FLINT RIDGE and COSHOCTONSeveral worthwhile destinations are east of Newark, via SR 16 toward Coshocton. (This route passes a newer architectural “wonder”: the giant Longaberger Basket, probably one of the most startling examples of literally-iconic architecture in the US.) Farther out are Blackhand Gorge State Park and Flint Ridge State Memorial, as well as Coshocton’s Roscoe Village canal-era settlement.

Roscoe Village Shops

Flint Ridge Quarry Map, OHS

Blackhand Gorge Nature Preserve: Eleven miles east of Newark, leave SR 16 via SR 146, then Toboso Road, to reach the Blackhand Gorge, a geological anomaly where glacial action caused the Licking River to cut precipitously through a high ridge of sandstone. This distinctive place has long felt sacred, as a place of healing, to Native groups even from far away. The Indian petroglyph for which the park is named (a black hand imprinted on the cliff face) was sacrificed in the 1820s when this section of the Licking River became part of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Impressive remnants of the canal towpath, locks, and a quarry remain. The Blackhand Trail is a level paved path following the old train line through its own cut (parallel to the river’s) in the sandstone ridge. The cut rock has been blackened by countless locomotive passages. Views from the Blackhand Rock overlook show the massive stone masonry built into the cliff face to create the towpath along the river. Farther down the trail, the quarry opens up on the left, with water pools and shining cliffs; the Quarry Rim Trail climbs to the top of the pits for dramatic views. Back at the parking lot, cross the river bridge on foot to take the Canal Lock Trail (left) into the woods to an intact sandstone ruin. Towpath remnants are obscured in the undergrowth, though the trail follows the canal route for some distance. There are abundant and diverse flora and fauna.

Flint Ridge State Memorial: Leaving the Gorge, follow the scenic back-roads to Flint Ridge. Here a several-mile-long deposit of beautiful, hard, sharp, rainbow-colored flint lies close to the surface, where Native peoples have been able to mine it for at least ten thousand years and fashion it into sharp tools, weapons, and ornaments. The presence of this rare resource was likely the reason such an elaborate geometric earthwork was laid out in the Hopewell era on the flat terraces of the nearby Licking River confluence (Newark) to the west. The forested ridge-top is strewn with the still-visible, water-filled pits where extraction has been taking place for millennia. Outcroppings are prominent; scraps line the pathways. A museum interprets the site, exhibits samples, and organizes public events where modern expert “flintknappers” demonstrate the ancient techniques of fashioning the stone into beautiful and useful shapes.

Coshocton and Roscoe Village: Further northeast along SR 16 is Coshocton, where two rivers join to become the Muskingum. This was a capital of the Delaware (Lenape) Indians and a site of early Moravian missions. The historic Roscoe Village on the west bank of the river is a wonderfully restored canal-era settlement and living history museum reflecting early nineteenth-century life in the region. In the lower level of its visitors’ center, exhibits show an early treaty and tell the story of the life and encounters of the Delaware with the earliest settlers in the area. An historic marker downtown commemorates the Delaware Council of the 1760s. The new Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum (in Roscoe Village) displays the inauthentic but historically interesting “Newark Holy Stones” which figured so prominently in 19th century debates about the origins and significance of the earthworks, and the humanity of their makers. There are also many fine Native American artifacts, including Paleoindian points, plus a spectacular collection of Chinese lacquer ware and dioramas of early pioneer life. The Coshocton area boasts three good wineries.

Eating and Sleeping: For accommodations within walking distance of Coshocton’s historic places, try the Apple Butter Inn at 455 Hill Street (740 622 1329), or the nearby Medbery Manor Bed-and-Breakfast (518 Hill Street; 740 295 0169), both restored structures from the 1840s.