Hype for the Future 78C: City of Chillicothe, Ohio

Introduction

The City of Chillicothe is centrally located within Ross County, Ohio, serving as the county seat and as a former capital of the State of Ohio. Today, the community is most notable for the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Adena State Memorial, though the Ohio Jeep Festival also occurs within the city. Within the Adena State Memorial, the Adena Mansion and Gardens serve as a historic site associated with the area.

Amenities

Within the boundaries of the City of Chillicothe, the Millennium Grove of Ohio is effectively located along the Route 35 corridor; however, further into the city are the Ross County Historical Society, the Lucy Webb Hayes Heritage Center, the Railroad Museum, the Loyalty Monument, the Dard Hunter Historical Marker, and Carlisle Hill. Beyond Carlisle Hill, the Carlisle Hill Star and Overlook is also of cultural significance near the junction of Routes 50 and 104.

Hype for the Future 77E: Serpent Mound

Overview

The Serpent Mound State Memorial is located in the northern part of Adams County, Ohio, just southeast of the Highland County line along State Route 73 and west of State Route 41. The historic site associated with the mounds is identified for significant Native American heritage related to the region, with the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Adena State Memorial located relatively nearby in Chillicothe in Ross County.

Hype for the Future 50CLC: Chillicothe and the Surrounding Area

Introduction

Chillicothe is highly renowned for being an early capital city associated with the State of Ohio, located in the south-central portion of the State and largely determined by the Northwest Ordinance. Though Athens is located in the general area but further east and is home to Ohio University, the oldest university of any type within the State of Ohio, Chillicothe is actually home to quite distinct cultural influences that may or may not be related, such as the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, the Adena State Memorial, and, yes, the Ohio Jeep Festival.

Surrounding Communities

Located within Ross County, Ohio, Chillicothe is also surrounded by nearby communities including Bainbridge and Londonderry on either side of the city. Overall, Chillicothe and the surrounding areas in Ross County are often identified with US Route 50 (Cincinnati to the west, Athens to the east), US Route 23 (Columbus to the north, Portsmouth to the south), and US Route 35 (Dayton to the west, Charleston via I-64 to the east).

To the north of Ross County is Pickaway County, which uses Circleville as the county seat and is no longer organized in a circle, despite the name and original street network of the community. Circleville is home to the Circleville Pumpkin Festival around the third week of October every year, and the city often receives festival traffic from Columbus to the north as well as from the smaller communities of Lancaster to the east and Chillicothe to the south. Outside the Pumpkin Festival, however, not much else is known about the Circleville experience that is out of the ordinary.

Ross County has no native colleges or universities within county limits. Some of the nearest public universities to be associated with the Chillicothe area include Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio University in Athens, and The Ohio State University in Columbus.