Near Cumberland in Muskingum County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Lett Settlement
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 24, 2019
1. The Lett Settlement Marker, side one
Inscription.
The Lett Settlement. . Near this location stood the settlement of African American families known as “The Lett Settlement.” The Lett Settlement was a self-sustaining community of mixed race families, including the Caliman, Guy, and Lett families. The families had formed ties through marriage and common background during the mid-1700s in Virginia and Maryland. These early African American pioneer families came to Ohio as “free people of color,” and began acquiring land in Meigs Township, Muskingum County, and surrounding townships in adjacent counties during the 1820s. They were soon joined by the Brown, Clifford, Earley, Simpson, Tate, and Pointer families. The families of the Lett Settlement were land owners and tax payers in Ohio before the Civil War and challenged the State of Ohio for the right to vote and for access to education during the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s. , Descendants of the Lett Settlement families are located throughout southeastern Ohio and many other places around the United States. Their history in America reflects the pursuit of freedom dating from the English Colonial Period in Maryland and Virginia to the pioneers in Ohio and many other states. The Lett Settlement families ancestry includes African American scientist Benjamin Banneker from Maryland and Ohio pioneer Revolutionary War Veteran Basil Norman. The Lett Settlement produced Underground Railroad operatives Joshua Simpson and Tom and Maria Pointer, abolitionist writers Lloyd Guy and David Lett, attorneys J.R. Clifford and James H. Guy, and many others. Numerous names of the Lett Settlement families can be found among Civil War Veterans from Ohio who served with the 5th and 27th United States Colored Troops Regiments.
Near this location stood the settlement of African American families known as
“The Lett Settlement.” The Lett Settlement was a self-sustaining community of mixed race families, including the Caliman, Guy,
and Lett families. The families had formed ties through marriage and
common background during the mid-1700s in Virginia and Maryland.
These early African American pioneer families came to Ohio as “free
people of color,” and began acquiring land in Meigs Township,
Muskingum County, and surrounding townships in adjacent counties
during the 1820s. They were soon joined by the Brown, Clifford, Earley,
Simpson, Tate, and Pointer families. The families of the Lett Settlement
were land owners and tax payers in Ohio before the Civil War and
challenged the State of Ohio for the right to vote and for access to
education during the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s.
Descendants of the Lett Settlement families are located throughout
southeastern Ohio and many other places around the United States. Their history
in America reflects the pursuit of freedom dating
from the English Colonial Period in Maryland
Click or scan to see this page online
and Virginia to the
pioneers in Ohio and many other states. The Lett Settlement families
ancestry includes African American scientist Benjamin Banneker from
Maryland and Ohio pioneer Revolutionary War Veteran Basil Norman.
The Lett Settlement produced Underground Railroad operatives Joshua
Simpson and Tom and Maria Pointer, abolitionist writers Lloyd Guy
and David Lett, attorneys J.R. Clifford and James H. Guy, and many
others. Numerous names of the Lett Settlement families can be found
among Civil War Veterans from Ohio who served with the 5th and
27th United States Colored Troops Regiments.
Erected 2007 by The Wilds, Belpre Historical Society, Lett Families Settlement Reunion, and The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 17-60.)
Location. 39° 49.849′ N, 81° 43.879′ W. Marker is near Cumberland, Ohio, in Muskingum
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 24, 2019
2. The Lett Settlement Marker, side two
County. It can be reached from International Road (Local Route 216) east of Big Muskie Drive (Ohio Route 284). Use I-70 exit No. 157 (Zanesville) if traveling from the west, or I-77 exit No. 37 (Pleasant City) if traveling from the east, north, or south. To reach the marker, park in The Wilds parking lot ($6 fee) and take the shuttle bus to the ticket window. While facing the ticket window, look over your right shoulder and you should see the marker through the trees in the thicket behind you on the right. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14000 International Rd, Cumberland OH 43732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies:
More about this marker. The marker is in The Wilds, a wild-animal conservation center located on 10,000 acres of reclaimed strip-mined land, now a grassy savanna with many lakes and ponds, populated with African and Asian animals. The 2½ hour open-air safari tour, not required to visit the historical marker, is well-worth its price.
The original 2007 marker was originally erected nearby. It was replaced with this one, same title, number, and text.
Also see . . . The Lett Settlement. Website homepage (Submitted on June 29, 2019.)
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 24, 2019
4. The Lett Settlement Marker
The plaque on the stone in the center of the circle reads, “This Park is dedicated in memory of D. Chad Jeffers, who wished to preserve nature and educate others in the conservation of wildlife. By Family and Friends.”
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 24, 2019
5. A View of The Wilds
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,957 times since then and 227 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 29, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 5. submitted on September 5, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
