Butler to present lecture on The Old Stone Fort and the Mary Harris Prizes
COSHOCTON – Dr. Scott Butler will present a fascinating talk on The Old Stone Fort at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. Following the presentation, Dr. Butler will present awards for the Mary Harris Prizes.
The Old Stone Fort is a small stone building located south of the Tuscarawas River and east of West Lafayette on county road 254 off SR 751, which has puzzled people in Coshocton County for over 100 years since it was first written about in a county history in 1911. Earliest writing about the structure speculated that the fort was built in the 17th century by the famous French explorer, admiral and successor to La Salle, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. Others speculate that the famous Ohio frontier trader, George Croghan, built it mid-18th century. Dr. Butler conducted an exhaustive review of writings and artifacts related to the Old Stone Fort. Much information has been overlooked by all public writings on the fort since its restoration in 1952. Many old, pre-restoration photos were discovered. Previously unnoticed old writings have been found which provide important, new information about the origin of the fort. The talk will review the major theories of its origin and their evidence, and present with positive evidence the best supported answer to the identity of its builder.
Dr. Butler is the author of several books and booklets on subjects connected to the Coshocton frontier, including Mary Harris, “The White Woman” of the Ohio Frontier in 1750. His latest publication of The Coshocton Review will be available for sale in the museum gift shop beginning Nov. 15 after the lecture. This third volume includes last year’s winning essays, as well as Butler’s treatment of the history of the Old Stone Fort, plus bonus articles. Cost for the publication is $9.
Program admission is $4 for adults and $3 for students (Friends of the Museum, free). At the conclusion of the talk, the winners of the 2018 Mary Harris Prizes for non-fiction writing will be announced and awards presented (if the recipient is present).
The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is located in Historic Roscoe Village at 300 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton. For more information, contact the museum at 740-622-8710 or email jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org. Museum hours are 1 – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Category: Education
