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Ohio, Kentucky Feuding Over Rock In A Hard Place
NPR ^ | January 26, 2009 | Fred Kight

Posted on 01/26/2009 4:30:21 PM PST by Daffynition

The states of Ohio and Kentucky are battling over a most unlikely object: a graffiti-covered rock.

From a distance, Indian Head Rock isn't much to look at, an unremarkable, brownish boulder about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. But a closer look reveals what makes the rock — first written about in an archeological publication in 1847 — more than just an ordinary boulder.

The surface is etched with names, some scratched and difficult to read and others chiseled more clearly. There's also a face that "some have said looks like Charlie Brown," according to Randy Nichols, a local history buff in Portsmouth, Ohio.

"In early days, it was called the Portsmouth Indians' head rock. It's a life-sized depiction of a smiley face," Nichols says.

The trouble started last year when the 8-ton, sandstone boulder was hauled out of the Ohio River. On one side of the river is Portsmouth and on the other is South Shore, Ky. Indian Head Rock was submerged 60 feet from the Kentucky shore until it was fished out.

Finding the rock wasn't easy. Once partially submerged, it hadn't been seen since the 1920s after navigational dams raised the river level and hid the boulder for decades.

But historian Steve Shaffer, the central character in this ongoing fight, had read stories about Indian Head Rock when he was a kid and vowed to find it. After many diving excursions, Shaffer and some buddies located the relic, pulled it out of the river and donated it to Portsmouth.

The mayor of Portsmouth, recognizing that the Ohio River is actually in Kentucky, offered it to the town of South Shore, Ky. Officials there weren't interested, so the plan was to display the boulder in Portsmouth.

That's when Kentucky state officials got involved; they say the rock belongs to them. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway wrote a letter demanding its return.

"This was a registered antiquity in Kentucky and it was taken, and that's theft of an antiquity under the statute," Conway says.

But Ohio officials said the Indian Head Rock belonged to them. To further complicate the matter, the Army Corps of Engineers claims it has jurisdiction over the boulder.

Shaffer isn't talking to the media because taking the boulder from the Ohio River bottom put him in legal jeopardy. He and one of his helpers were indicted this summer on felony charges.

It's not clear what will happen to Indian Head Rock. For now, this piece of American history sits a most inauspicious place — in a corner of a municipal garage in Portsmouth.


TOPICS: History; Local News; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs
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As the custody dispute rages, the 8-ton sandstone boulder known as Indian Head Rock sits in a municipal garage in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Chiseled onto the surface is a face that "looks like Charlie Brown," according to a local history buff.

Initials and names are carved on Indian Head Rock, which had sat partially submerged in the Ohio River until the 1920s, when dam work left it hidden from view for decades.

1 posted on 01/26/2009 4:30:21 PM PST by Daffynition
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To: Daffynition

USACE needs to keep their dam hands out of this whole dam situation.


2 posted on 01/26/2009 4:33:29 PM PST by Tennessee_Bob (Save the Hispaniolan Solenodon!)
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To: Daffynition

It’s... a rock. We’re on the edge of the abyss in this country and people are fighting over a hardened mass of dirt.


3 posted on 01/26/2009 4:35:22 PM PST by TheZMan (Secede.)
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To: Tennessee_Bob; TheZMan
Determine the owner the old-fashioned way..........


4 posted on 01/26/2009 4:40:27 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: Daffynition
Finding the rock wasn't easy. Once partially submerged, it hadn't been seen since the 1920s after navigational dams raised the river level and hid the boulder for decades.

No one was interested in this hazard o navigation until someone went to the bother and expense to haul it out the water.

In the government’s usual practice of showing gratitude the men are indicted on felony charges.

5 posted on 01/26/2009 4:46:21 PM PST by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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To: Daffynition

6 posted on 01/26/2009 4:59:29 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: Daffynition

get your grubby bluegrass peter beaters off our rock you dad burn sons of heathens! It’s ours I say and we’ll fight over this. Oh yes, we’ll fight tooth and nail by God.


7 posted on 01/26/2009 5:12:17 PM PST by RC one
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To: Pontiac

This has to be the silliest argument that has come around in a long time.


8 posted on 01/26/2009 5:15:31 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: JoeProBono

9 posted on 01/26/2009 5:16:15 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: Pontiac

Overbearing, inflated and pompous government in action. Indicting the historian on felony charges?!? Not surprisingly, the Kentucky AG is a Demorat.


10 posted on 01/26/2009 5:27:24 PM PST by mikeus_maximus (In matters of style, swim with the current.; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.-- Thomas J)
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To: Daffynition; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
an update.

Indian Head Rock site:freerepublic.com
Google
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

· Google · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


11 posted on 01/26/2009 6:00:16 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: Daffynition

12 posted on 01/26/2009 6:05:42 PM PST by rawhide
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To: rawhide

Is that you on the Kjerag Boulder?


13 posted on 01/26/2009 6:22:29 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: Daffynition

Nope. I would too scared to be on that thing.


14 posted on 01/26/2009 6:44:53 PM PST by rawhide
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To: Daffynition

Looks like Tourist Guy.


15 posted on 01/26/2009 7:57:14 PM PST by Defiant (I for one welcome our new Obama Overlords.)
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To: Daffynition

16 posted on 01/26/2009 8:50:40 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: Daffynition

Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.


17 posted on 01/26/2009 8:58:01 PM PST by dragnet2 (Bush's legacy is Obama)
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To: Daffynition

Hi Daffy bet you could find a chicken for that rock.


18 posted on 01/26/2009 9:04:35 PM PST by goat granny
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To: JoeProBono

maybe I’ve been a widow too long but that looks like someone’s johnson


19 posted on 01/26/2009 9:07:46 PM PST by goat granny
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To: goat granny
Indeed


20 posted on 01/26/2009 9:17:06 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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