Delaware State Park
Encyclopedia
Delaware State Park is a 2016 acres (815.8 ha) Ohio state park in Delaware County
, Ohio
in the United States. The park, town and county are named for the Delaware
nation (also known as the Lenape), a Native American
tribe that originally lived along the Delaware River
in Pennsylvania
, Delaware
, New York
, Maryland
, Connecticut
and New Jersey
. The Lenape were forced west by colonial settlers and were eventually forced further west by settlers of the Northwest Territory
from which Ohio was established in 1803. Delaware State Park is on U.S. Route 23 near the city of Delaware, Ohio
. It is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, and picnicking.
(later named Delaware Indians by Europeans) are organized bands of Native American
peoples with shared cultural and linguistic characteristics. Delaware State Park is named for them. It is just one of many places in the United States bearing the name "Delaware".
They lived in what is now New Jersey
and along the Delaware River
in Pennsylvania
, the northern shore of Delaware
, in the northeastern corner of Maryland
, the panhandle of Connecticut
and the lower Hudson Valley
and New York Harbor
in New York
, at the time of the arrival of the Europeans
in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Treaty of Easton
, signed between the Lenape and the English in 1766, removed them westward, out of present-day New York and New Jersey and into Western Pennsylvania and Ohio and beyond. The Lenape continually were crowded out by European settlers and pressed to move in several stages over a period of 176 years, with the main body arriving in the northeast region of Oklahoma
in the 1860s. Along the way many smaller groups left, or were told to stay where they were, but not in Ohio. Consequently today, the Lenape are spread from New Jersey
to Wisconsin
to southwest Oklahoma
.
The Delaware did not leave Ohio without a fight. They joined a confederation of tribes led by Chief Pontiac
and participated in what became known as Pontiac's Rebellion
. They also joined Blue Jacket
's confederation in the Northwest Indian War
.
Anglo-American settlers moved into the area of Delaware State Park in the early 19th century. A wagon trail near what is now U.S. Route 23 brought settlers to the area. A tavern
was constructed along the trail in 1810 on a small hill that is now part of the park. A palisade
was built around the tavern in anticipation of the War of 1812
. The tavern and palisade came to be known as Fort Morrow. The fort was never attacked but it did provide a sense of security for the settlers of the area. Today, the fort is an archaeological site
; it is one of two such sites near the park that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The other site is the Ufferman Site
, which was inhabited during the Late Woodland period
of North American prehistory.
Delaware State Park was established in 1952 following the completion of Delaware Lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1951. The lake was built as part of the Flood Control Act of 1938
. The dam on the Olentangy River
is part of the Corps' Huntingdon district and helps control flooding along the Olentangy, Scioto
and Ohio River
s. It was built between 1947 and 1951 at a cost of $4,307,000.
land. Before the land was cleared for farming it was an old-growth forest of beech
and maple
. The old forest was cut long ago, but a thriving second growth forest
can be found in and around Delaware State Park. The woods provide habitat for White-tailed deer
, Fox Squirrel
s, Groundhog
s, and Pheasant
.
and smallmouth bass
, crappie
, and muskellunge
. Waterfowl
hunting is permitted along the lake. Numerous duck blinds are awarded through a lottery system. Hunting for other game animals is permitted on the wildlife area. There are many picnic area on the shore of the lake with table available on a first come, first served basis.
Delaware County, Ohio
Delaware County is a fast-growing suburban county in the state of Ohio, United States, within the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau's 2004 population estimates, Delaware County's population of 142,503 made it the fastest growing county in...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the United States. The park, town and county are named for the Delaware
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
nation (also known as the Lenape), a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe that originally lived along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The Lenape were forced west by colonial settlers and were eventually forced further west by settlers of the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
from which Ohio was established in 1803. Delaware State Park is on U.S. Route 23 near the city of Delaware, Ohio
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
. It is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, and picnicking.
History
The LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
(later named Delaware Indians by Europeans) are organized bands of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
peoples with shared cultural and linguistic characteristics. Delaware State Park is named for them. It is just one of many places in the United States bearing the name "Delaware".
They lived in what is now New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the northern shore of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, in the northeastern corner of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, the panhandle of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and the lower Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
and New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, at the time of the arrival of the Europeans
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Treaty of Easton
Treaty of Easton
The Treaty of Easton was a colonial agreement in North America signed in October 1758 during the French and Indian War . Briefly, chiefs of 13 Native American nations, representing tribes of the Iroquois, Lenape-Delaware, Shawnee and others, agreed to be allies of the British colonies during the...
, signed between the Lenape and the English in 1766, removed them westward, out of present-day New York and New Jersey and into Western Pennsylvania and Ohio and beyond. The Lenape continually were crowded out by European settlers and pressed to move in several stages over a period of 176 years, with the main body arriving in the northeast region of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
in the 1860s. Along the way many smaller groups left, or were told to stay where they were, but not in Ohio. Consequently today, the Lenape are spread from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to southwest Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
The Delaware did not leave Ohio without a fight. They joined a confederation of tribes led by Chief Pontiac
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
and participated in what became known as Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
. They also joined Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
's confederation in the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
.
Anglo-American settlers moved into the area of Delaware State Park in the early 19th century. A wagon trail near what is now U.S. Route 23 brought settlers to the area. A tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
was constructed along the trail in 1810 on a small hill that is now part of the park. A palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
was built around the tavern in anticipation of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The tavern and palisade came to be known as Fort Morrow. The fort was never attacked but it did provide a sense of security for the settlers of the area. Today, the fort is an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
; it is one of two such sites near the park that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The other site is the Ufferman Site
Ufferman Site
The Ufferman Site is an archaeological site in the central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located north of the city of Delaware, it occupies approximately of land near Delaware Lake on property near to the boundaries of Delaware State Park...
, which was inhabited during the Late Woodland period
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
of North American prehistory.
Delaware State Park was established in 1952 following the completion of Delaware Lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1951. The lake was built as part of the Flood Control Act of 1938
Flood Control Act of 1938
The Flood Control Act of 1938 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal...
. The dam on the Olentangy River
Olentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio.It was originally called keenhongsheconsepung, a Delaware word literally translated as "stone for your knife stream", based on the shale found along its shores. Early settlers to the region translated this into "Whetstone River"...
is part of the Corps' Huntingdon district and helps control flooding along the Olentangy, Scioto
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
s. It was built between 1947 and 1951 at a cost of $4,307,000.
Ecology
Delaware State Park is surrounded by farmFarm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
land. Before the land was cleared for farming it was an old-growth forest of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
. The old forest was cut long ago, but a thriving second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
can be found in and around Delaware State Park. The woods provide habitat for White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, Fox Squirrel
Fox Squirrel
The fox squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America...
s, Groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
s, and Pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
.
Recreation
Delaware State Park is open for year-round recreation. Boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on Delaware Lake which is also open to fishing and swimming in the designated swimming area. There is a marina that sells fuel as well as fishing and boating supplies. The lake is home to a variety of game fish including largemouthLargemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, and muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
. Waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
hunting is permitted along the lake. Numerous duck blinds are awarded through a lottery system. Hunting for other game animals is permitted on the wildlife area. There are many picnic area on the shore of the lake with table available on a first come, first served basis.