The Great Hopewell Road: Connections and Questions with Jeff Gill

Uncover the secrets of Ohio’s ancient pilgrimage route— explore the Great Hopewell Road with Jeff Gill, self-described as a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio, with a background in history and archaeology, who writes regularly for a variety of local publications. 

The Great Hopewell Road, constructed by the Hopewell people between A.D. 1-400, represents one of ancient Ohio’s most enigmatic and impressive features. This set of parallel earthen walls stretches remarkably straight from the Newark Earthworks to the grand mound complexes near Chillicothe, more than 60 miles away. Scholars believe it may have served as a sacred pilgrimage, trade, or ceremonial gathering route.

This talk will explore not only the road’s architectural marvel but also the people who walked it, their cultural practices, and how this ancient pilgrimage route connected communities across vast distances. The discussion will also examine the tragic disconnection created by colonization and the displacement of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands. Recent discoveries and research continue to shed light on the Hopewell legacy, offering a chance to reconnect with these sacred pathways and honor the stories of those who once walked them.

Echoes of Ohio’s Indigenous Legacy: Bridging Past and Present is funded in part by the America 250-Ohio Commission.
In partnership with the Granville Historical Society.