Zane Kenton Monument
- Mary Mortimer
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Zane Kenton Monument and Dr. Sloan Library in Zanesfield were dedicated on September 8, 1914. The idea of erecting a monument to honor Isaac Zane and Simon Kenton, and building a library, was first discussed in 1912 when the Zanesfield Commercial Club was formed by Oswald “O.K.” Reames and Lee Pennock.
Dr. Earl Sloan, who was a good friend of Reames, made a generous donation for the monument and funded the construction of a new library. Sloan also gave an additional gift of $2,000 for books. Sloan, who was born and raised in Zanesfield, acquired a fortune selling his father’s home-made horse liniment called “Sloan’s Liniment”.
Dr. Sloan hired renowned local artist Warren S. Cushman to design the Zane Kenton monument. Cushman’s idea for the monument was a large boulder with a stone base. The boulder was to have large bronze plaques attached honoring Zane and Kenton. The design included posts surrounding the monument with Zanesfield history written on the posts. Cushman also planned to have a 7’ tall bronze statue of Wyandot Chief Tarhe placed on top of the boulder, but one was never added. The ground for the monument was donated by Martha Vaughn and her son, William.
A large granite boulder for the monument was selected on the J.B. Adams farm east of Zanesfield on Bristle Ridge hill. Clarence Gibson from East Liberty was hired to move the 60-ton boulder to Zanesfield. Gibson had many years’ experience moving large objects and buildings. Horses and a capstan were used to slowly move the boulder onto a platform with rollers. It took two weeks to move it three miles to Zanesfield and another five days to place it in an upright position. It must have been quite a sight to see the large boulder slowly moving to its destination. Gibson received approximately $325 for the job.
The stone foundation for the monument was laid by Louis Courter who was also the mason for the Dr. Sloan Library. The base was six feet deep in the ground and constructed with thirty-two barrels of cement. The outer foundation was composed of large field stones cemented together with red cement.
Six posts were set around the monument with chains attached. The chains, used in the construction of the Columbus & Lima Northern Railroad, were donated by Joseph Shoots.
On September 8, 1914, Zanesfield held a grand homecoming celebration for Dr. Sloan on his birthday and formally dedicated the Zane Kenton Monument and the Dr. Sloan Library. General Robert P. Kennedy gave the address in front of hundreds of people. A pageant written and organized by O.K. Reames was performed, there was a parade, band concert, minstrel show, and picnic dinner. Some of the attendees arrived via the T.&O.C. railroad at the Zanesfield depot.
The Zane Kenton Monument honors two men who helped shape our early history.
Isaac Zane was taken captive by the Wyandot tribe when he was a boy living in Virgina. The Wyandot moved to the Zanesfield area where Chief Tarhe raised him as his son. When Isaac became an adult, he married Chief Tarhe’s daughter, Myeerah. Tarhe gave the Wyandot village in Logan County to Isaac and Myeerah as a wedding gift. The village was then called Zane’s Town. Isaac and Myeerah spent their lives promoting peace. Chief Tarhe and Isaac were often called upon to serve as counsel and interpreter at various important meetings and treaties. They were present at the signing of the Greenville Treaty in 1795. Isaac and Myeerah’s son, Ebeneezer Zane, and Alexander Long formally platted Zane’s Town in 1819 and changed the name to Zanesfield.
Simon Kenton was one of the earliest frontiersmen in the Ohio country. He helped protect the settlers and hunted food for them. When he was spying on the Shawnee in southern Ohio, they captured him. Since he was an enemy of the Shawnee, they decided he should be taken to their main village at Wapatomica (located in what is now Monroe Township). On the way to Wapatomica, Kenton was forced to run nine gauntlets. He eventually escaped and went back to Kentucky. Kenton was greatly respected as a skilled hunter and fighter. Towards the end of his life, Kenton moved to the Zanesfield area in Logan County where he admired the beauty of the land.
The Zane Kenton Monument is still standing and is a treasured landmark of Zanesfield. Many fondly refer to the monument as “the rock.” For years, kids have tried to walk around the base of the rock without falling off and it provides a good photo opportunity when visiting Zanesfield.
Dr. Earl Sloan’s generosity was not limited to the library and monument. He also hired Warren Cushman to paint three large murals, “Faith, Hope and Charity” for the Zanesfield Community Chapel Church. The beautiful paintings can still be seen in the church sanctuary. Sloan also left an endowment for maintenance of the Dr. Sloan Library.
After Dr. Sloan’s death, The Sloan Foundation was established to support vocational education at Bellefontaine High School and the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. His generosity has reached far beyond Zanesfield and has benefited many.