The River And The Land / Harrison Tomb and Congress Green Cemetery

The River And The Land, also, Harrison Tomb and Congress Green Cemetery. William Henry Harrison Memorial Trail. , The River and the Land , When William Henry Harrison arrived in Ohio in 1791, this was a plentiful land. Alive with thick forests and flowing streams, the region was home to animals such as buffalo, bear, elk, and wild turkey. The Ohio River, full of fish and clean, clear water, was every bit as bountiful. , Indians had lived on this land 15,000 years before its "discovery” by European explorers. Tribes like the Shawnee and the Miami considered the Ohio River sacred, believing that it was the center of the world. The Iroquois called the river "0-Y-0" meaning "Great River". , Today , So much has changed since Harrison's time that it is hard to imagine what remains the same. Even the Ohio River has been transformed Once an untamed source of food, transportation and hardship, the Ohio is now controlled by a system of locks and dams. These changes have transformed the Ohio., Harrison Tomb and Congress Green Cemetery , Glimpses Of The Past , Much has changed since William Henry Harrison first set foot in this area. At that time, 95% of Ohio was covered in forest. Today, less than 30% of Ohio is forested. , Buffalo once roamed these lands. As hunters arrived from the east, whole herds were killed off for their meat, fur. and horns. Other species, both plant and animal, suffered for the buffalo's loss. , Still, you can see glimpses of that past here. In accordance with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's natural preservation strategy, portions of this site have been returned to their natural state. , Though the buffalo are gone, the endangered Running Buffalo Clover can be found in the Lawn of Congress Green Cemetery, nestled in sporadic clumps. , Follow the nature trail to Harrison's Tomb and will travel through a remnant forest, you descendant of the forests that young Ensign Harrison marched through in the early days of his military career.