Big Bottom Massacre Site
Also known as: Big Bottom Massacre Site State Memorial
Why it's listed
Big Bottom Massacre Site is a small memorial park on the Muskingum River, about a mile southeast of Stockport in Morgan County, Ohio. In autumn 1790 a group of 36 men, mostly young and unmarried, began a settlement here under the Ohio Company's donation-land policy. They built a large beech-log blockhouse but left it poorly chinked, without palisades or a regular system of defense, despite advice to wait until spring. Attackers who spotted the defenseless settlement divided into two parties on January 2, 1791, killing twelve people in the blockhouse and taking others prisoner before burning the structure. News of the attack sent the settlements at Beverly and Marietta scrambling to strengthen their blockhouses and palisades. The nomination treats the event as the beginning of the Indian Wars in the Old Northwest. Nothing of the original buildings survives. The Ohio Historical Society acquired the land in 1905, 1934 and 1935 and placed a stone monument there.
Significance in brief: The site marks the January 2, 1791 Indian attack on the Big Bottom settlement, in which 12 settlers in the blockhouse were killed. The nomination argues the attack alerted settlers to the danger and served as the beginning of the Indian Wars in the Old Northwest. It prompted downriver settlements such as Beverly and Marietta to strengthen their defenses.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000512, listed November 10, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. SE of Stockport on OH 266, Stockport |
|---|---|
| County | Morgan County |
| Listed | November 10, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000512 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (specific date January 2, 1791) |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | No trace of the blockhouse or cabin remains; the Ohio Historical Society acquired the land in 1905, 1934 and 1935, erected a stone monument, and operates it as a memorial park. |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.53286, -81.77376 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000512.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.