Stoney Ridge in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Paleo-Indian 9300-8000 B.C.

— SunWatch Indian Village —

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025

1. Paleo-Indian 9300-8000 B.C. Marker

Inscription. The first people in Ohio were known as the Paleo-Indians. They were hunter-gatherers who lived in mobile groups of a few dozen people. They hunted now-extinct megafauna like mammoths, mastodons, and ground sloths, but also deer and small game while gathering wild foods such as fruit, nuts, and edible plants.

Did you know?
During the Paleo-Indian period, the glaciers had retreated, leaving a vibrant landscape of spruce and fir trees.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 39° 43.009′ N, 84° 13.9′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Stoney Ridge. It is on West River Road half a mile south of Guthrie Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2315 W River Road, Dayton OH 45417, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and

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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 walking distance of this marker: The First Americans (here, next to this marker); Archaic 8000-1000 B.C. (here, next to this marker); Early Woodland People (a few steps from this marker); Middle Woodland A.D. 50-450 (a few steps from this marker); Late Woodland A.D. 450-1000 (a few steps from this marker); What Is Fort Ancient Culture? (within shouting distance of this marker); Who Lived Here And How Long Ago? (within shouting distance of this marker); The Vance Farm (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025

2. SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 3, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 100 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 3, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.