Talk:Eskippathiki

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Eskippathitiki or Little Pict Town or "Blue Flowing Springs", presently Indian Old Fields or Old Fields, an idyllic Blue Grass prairie, known by historians as the only American Indian tribal center in Kentucky, lasted several thousand years. First a pre-historic setting and later, a Woodland Indian village, a prominent Shawnee strong hold, contained many pole and bark wegiwas or igloo shaped wigwams sweven feet tall and 30 feet in circumference throughout the thirty-five square mile plain. Eskkippathitiki's central mound overlooked a tall walnut stake. The town situated along the ancient Warrior's Path, was frequented by many Algonquin speaking peoples. Travelling from Alabama to Canada, the Algoquin Tribes, some thirty individual sets of peoples relied upon the path as a major through fare. By 1745, French explorer Pierre Chartier convinced a band of Shawnee in Alabama to accompany him there. The Shawnnee allied themselves willingly to the French traders, who accepted their position and developed polical considerations with the Shawnee who in turn encouraged the French presence prior to the Seven Years War on the Continent.

Resting on a unique Blue Grass plain along a significant topographical feature, the Kentucky Knobs, four miles east, the level plain provided a lively, peaceful spot to conduct very necessary trading zone for both Algonquins and French until 1754. British demands upon the French and the powerful Iroquois Confederation, a strong presence over the Woodland Tribes, brought pressure to bear upon the Region resulting in political and military actions actions against both the French and the Shawnee. Leaving this area for southwestern Ohio the Shawnee located on the Picaway Plains of Picaway County, Ohio four miles south of present day Circleville, along the Scioto River and later to Chillicothe, Ohio along the Scioto to Oldtown, three miles north of Xenia, Ohio.

Today, the hamlet of Kidd ville occupies the northern edge, leaving the majority of the thirty-five square miles fertile culivated farm land. The Bert T. Combs Memorial Mountain Parkway bisects its southern boundary. A casual observer can easily note its importance when reading a relief map of central Kentucky

Historian Lucien Buckner referred to these facts in a Lecture delivered in 1932, in Louisville, Kentucky for the Filson Society. Few other Historian have described the land here in presentations. Other historians have written information including Thmas Clark, Ph,D., University of Kentucky historian and Laureate scholar of the Commonweaalth of Kentucky. Other Public citations exist other in the University of archives. Kentucky.

Some archaeologists have conducted surveys there. State and County government efforts to continue to further illustrate this cultural and archaeological source have not diminshed the achievement of historians. Native peoples have not yet restored any of the wegiwas to conduct Living History. To form a living stepstone to archaelogical glories is yet to be determined by those expert in this interesting subject matter and the raw data beneath the sod of the beautiful rural, untouched soils of Southeastern Clark County, Kentucky ought to be preserved for future generations to share in their sustained common heritage.

One project fomented by a group of organized historians is referred to as FRONTIER CAN-tuc-KEE. Public Historians are encouraged to particpate in interpretation and conservation of the data.

Father Dwight Lynn Dowson, 937.409.3771 Mobile