Granville's Earliest Residents

Granville's Earliest Residents. . , Humans have lived in the region of Granville Township for thousands of years. Much of what we know of the Indigenous peoples is inferred from the stone tools and adornments left behind, discovered when land was plowed for farms and homes were built. This area is known for groups, collectively referred to as Mound Builders, who created earthworks on the land. These groups are classified by names given by modern scholars as follows: , Adena culture, 800 BCE to 100 CE , Hopewell culture, 100 BCE to 400 CE , Fort Ancient culture, 900 CE to 1650 CE, These groups of people built many mounds in the region, most of which have been destroyed for farms or building purposes. One mound still intact is an effigy mound referred to as the Alligator Mound, believed to be from the Fort Ancient culture. It is one of only two known effigy mounds in Ohio. Even though it is called an alligator, it may represent another animal, perhaps even one that is mythical., At the time of European American exploration, Wyandot, Shawnee, and Delaware peoples lived in this region. In 1795 the Treaty of Greenville was signed between the United States and many Indigenous nations, including the three mentioned, in which the natives gave up their claims to certain land in present-day Ohio. Soon after, speculators and settlers took advantage of the opportunity. When new settlers moved to the area of present-day Granville there was still a group of Wyandot living in what is now called the Welsh Hills. There is some dispute as to the exact location of their village, but the Wyandot remained until about 1807, according to reports from the Welsh. There is no record of why they left.