Circleville in Pickaway County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Caleb Atwater
Born in North Adams, Massachusetts on December 23, 1778, Caleb Atwater graduated from Williams College in 1804. He moved to Circleville in about 1814 where he organized the city's first school board and served as postmaster and prosecuting attorney. His life and work as a teacher, minister, lawyer, legislator, and scholar greatly influenced early 19th-century Ohio. Upon arriving in Circleville, he became interested in local history and the nearby earthworks and in 1820 published his book Descriptions of the Antiquities Discovered in the State of Ohio and Other Western States, the first compilation of prehistoric remains in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Elected to the Ohio State Legislature in 1821, Atwater fervently supported canal construction. He also chaired Ohio's first board of school commissioners and was instrumental in passage of Ohio's Public School Law. For this, he has been called the “Father of Ohio's Common Schools.”
[Marker Reverse]:
The many writings of Caleb Atwater reveal that he was a man ahead of his time and with far reaching views. As one of three commissioners appointed by President Andrew Jackson in 1829 to negotiate a treaty with tribes at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Atwater wrote a volume that gave a more insightful and fairer view of Native Americans than most writers of his time. In 1838, he published his History of Ohio, which provided early thoughts on conservation and ecology. Three years later, he wrote “An Essay on Education,” which presented advanced views on music and education for women, pay standards for teachers, and equal education for men and women. Atwater's writings on geology, meteorology, archaeology, and history formed a catalyst in the scholarly ferment of the Ohio Valley, and scholars today are still intrigued by this eccentric and fascinating visionary.
Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Roundtown Conservancy, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 9-65.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Native Americans. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1812.
Location. 39° 36.171′ N, 82° 56.689′ W. Marker is in Circleville, Ohio, in Pickaway County. Marker is at the intersection of Court Street (Ohio Route 188) and Pinckney Street, on the right when traveling south on Court Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Circleville OH 43113, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. History of "The Greatest Free Show On Earth" (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Peoples Bank (about 500 feet away); 2010 Bicentennial Mural (about 600 feet away); Model 1841 6-Pounder Field Gun (approx. 0.2 miles away); Walk Of Remembrance (approx. 0.2 miles away); War Savings Quota (approx. 0.2 miles away); Zieger House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Our Safety Forces (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Circleville.
Also see . . . A Biography of the Anthropologist Caleb Atwater. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. (Submitted on November 3, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,694 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 1, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.