New Indian Ridge Museum

The New Indian Ridge Museum, Historic Shupe Homestead, and Wildlife Preserve is a complex founded in 2000 by Matt Nahorn. The Preserve is located in scenic Amherst, Ohio and has received recognitions from the Ohio Archaeological Society, Lorain County Historical Society, Amherst Historical Society, and numerous other organizations. The oldest house in Amherst is located on the grounds of The Preserve and houses both the museum and its curator. Jacob Shupe, the founding father of Amherst and an early resident of what would become Lorain County, Ohio, was responsible for the house's construction which was finished by 1827, making it one of the oldest structures still standing in Lorain County.

"...Preserving, interpreting, & teaching the past To prepare & build for the future..."

Overview

With artifacts dating from prehistory to just a few decades ago, the Museum's collection is diverse. Many of the artifacts came from the Indian Ridge Museum, founded by Col. Vietzen. Since Col. Vietzen's death, Matt Nahorn has worked to reassemble the museum; the goal of the New Indian Ridge Museum (NIRM) is to regather the original collection which was auctioned off after Col. Vietzen's death. In order to accomplish its goal, the NIRM has received loans and donations from the Amherst Historical Society, Ohio Archaeological Society, and many private citizens.

In recent years, the NIRM has begun to focus on ecology and the conservation of wildlife habitats. With the growth of Ohio's economy, developers are beginning to build up Amherst. In order to counter adverse effects caused by development on the surrounding ecosystem, Nahorn and his team at the NIRM have become leaders of the Beaver Creek Watershed Protection Group (BCWPG), a group that works to limit changes to the land that could augment flooding and pollution. The BCWPG has placed an emphasis on maintaining floodplains and riparian zones along Beaver Creek, in their natural states. For a creek of Beaver Creek’s size, a riparian area of at least 120–150 feet is needed; a river for the size of the nearby Black River or Vermilion River needs a riparian area of about 300 feet. To assist in this, the NIRM has declared that all NIRM land on Beaver Creek, including mature forested land, shall remain undeveloped. In September 2008, the Nahorns signed a land conservation easement, through the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, so that the property will be permanently preserved. This has allowed for the creation of trails to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and to observe the wildlife. As a result of Nahorn's conservation efforts, members of the Archaeological Society of Ohio petitioned the Kentucky State Government to have the curator named an official Kentucky Colonel in 2007, just as Col. Vietzen was named.

For the past several years, the NIRM team has reached out to local academic institution, Lake Ridge Academy and provided tours for the students and teachers. His efforts continue those of Col. Vietzen to help educate the students of Lake Ridge Academy and other interested individuals in regards to the natural, prehistoric, and historic history of the area.

Raymond C. Vietzen

Most of NIRM's collection of artifacts is based upon the work done by the Indian Ridge Museum curator, Col. Raymond C. Vietzen. Col. Vietzen was born in Elyria in 1907, and in 1930 he opened the Indian Ridge Museum on a portion of his family's homestead, located at the corner of West Ridge and Fowl Road in Elyria, Ohio. Over the next sixty-five years, Col. Vietzen worked to document the prehistory and history of not only the local area, but also other important locations throughout the United States. Col. Vietzen authored seventeen books over the course of his life and was an artist. During his numerous archaeological explorations, Col. Vietzen uncovered valuable information on the prehistoric cultures that inhabited the Lake Erie Basin, including sound information supporting the existence of the Erie Indians in the Northeastern Ohio area. The Eries (Cat Nation) inhabited the area between approximately Ripley, New York to the Maumee River at Toledo, Ohio, on the southern shores of Lake Erie. The main tool identifying inhabitance of the Eries is the unnotched, triangular-shaped, flint arrowhead. The Eries were annihilated from the area in circa 1653 by the Iroquois. Col. Vietzen was the last living founder of the Archaeological Society of Ohio. The museum served as an important resource tool for area schools and organizations.

Matt Nahorn

Matt Nahorn is a 2008 graduate of Lake Ridge Academy who has held the title of museum founder and curator since his youth. A few years ago he worked with the Lake Ridge administration to found the Lake Ridge Archives, in an effort to preserve the school's rich history. This project is an ongoing process that will result in a well-organized, user friendly repository of the school's history. He currently serves as Director of the Archives.

He plans to continue his museum and conservation efforts as an adult. His recent appointment as an official Kentucky Colonel has led him to a closer connection with Colonel Vietzen. Nahorn plans to attend a local college to enable him to continue his research on his hometown. He has begun to work with the Lake Ridge Academy staff to establish a historical inventory of the school and works closely with his family and local officials to maintain the complex. He and his museum have been featured in local newspapers, such as the Lorain Morning Journal and Elyria Chronicle Telegram.

• 

  A mature forest with a tree over 250 years old is a part of the wildlife preserve.

• 

  Beaver Creek and its watershed are being actively maintained.

• 

  Beaver Creek expands into its floodplain after a sizable rainfall.

• 

  Col. Raymond C. Vietzen and Mrs. Ruth Vietzen, conducted numerous archaeological explorations in the 1940s in Kentucky and Tennessee.

References

• New Indian Ridge Museum Website
• Firelands Express Newsletter
• Rootsweb.com Jacob Shupe
• Lorain County Journal
• NIRM