Alum Creek

Alum Creek within the catchment area of ​​the Scioto River

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Alum Creek is a 93 km long tributary of Big Walnut Creek in the central U.S. state of Ohio. The river rises at Mount Gilead in Morrow County and then flows mainly south through predominantly agricultural area. It forms the Alum Creek Lake and flows south of Columbus in the Big Walnut Creek, a tributary of the Scioto River. The Alum Creek Lake was dammed in 1974 as a water reservoir for the city of Columbus and has an area of ​​approximately 13.7 km ². In addition, the dam prevents flooding in the southern area of the river.

In the valley of the Alum Creek trail of the prehistoric Adena culture was discovered, which was established about 1000 BC to 200 AD here. Riverside running seven mounds could be detected from this period. In the 18th century there were several villages of the Delaware River on which there lived a while on their way west. One of the first European settlers was Colonel Moses Byxbe, who had about 150 km ² land on the river.

In the war of 1812 established residents of the area four blockhouses for defense. One of them was standing right by the river. Fort Cheshire was a two-story log house, which was equipped to defend with loopholes. From the overhanging second floor hot water was poured onto the attacker. The building later served as a school and was still up to the American Civil War intact. A bronze plate remembered today on the former location of the fort

At the beginning of the 19th century led along the Alum Creek called the Underground Railway, as the escape route of runaway slaves was called from the south. Up to 40,000 former slaves should be reached via different routes of the Underground Railway to freedom. The Africa Road near the river got its name because a nearby settlement had included 30 former slaves from North Carolina.

Name Variants

The river has several name variants:

• Allum Creek
• Elk Creek
• Salt Creek
• Seckle Creek
• Sepung Creek