Adams and Brown counties are located in south central Ohio, sharing the beautiful Ohio River as their southern boundary. Long before the white man laid his eyes upon this region, various groups of prehistoric peoples lived for untold generations here, leaving no written records, only some of their stone artifacts and mysterious earthworks. One of the most enigmatic of their mounds can yet be found in the northeast corner of Adams County. Wriggling across a high promontory overlooking the scenic valley of the East Fork of Ohio Brush Creek, the Great Serpent Mound beckons visitors from all around the globe to come and gaze upon it and ponder its meaning and purpose to the ancient ones who painstakingly constructed it basketful by basketful of earth almost one thousand years ago.

After the Red Man was vanquished from his ancestral homeland in the Ohio Valley, white settlers poured into the area, quickly subduing the primeval forests and the wild beasts that inhabited them. Soon, small villages and hamlets seemingly sprang from the ground overnight, drawing a diverse number of craftsmen and tradesmen to them. Among these was Jesse Grant, a tanner by trade, who brought his wife and infant son in 1823 to the tiny pioneer settlement of Georgetown in Brown County. The son, Ulysses by name, grew to young manhood here, attending the area schools and establishing a local reputation as someone who was thoughtful and forthright and also had an uncanny way with horses. He lived with his parents in Georgetown until 1839 when he received an appointment to West Point by fellow townsman and congressman, Thomas Hamer. Young Ulysses was destined for great things in his life, receiving acclaim and adulation for leading Federal troops to victory during the Civil War and, only a few years later, achieving the pinnacle of his storied career when elected 18th President of the United States.

During the antebellum period of our nation’s history, Adams and Brown counties were both heavily involved in the moral struggle to assist those who were fleeing slavery in the South. Many residents of the two counties displayed their willingness to risk their reputations, their fortunes, their own freedom and, sometimes, even their lives to protect, feed, clothe, conceal, and guide runaway slaves in their quest for personal liberty. The Brown County village of Ripley became a major crossing point on the Ohio River for those desperately trying to escape enslavement. Several routes of the famed Underground Railroad fanned out from Ripley with several branches crossing through Adams County where the runaways found comfort and shelter on their long trek north to Canada and new lives free from bondage.

This article was contributed by Stephen Kelly of
Adams/Brown Counties Economic Opportunities, Inc.