Muskingum: Eye of the Elk

One of the joys of farming alongside the Little Muskingum River is observing the variety of wildlife as they go about their daily business. While I watched this particular group of deer enjoying the river (they were definitely frolicking at one point), I found myself imagining what the view would have looked like when Ohio’s elk population roamed the riverbanks. Elk were a common animal in Ohio when the Marietta settlers first arrived—in fact, one possible translation for the Delaware word “Muskingum” is “eye of the elk.” It wasn’t until the 1840’s that elk were over-hunted into extinction within Ohio.

Can you imagine seeing a 1,000-pound elk meandering along the banks of our rivers? For comparison, an average adult male deer can be around 200 pounds. A mere rodent when compared to the mighty elk!

Because rivers change so slowly over time (our Ohio River is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old!), I love to gaze at the Little Muskingum River and wonder what the scene would have looked like 1,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago, 10,000 years ago….. Who else might have stood in the same spot I am standing in now, looking at the same river view?