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In ascertaining the facts set forth herein as to John O'Bannon, I have pursued every lead to its source and have been baffled seemingly, at every point. The facts that I wished to know, have receded into oblivion and cannot be brought to light. There was not a publication, in February, 1813, which had an obituary notice of John O'Bannon. There is no mention of him of any significance in any contemporary history. A man now in full life, has every opportunity to have his record preserved to posterity. If he is of the slightest importance, the Daily Newspapers record his doing from day to day, but of John O'Bannon scarcely anything was preserved, except what the official records disclose.

BASIL MEEK, FREMONT.

The accompanying cut represents a large granitic boulder, believed to be the largest in Sandusky County, and which possesses local historic associations worthy to be published for preservation with other interesting facts connected with the early history of the Sandusky river region..

It is located in the north and south road on the line dividing Sections 14 and 15 between the farms of W. J. Havens and Hugh Havens in Jackson township, 7 miles south-west from the City of Fremont.

There is a general, and what seems to be an undisputed, tradition, that during his campaigns in the Sandusky and Maumee river valleys, in the War of 1812, Gen. William Henry Harrison, with his military staff, at one time dined upon this boulder as a table.

There was an Indian trail leading from Lower Sandusky (Fremont), through what is now Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the late President R. B. Hayes, passing thence west of the Sandusky river, in a southwesterly direction and intersecting at a point not far east of this rock a similar one from the site of Fort Seneca, and thus becoming united into one trail, which passed near the rock in a northwesterly direction to Fort Meigs, on the Maumee river.

This trail became known as the "Harrison trail," because in his military movements between Lower Sandusky and Fort Seneca on the Sandusky river, and Fort Meigs on the Maumee, Gen. Harrison made use of it as a military road. While passing along the same, acccr ling to tradition, he and his military family partook of the repast mentioned upon this substantial table in the then wilderness.

The Messrs. Havens who have owned these farms for fifty years, well remember traces of this trail and pointed out to the writer the ground along which it ran. They remember and speak of it as the "Harrison trail."

In the field notes of the government survey, 1820, of said sections 14 and 15, it is mentioned as the "Road to Fort Meigs," and its location shown to be near the spot where the boulder lies.

In size, the boulder is 12 feet in length, with a slightly convex top surface containing 80 square feet; its circumference at the ground is 37 feet, and near the top 32 feet; it rises 3 1-2 feet above ground, and as nearly as can be ascertained, lies embedded in the earth about the same number of feet it rises above; which would make it contain 500 cubic feet and weigh 40 tons.

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It has been regarded by some as merely an obstruction in the highway, and occasional threats have been made to destroy it, but thus far the better sentiment favoring its preservation, has prevailed.

If this article shall aid in promoting still further this sentiment, and result in the preservation of this historic rock which may appropriately be named "Harrison Rock," and which is suggested as a name for it, the object of the writer will have been accomplished.

TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE OHIO STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

(JUNE 2, 1905.)

The Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society was held in the lecture room of the Y. M. C. A. Building, Columbus, Ohio, at 2:30 P. M., June 2d, 1905. The following members were present:

Rev. J. W. Atwood, Columbus; Judge J. H. Anderson, Columbus; Prof. M. R. Andrews, Marietta; Mr. E. H. Archer. Columbus; General R. Brinkerhoff, Mansfield; Mr. George F. Bareis, Canal Winchester; Prof. J. H. Beal, Scio; Hon. M. D. Follett, Marietta; Hon. C. B. Galbreath, Columbus; Hon. M. S. Greenough, Cleveland; Mr. W. H. Hunter, Chillicothe; Prof. Archer B. Hulbert, Marietta; Colonel John W. Harper, Cincinnati; Prof. C. L. Martzolff, New Lexington; Prof. W. C. Mills. Columbus; Prof. John D. H. McKinley, Columbus; Prof. B. F. Prince, Springfield; Prof. E. O. Randall, Columbus; Hon. Rush R. Sloane, Sandusky; Mr. E. F. Wood, Columbus; Prof. G. Frederick Wright, Oberlin. Prof. Frederick Starr, Chicago University, was the guest of the society.

Messages of regret because of inability to attend were received from Trustees Dr. H. A. Thompson, Dayton; Rev. N. B. C. Love, Toledo; General J. Warren Keifer, Springfield; Hon. S. S. Rickly, Columbus; and Hon. D. J. Ryan, Columbus.

The meeting was called to order by the President, Gen. R. Brinkerhoff. The Secretary, Mr. Randall, was called upon for the minutes of the previous annual meeting held June 3. 1904. In order to save time, he referred to the minutes of that meeting as published in Vol. 13, pp. 375 to 391, inclusive. Motion was made and carried to dispense with the reading of the minutes, and the printed report referred to was adopted as the correct. minutes of the meeting. The President then delivered the following opening address:

ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT BRINKERHOFF.

The Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society had its beginning about thirty years ago. It was first organized as the Ohio State Archæological Association, and its first annual meeting was held at Mansfield September 1, 1875, and was attended by about fifty of the leading archæologists of the state.

The purpose of that organization was purely to form an archæological society. In 1876 the association was represented at the Centennial at Philadelphia. The Legislature appropriated $2,500 to make an exhibit of this nature. Time was short, but an interesting and creditable showing was made. In the opinion of those competent to judge, Ohio had by far the finest exhibit of pre-historic relics, except that of the Smithsonian Institute.

For ten years the work of the association was given exclusively to archæology, but in 1885, it was reorganized and broadened so as to include events historic as well as pre-historic, and the association has since been known as the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society.

As stated in its articles of incorporation, "said society is formed for the purpose of promoting a knowledge of archæology and history, especially of Ohio, by establishing and maintaining a library of books, manuscripts, maps, charts, etc., properly pertaining thereto; a museum of pre-historic relics and natural or other curiosities or specimens of art or nature, promotive of the objects of the association, said library and museum to be open to the public upon reasonable terms, and by courses of lectures and publication of books, papers and documents touching the subjects so specified, with power to receive and hold gifts and devises of real and personal estate for the benefit of such society, and generally to exercise all the powers legally pertaining thereto."

How far these requirements have been complied with by the society is fairly indicated by its annual reports and other publications, which are everywhere recognized as of the highest value, and comparing favorably with those of any other state.

In archæology, its prehistoric exhibits at the world expositions at Chicago, Buffalo and St. Louis, as a whole were unequalled by any other state or country and were so officially recognized.

Among its accomplishments, doubtless, the most important has been the acquirement for the state of Fort Ancient and the Serpent Mound, than which, among pre-historic monuments in the United States, there are none more interesting and important. The various mounds and other pre-historic relics of Ohio, located and enumerated by the society, now numbers over ten thousand, and one of its leading and permanent activities has been the examination and excavation of these mounds, more or less every year, by and under the direction of our curator and librarian Prof. W. C. Mills.

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