Placed Mr Fish at the Indian God Rock on the Allegheny River. Really hot today so he took a little swim with a new friend, Tigger (aka Shrewsbury, USA Diabetes Travel Bug). The Indian God Rock is located on the bank of the Allegheny River about 8 miles south of Franklin, Venango Co., PA. The rock is of archaeological importance as it bears some of the few authentic petroglyphs – rock carvings made by Indians, possibly dating back as far as 1200 A.D. Questions remain unanswered as to who carved the petroglyphs and what they meant to the persons who did the carving. Several factors support the theory of Donald Cadzow, formerly of the State Historical Commission, who suggested that the pictographs are of Algonquian origin.
In the summer of 1749 a French expedition headed by Bienville de Celoron (Pierre J. Celeron) traveled down the Allegheny River and laid claim to the territory for the French. At important locations, lead plates were buried, claiming the lands for the French King. One of the sites selected was the Indian God Rock, and the following entry appears in de Celoron’s diary for 3 August 1749: “Buried a lead plate on the south (sic) bank of the Ohio river, four leagues below the Riviere Aux Boeufs (French Creek), opposite a bald mountain and near a large stone on which are many figures crudely engraved.”
Many attempts have been made to locate the plate since that time. Indian God Rock and the buried plate have continued to hold interest and mystery for the travelers on the Allegheny River.
[This entry was edited by Sandycreek Snoopers on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at 5:06:41 PM.]