Raven Rock

"Raven Rock" is the naturally occurring rocky outcrop atop of a hill located just north of the Ohio River along U.S. Route 52 and just west of Carey's Run (County Road 49) that was reportedly used by Native-Americans as a lookout post and ceremonial place.

The vantage point provides a "bird's eye view" of the river valley below and permitted the Native-Americans to detect and react to any intruders on the river.

The Shawnee Homeland

Originally from southern Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania the Shawnee people were driven from their traditional homeland by the Iroquois sometime around the 1660’s.

The Shawnee then scattered in all directions to South Carolina, Tennessee's Cumberland Basin, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern Illinois.

For a period of 70 years following its conquest by the Iroquois during the 1660s, the Ohio Valley (Indiana, Lower Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and western Pennsylvania) was almost entirely uninhabited.

The Iroquois never occupied the area but preferred to use it as a private hunting preserve. Freed from the pressure of its former human population, the Ohio Country quickly became a prime hunting territory.

Although the Iroquois prevented permanent settlements, small groups of Shawnee returned frequently to the Ohio Valley to hunt, so during their many years of exile, the Shawnee never completely surrendered the claim to their homeland.

By 1730 most of the Shawnee had returned to their homeland in southern Ohio.

Many tribes still used Kentucky, called the “Dark and Bloody Ground”, and southern Ohio as hunting grounds and many confrontations took place with the Shawnee as they protected their homeland.

No one knows for certain how "Raven Rock" got its name however one local legend tells of a Cherokee War Chief called "Kalanu" or the “Raven”, who reportedly in a pitched battle during a Cherokee incursion into the Shawnee lands, fought off Shawnee warriors from the rocky outcrop.

The "Raven” is said to have fought many Shawnee braves until he was too weak to continue the fight and leapt to his death rather than being captured.

After the battle the lookout point atop of the hill became known as the “Raven Rock” in honor of the Cherokee War Chief that fought so bravely.

Pictured at the left is the view of “Raven Rock” from the Kalanu Native American Cemetery located adjacent to Earl Thomas Conley Park on US Route 52 west of Portsmouth.

The “Raven Rock” lookout is located to the north of the cemetery across from the park at the top of the hill.

The “Raven Rock” area is now under the control of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Each year many adventurous people still make the strenuous hike to the top of “Raven Rock” as the proud Shawnee once did however today permission is needed from ODNR.

For more information and to obtain a written permit contact Jenny Richards at Shawnee State Park by calling 740-858-6652.

The entrance to the trail leading to Raven Rock is located across the road from Earl Thomas Conley Park on US Route 52 approximately 2,000 feet west of Carey's Run (CR 49) on Malone Cox Road.