author
Caleb Atwater
1778–1867
An early Ohio historian and one of the first writers to document the ancient earthworks of the Ohio Valley, he helped shape how 19th-century Americans understood the region's past. His work ranges from archaeology and state history to education and public service.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Massachusetts in December 1778, Caleb Atwater built a varied career that included work as a teacher, minister, lawyer, politician, and postmaster before becoming best known as a writer on Ohio history and antiquities. After moving to Ohio, he served in public life in Circleville and in the state legislature.
Atwater is remembered especially for his early descriptions of the earthworks and mounds of the Ohio Valley. The National Park Service notes that he was among the first to document these ancient sites in a systematic way, and his observations became an important part of the early study of North American archaeology.
He also wrote History of the State of Ohio in 1838, widely described as the first book-length history of Ohio. That mix of public service, historical writing, and curiosity about the ancient landscape made him an important early interpreter of the American Midwest. He died in Circleville, Ohio, on March 13, 1867.