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I thought this was an interesting article. It gives a little insight into what some of the prevailing thoughts were of the time.
NEWARK -- Trying to preserve the Union during a tumultuous time in history, several prominent local men conspired and manufactured artifacts to support an emerging anti-slavery theory.
Known as Newark's Holy Stones, the artifacts later were proven to be fake. But two local men have done extensive research to discover the reasons behind the conspiracy.
Brad Lepper, an Ohio Historical Society archaeologist, first learned of the pair of hand-carved stones found in the Newark area in 1860 while he was a graduate student working at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, where the original stones are housed.
When he became the curator at the Newark Earthworks in 1988, Lepper had to learn about the fake artifacts because of the number of questions about them. But when Jeff Gill, a history enthusiast and supply preacher, moved into the area in 1989, the duo continued the research to discover the men and reasons behind the conspiracy.
"Looking into the background of what was going on at that time period, it shows us how Licking County played a role in the movement for freedom of rights," Gill said. "They (the conspirators) did it for the right reasons, but I deplore their methods."
The first of the Holy Stones, called the keystone, was discovered in June 1860 by county surveyor David Wyrick in the area of what is now the practice field at Newark Catholic.
The atmosphere at the time was contentious with conflicts about slavery and war pending. Two theories -- monogenesis and polygenesis -- were being discussed to explain the origins of races. The biblical idea of monogenesis, in which all humans were created from Adam and Eve, was being challenged by polygenesis. The idea that God created different kinds of people in different parts of the world was gaining popularity.
Wyrick, as did many others at that time, thought the builders of the Newark Earthworks were the lost tribes of Israel that somehow had traveled to North America.
"You have to understand the historical situation at that time," Lepper said. "These (stones) were scientific forgeries, not a hoax, which is a practical joke. These were faked in order to advance or prove a scientific theory. People behind it were very, very serious."
The first stone unearthed had several flaws, including being found too close to the surface and the fact the writing was modern Hebrew for that time. Five months later, another stone, called the Decalogue Stone, was discovered much deeper, in the area of Jacksontown.
Again Wyrick found the stone, which seemed to answer all the flaws of the first stone. The stones were claimed to be conclusive proof that all men descended from Adam and Eve. After both stones later were found to be fake, and his premature death, the blame was put on Wyrick by former Newark Mayor Israel Dille.
"This discovery undermined polygenesis and the reason for slavery," Lepper said. "We believe the stones were created as anti-slavery artifacts."
Gill, with his background as a minister, brought another perspective to the research project and soon was pointing his finger at the Rev. John McCarty, the Episcopalian minister at Trinity Church. McCarty did the translating of the Hebrew writing on both stones, as he was the only one in the area with that knowledge.
Gill and Lepper both agree that in addition to McCarty, Dille was prominent in the conspiracy as his only son would be going off to the pending Civil War. His son died in the war. Gill has narrowed it down to a stonecutter by the name of Sutton, as a conspirator.
"(The conspirators) were frustrated by the lack of scientific evidence to support that blacks and Indians were human beings," Gill said. "Once the war started, there was no more purpose to the stones, and they were sold to a man in Coshocton in 1868."
NEWARK -- Trying to preserve the Union during a tumultuous time in history, several prominent local men conspired and manufactured artifacts to support an emerging anti-slavery theory.
Known as Newark's Holy Stones, the artifacts later were proven to be fake. But two local men have done extensive research to discover the reasons behind the conspiracy.
Brad Lepper, an Ohio Historical Society archaeologist, first learned of the pair of hand-carved stones found in the Newark area in 1860 while he was a graduate student working at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, where the original stones are housed.
When he became the curator at the Newark Earthworks in 1988, Lepper had to learn about the fake artifacts because of the number of questions about them. But when Jeff Gill, a history enthusiast and supply preacher, moved into the area in 1989, the duo continued the research to discover the men and reasons behind the conspiracy.
"Looking into the background of what was going on at that time period, it shows us how Licking County played a role in the movement for freedom of rights," Gill said. "They (the conspirators) did it for the right reasons, but I deplore their methods."
The first of the Holy Stones, called the keystone, was discovered in June 1860 by county surveyor David Wyrick in the area of what is now the practice field at Newark Catholic.
The atmosphere at the time was contentious with conflicts about slavery and war pending. Two theories -- monogenesis and polygenesis -- were being discussed to explain the origins of races. The biblical idea of monogenesis, in which all humans were created from Adam and Eve, was being challenged by polygenesis. The idea that God created different kinds of people in different parts of the world was gaining popularity.
Wyrick, as did many others at that time, thought the builders of the Newark Earthworks were the lost tribes of Israel that somehow had traveled to North America.
"You have to understand the historical situation at that time," Lepper said. "These (stones) were scientific forgeries, not a hoax, which is a practical joke. These were faked in order to advance or prove a scientific theory. People behind it were very, very serious."
The first stone unearthed had several flaws, including being found too close to the surface and the fact the writing was modern Hebrew for that time. Five months later, another stone, called the Decalogue Stone, was discovered much deeper, in the area of Jacksontown.
Again Wyrick found the stone, which seemed to answer all the flaws of the first stone. The stones were claimed to be conclusive proof that all men descended from Adam and Eve. After both stones later were found to be fake, and his premature death, the blame was put on Wyrick by former Newark Mayor Israel Dille.
"This discovery undermined polygenesis and the reason for slavery," Lepper said. "We believe the stones were created as anti-slavery artifacts."
Gill, with his background as a minister, brought another perspective to the research project and soon was pointing his finger at the Rev. John McCarty, the Episcopalian minister at Trinity Church. McCarty did the translating of the Hebrew writing on both stones, as he was the only one in the area with that knowledge.
Gill and Lepper both agree that in addition to McCarty, Dille was prominent in the conspiracy as his only son would be going off to the pending Civil War. His son died in the war. Gill has narrowed it down to a stonecutter by the name of Sutton, as a conspirator.
"(The conspirators) were frustrated by the lack of scientific evidence to support that blacks and Indians were human beings," Gill said. "Once the war started, there was no more purpose to the stones, and they were sold to a man in Coshocton in 1868."