Old Chillicothe and Great Council State Park

Far Hills Speaker Series explores Ohio's Shawnee settlement in Old Chillicothe and today.

Wright Memorial Public Library and the Oakwood Historical Society are proud to host the Far Hills Speaker Series at Wright Library, 1776 Far Hills Ave. in Oakwood. The March16 program, "Old Chillicothe and Great Council State Park " is presented by Ryan Dimisa and begins at 2:00 PM at Wright Library, or register for a virtual link at wrightlibrary.org/events. Seating limited to 80.

Oldtown - near Xenia, Ohio - is on the former site of the Shawnee settlement called Old Chillicothe. Led by Chief Blackfish, this capital of the Shawnee people was the largest settlement in Ohio with a population of 1,000 in the late1770s. Old Chillicothe's council house is believed to have been located on a high ridge visible in the site today. In 1780, the site was abandoned when George Rogers Clark came out of Kentucky to raid Oldtown; the Shawnee set fire to the site and fled ahead of the attack.

Today, the site is home to the Great Council State Park and Interpretive Center, which honors the history of the Shawnee people in our area and gives present-day Shawnee a place to share their current and ancestral stories.

Ryan Dimisa is a naturalist at the Great Council State Park and Interpretive Center, where he educates visitors on the history of Old Chillicothe and the culture of the Shawnee people. Ryan was also an educator and interpreter at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and Sunwatch Archeological Park. He is passionate about working with Tribal communities to ensure his interpretations are accurate with current community understandings and needs.

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Wright Memorial Public Library

Old Chillicothe and Great Council State Park is taking place at Wright Memorial Public Library, which is located at 1776 Far Hills Avenue in Oakwood. Wright Memorial Public Library - Books are only the beginning at Wright Memorial Public Library. So much to see, so much to do!