Ohio historical society announces public access to Indigenous heritage site after settlement

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Ohio historical society has gained control of ancient ceremonial and burial earthworks, ending a nearly 10-year negotiation and the practice of golfing alongside the Indigenous heritage site.

The Ohio History Connection will open the Octagon Earthworks in Newark on Jan. 1, 2025 after reaching a settlement with Moundbuilders Country Club. The two organizations agreed to settle for a confidential sum, according to the Ohio History Connection spokesperson Stephanie Steel.

In September 2023, the earthworks were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to the Moundbuilders Country Club, the earthworks are incorporated into 11 of the 18 holes of the golf course. Steel said the Ohio History Connection -- formerly the Ohio Historical Society -- first began negotiations with the country club in 2013 to provide full access to the site.

In 2018, the negotiations escalated to a court case. A Licking County Common Pleas court determined the Ohio History Connection had the authority to acquire the land via eminent domain in 2019, a decision that was upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court in December 2022. Since then, another court case was set to determine the fair market value, Steel said, but that trial was delayed three times.

“Our guiding principles throughout this process have been to enable full public access to the Octagon Earthworks while ensuring Moundbuilders Country Club receives just compensation for the value of its lease on the property,” said Megan Wood, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection. “And now we have accomplished those things.”

According to the Associated Press, the country club was seeking millions as of May of this year.

According to the Ohio History Connection, the Newark Earthworks is one of many earthworks built by Hopewell people 2,000 years ago. The Octagon is aligned with the lunar cycle, and the Ohio History Connection said it highlights the precision and intricacy dedicated to these constructions.

Every 18.6 years, the moon rises directly through the passageway linking the Observatory Circle and the Octagon, which the Ohio History Connection said is "a testament to the genius, cooperation and devotion of the American Indian peoples who created them."

“The New Year will bring a new era to the Octagon Earthworks and the Ohio History Connection,” Charles R. Moses, president of the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees, said. “We are excited the Octagon, which is one of the eight locations in the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be fully open to the citizens of Ohio – and the world.”