Location:
Scioto Park
7377 Riverside Drive
Dublin, Ohio
Parking Coordinates:
N 40 07.012′
W 083 06.709′
Details:
Scioto Park is located on Riverside Drive, north of Route 161 and Emerald Parkway and just south of Hard Road. There is ample parking in both the upper and lower levels of this park.
Geocode:
GC8KT24
GPS Coordinates:
N 40° 07.008
W 083° 06.730
Big Turtle Riverbox was one of the original six Riverboxes, created by artist Margaret McAdams in 2007. The sculpture was recreated in 2016 and again in 2020 after being damaged. It is now in its third location in Dublin’s Scioto Park.
The Scioto River was a natural travel route for the Native Americans between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. What we now call Riverside Drive and Dublin Road were once trails used by Native Americans and later by settlers. The Wyandot Indians were prevalent in the Dublin area and did not live here but camped, hunted and traveled along the river and trails to and from their primary village in what we now call Upper Sandusky. Ancient Indian cultures called Hopewells built a ceremonial mound in the vicinity of Scioto Park. Just about a mile north of Scioto Park was the location of the great Wyandot Chief Leatherlips’ encampment before he was executed in 1810. A grave marker is located on Riverside Drive, about a mile north of the park on the right side of the road.
Clues:
Inspired by the Huron tribe’s creation myth, found here.
- Park your car down below, by the shelter house.
- Make your way toward the river, to the grassy, rocky knoll, and there you will find what you are seeking.
Artist and Credits:
Margaret McAdams of Kingston, Ohio is a Professor of Art at Ohio University-Chillicothe. McAdams received her Master of Fine Arts from Washington University, St. Louis, and is proficient in a variety of media, including ceramics, photography, installation and drawing. She has exhibited her work regionally, nationally and internationally, and in 2005 was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Artists Fellowship.
In her statement regarding the Riverboxes project, McAdams writes, “As a professor at a university in rural south-central Ohio, I laud any opportunity to impact the arts in the Appalachian community where I live, whether as an artist or as an ambassador of the arts. Although Dublin is fifty miles north, the Scioto River links our communities, both metaphorically and literally. I can only anticipate the enriching experience this project will afford.” Philosophically, McAdams is also interested in the river. She writes, “The river represents direction, continuity, movement, flow and passage.”
additional media
Get Inspired!
Artist Margaret McAdams’ inspiration came from ancient Native American legends. The legend in direct relation to her riverbox, “Big Turtle,” was passed on from the Wyandot tribe that once resided in the area.
Central Ohio is rich in Native American history and it’s fitting that McAdams chose to recognize and acknowledge the importance of this strong heritage. Native American myths and legends are not only a link to the past, they are magical stories that challenge our perspectives, are entrenched in meaning, lessons and history.
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