The military base that destroyed ancient Hopewell burial sites in 1917

Camp Sherman’s Sacred Mounds and Deadly Flu Outbreak

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park preserves what’s left of sacred burial mounds that the U. S. military nearly destroyed during World War I. In 1917, the War Department seized this land to build Camp Sherman, racing to construct over 2,000 buildings in three months.

Despite archaeologists’ pleas, barracks were built directly on top of 2,000-year-old Hopewell burial sites.

Then Spanish flu struck in 1918, killing 1,777 soldiers and turning Chillicothe’s theater into a makeshift morgue. The tragedy of Camp Sherman shows how wartime urgency devastated both ancient heritage and human lives.

Government Grabbed Sacred Native American Land for War Effort

In June 1917, the War Department took nearly 2,000 acres near Chillicothe, Ohio that included the Mound City Group, a collection of 2,000-year-old Hopewell burial mounds.

The government chose this spot in the Scioto River valley to build Camp Sherman, which grew into America’s third-largest World War I training facility.

Officials liked the location because it sat near railroad lines and had plenty of flat ground for building. The government ended up leasing 9,700 acres of farmland, with the ancient burial grounds right in the middle.

Workers Built a Military City in Just Months

Construction started in late June 1917 with 5,000 workers tackling the huge job.

These crews built over 2,000 buildings in just three months, finishing one building every 20 minutes to get ready for the first draftees in September.

At the busiest time, 14,000 tradesmen worked under contractors D. W. McGrath & Sons. The finished camp could hold 42,000 soldiers and 12,000 horses, making it the third-largest training camp in the country.

Workers turned empty farmland into a complete military city faster than expected.

Local Experts Tried to Save Ancient Mounds

Staff from the Ohio Historical Society asked army officials to spare the ancient burial mounds during construction.

Their efforts saved the largest Central Mound when they convinced the camp commander to turn one barrack sideways, breaking the neat row pattern.

But most smaller mounds got bulldozed anyway to make room for barracks, roads, pipelines, and railroad tracks.

The 2,000-year-old sacred sites suffered heavy damage or complete destruction as the military moved forward with its plans.

Thousands of New Soldiers Filled the Finished Camp

The first group of recruits for the 83rd Infantry Division arrived at Camp Sherman on September 5, 1917.

The camp worked like its own small city, with theaters, a library, hospital, YMCA buildings, and all needed utilities.

Chillicothe changed from a quiet town of 16,000 people to a busy hub with over 55,000 residents once you counted all the soldiers and support staff.

People started calling Camp Sherman “Ohio’s Soldier Factory” as it trained troops for the European battlefield.

Spanish Flu Struck the Camp Hard

The first case of Spanish influenza showed up at Camp Sherman on September 23, 1918. The disease spread quickly through the crowded barracks where thousands of soldiers lived close together.

Camp Sherman soon became one of the hardest-hit military bases in the entire United States. Medical staff watched helplessly as hundreds of soldiers got sick each day, filling the camp’s hospital facilities.

The disease spread faster than anyone could stop it, turning the training camp into a deadly place.

Camp Sherman Became the Deadliest Training Facility

By October 1918, more than 50 soldiers died every day from influenza and related pneumonia. Camp Sherman had the highest death rate of any U.S. training camp with 3.3% of its population lost to the disease. The final count showed 5,686 soldiers caught influenza, and 1,777 died by the end of the year.

Doctors and nurses couldn’t keep up with how fast the disease spread. The camp that trained men for war couldn’t protect them from an invisible enemy.

Town’s Theater Became a Morgue

The Majestic Theater on 2nd Street in Chillicothe turned into a temporary morgue when the death count overwhelmed local funeral homes.

Bodies stacked up inside the theater while waiting for embalmers to prepare them for shipment home.

The embalming process created so much fluid that it drained into the alley next to the theater, giving it the grim nickname “Blood Alley” among locals.

People in town heard funeral songs playing constantly as wagons carried dead soldiers through the streets.

Flu Spread From Camp to Town

The Spanish flu moved from Camp Sherman into Chillicothe, infecting 60% of the town’s population by October 1. City leaders closed churches, schools, theaters, and other gathering places to try to stop the spread.

Around 150 people from Chillicothe and Ross County died from the disease.

Officials tried to set up a quarantine between the camp and town, but it came too late to prevent the outbreak among civilians.

War’s End Emptied the Training Camp

The Armistice signed on November 11, 1918, ended World War I and Camp Sherman’s main purpose. By December 1918, about 1,500 soldiers left the camp each day as the military quickly reduced its wartime force.

The last soldiers got their discharge papers by July 1920, with only the 19th Infantry staying behind to maintain what remained.

During its operation, more than 120,000 soldiers trained at Camp Sherman before heading to war or returning to civilian life.

Local Citizens Fought to Protect What Remained

The Ohio Historical Society joined with local activists to push the federal government to save the mounds that survived the camp’s construction. Albert C. Spetnagel led the Chillicothe Rotary Club’s campaign to secure protection for what was left of the archaeological site.

Workers took apart all but one Camp Sherman building during the 1920s as the military left the facility. Only the camp library stayed standing as the sole reminder of the massive military base that once covered the area.

President Harding Finally Protected the Sacred Grounds

On March 2, 1923, President Warren G. Harding signed a proclamation that established Mound City Group National Monument.

The Ohio Historical Society started archaeological digs and rebuilt some of the destroyed mounds using surveys from 1846 as guides.

Congress expanded the site in 1992 and renamed it Hopewell Culture National Historical Park.

In a twist of fate, the federal government now protects the same sacred sites that the military nearly wiped out during the wartime emergency.

The land that once trained soldiers for war now serves as a place of remembrance and cultural heritage.

Visiting Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park at 16062 State Route 104 in Chillicothe preserves ancient burial mounds that Camp Sherman destroyed during WWI.

You can visit for free and explore the visitor center from 9 AM to 4 PM daily. Watch the 19-minute film about the mound builders, then walk the grounds until dusk.

Join ranger tours at 10 AM from May through August or attend daily 1 PM talks about Hopewell culture.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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