under the leadership ofTecumseh and his British allies. One such fortress,Fort Cheshire, was constructed along Alum Creek. It was two stories tall with the second story reaching over the entry to the fort thus enabling the defenders to shoot and drop boiling water on any attackers. Fort Cheshire stood until theAmerican Civil War and was later used as aschoolhouse. A plaque commemorating the fort is located at the family campground of Alum Creek State Park.[2]
Ohio, sharing a border with theslave state ofKentucky, played an important part in freeingslavery in the United States along theUnderground Railroad. A major path of the Underground Railroad ran alongAlum Creek. It is thought that over 40,000 slaves passed through the area on theSycamore Trail. The white bark of thesycamore tree provided a guide for fleeing slaves making their way north toCanada at night. TheHanby House inWesterville was an important safe house in Franklin County. Escaping slaves would wade in Alum Creek as a means of hiding their scent from pursuing dogs andslave catchers.[4] Also, there was a settlement of former slaves fromNorth Carolina along what became known asAfrica Road on the southern end of what is now Alum Creek State Park. These former slaves also played a role in the Underground Railroad in Ohio.[2]
Alum Creek Dam is part of the flood control plan for theOhio River basin. Construction of the dam was authorized by theUnited States Congress as part of the Flood Control Act of 1962. Dam construction began in 1970 and was completed in 1974 with the establishment of Alum Creek State Park.[2] The building of Alum Creek Dam createdAlum Creek Lake, the body of water that Alum Creek State Park is adjacent to.[4]
Alum Creek State Park is in central Ohio and is surrounded by farmlands and new housing developments. The park is home to many species of plants and animals that cannot live on the surrounding farmland. Theold-growth forests ofbeech andmaple trees were cut down for farming purposes, but in the area of the park these trees have come back to form a thrivingsecondary forest. Wild flower species includebloodroot, wildgeranium,spring beauties andtrillium. The forest provides a habitat forwhite-tail deer,groundhogs,fox squirrels, andrabbits.[2]
Alum Creek State Park offers year-round recreational opportunities. Park activities include camping, hunting, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, RC flying, fishing,ice fishing, boating,ice boating, and swimming. There are 38 miles (61 km) of bridle trails, 7 miles (11 km) of hiking trails, and 14 miles (23 km) of mountain biking trails. The lake has five boat ramps with boats of unlimited horsepower permitted. Southeast of the dam gates is Dinneen RC Field, featuring a 900-foot longRC aircraft runway. The campground has 286 sites with electricity, showers, restroom,basketball courts,horseshoe pits and playgrounds. There are also cabins and a primitive camp along the bridle trail. The park's 3,000-foot (910 m) beach is the largest inland beach in Ohio[4] and includes a beach house andbeach volleyball courts. The lake is open to ice fishing during the winter months.[3] Game fish found in the lake includelarge mouth andsmall mouth bass,bluegill,crappie,sunfish,channel catfish,saugeye,walleye andmuskellunge. Saugeye and muskies arestocked by the State of Ohio, Division of Wildlife, andfishing tournaments are hosted throughout the year.[3] Common game species at the park include white-tail deer, squirrels, and raccoons.[4]
