Order of Visit: High Point #32
Date Visited: March 26, 2021
Route Taken: Short walk from the parking lot on the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center campus – 200 feet roundtrip
Type of Terrain: Flat, paved area above a grassy field
Elevation: 1,549 feet
Ancestral Lands: Kaskaskia, Shawnee, Myaamia, Hopewell
What’s in a name?
With constant friction American colonists along the Scioto River in 1770’s, Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket (or Weyapiersenwah) relocated his people to central Ohio, be closer to his British allies in Detroit.
Thus, early Americans referred to the the local area surrounding Ohio’s highest point as “Blue Jacket’s Town.” The community was later destroyed in Kentucky militiamen during Logan’s Raid in 1786, so the war chief and his band moved further northwest, leaving central Ohio behind.
Their departure opened the area up for American Revolutionary War veterans and other settlers from Virginia to occupy that area in the early 1800s. Ohio was a particularly enticing place for these newcomers because the cash-poor government was granting tracts of land to veterans for the their services during the recent wars, and Solomon Rogue, a native Virginian, was the first person deeded the state’s high point in 1830.
Local land records show Solomon Rogue originally acquired 1,000 acres from the government, and he disposed of most it soon thereafter. His nephew, John Rogue, secured the 100 acres in the middle of this tract, including the state’s high point – which became known as Hogue’s Hill.
How the mound became known as Hogue’s Hill instead of Rogue’s Hill is anyone’s guess. But, it’s likely this labeling confusion is what led some amateur historians to incorrectly posit that the hill’s original namesake was famed-Ohioan Solomon L. Hoge instead of its true owner Solomon Rogue.
In 1898, Charles Delavan Campbell (1847-1938) purchased the property, and the hill’s name was changed to something far less confusing —Campbell Hill.
Not much factual history is known about Campbell other than he married Emma Knight, and together they had 10 children between 1875 and 1891.
A year before his death, Campbell sold the high point and its surrounding acreage in Bellefontaine, Ohio, to beer magnate August Wagner, who kept the high point’s name intact. Wagner died in 1944 and left the land to his daughter Helen, who later deeded Campbell Hill and the surrounding 52.5 acres to the Federal Government in 1950.
TRIP SUMMARY
Campbell Hill was the third stop on our epically long spring break drive from Kansas City, Missouri to New Jersey. Our prior two high points on this road trip were Missouri and Indiana. And since we we’d already detoured off I-70 to get Hoosier Hill, IN (80 miles to the west), why not grab Ohio too?
The Buckeye State isn’t on the top of my list of places to spend time. I don’t have a huge desire to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And I’ve already visited Lake Erie.
Plus, my one significant memory of Ohio is a bad one. I’d just walked outside the hotel where I was staying the night, when I crossed paths with an overly protective gander (male goose) in the parking lot.
The goose started hissing at me, so I tried to box around him and continue on my way. That’s when I noticed his “lady friend” laying in the grass nearby.
I suspect they may have been “courting” because he immediately got territorial. Before I could do anything else, this angry goose took flight and started flying toward me at top speed! It scared the bejeezus out of me and I had to sprint for my life to avoid getting attacked.
But even if I toss my traumatic goose experience aside, I still didn’t have a whole slew of reasons to love Ohio. My general impression of its geography is that Ohio is filled by a lot of wide, open farmland or suburban sprawl around the key cities of Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
So it’s with that background, I set off toward Campbell Hill with extremely low expectations.
The rural drive between Hoosier Hill and Campbell Hill, was only 80 miles, and it was much slower than my prior drives across Ohio on I-70. The only interesting scenery we had to distract us was low dark storm clouds looming on the horizon.
As we neared the town of Bellefontaine, it was approaching dinnertime. We’d started our day early enough that I knew we’d have no problem arriving before dark. However, I was now getting concerned we’d find ourselves locked out and unable to visit the high point!
Campbell Hill rests on the campus of the Ohio Hi-Point Career, and although they welcome visitors during the week, they also close their large entrance gates in the evenings.
As I planned our itinerary here, I’d forgotten we would change time zones today. We’d lost a precious hour at the Missouri-Indiana border this morning. So now we were just keeping our fingers crossed that the school had at least one class scheduled on Friday evenings and the gate would still be open. Otherwise, we’d be moving on to plan B.
Our luck held! I was relieved to discover the gates were still wide open when we arrived at 6:02 pm. All we needed to do was follow the signs up to the end of the parking lot where all the radar towers sat.
This area around Campbell Hill had a number of prior owners before it became a school. Prior to the World War II, the land was in private hands, and it was named after Charles D. Campbell, the man who owned the land from 1896-1937.
The U.S. Government acquired the land during the Cold War, and it served as the location of Bellefontaine Air Force Station – a NORAD ground control intercept and warning station from 1951-1969. Today the National Air Defense Radar Museum (NADRM) sits on the old radar site, with historic displays about the country’s air defense mission.
A tall brick pillar rests at the high point’s entrance, and visitors will find the high point register and some postcards in the pillar’s metal drawer. Then it’s only about 20 more feet out to the actual high point.
Campbell Hill sits atop a small grassy knoll, so it didn’t have any views to speak of. It was a pretty humble high point. But it was exactly what I’d come to expect from Ohio.
The summit survey marker might be the most interesting aspect to this visit. In addition to the brass monument that you’ll find near most the high points, there’s also a marble stone marked with an “X” etched into it.
This piece of marble was set by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey back in 1900. Both survey markers were set in concrete to preserve them, and the area was decoratively surrounded by bricks, with a wooden bench to relax on nearby.
Thanks to the late hour, we didn’t hang out for very long. We still needed to drive down to Columbus, where we had a hotel reservation and dinner waiting for us. Tomorrow, we’d hit the road again in hopes of grabbing Pennsylvania’s high point, just 300 more miles to the east.
DETAILS
When to Visit: This hike is open year-round. However, because it sits on the campus of the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, the access gate may be closed in the later evenings and on Sundays. It’s best to plan your visit for Monday-Saturday, during normal business hours. If that’s not possible, you can call the school in advance at (937) 599-3010 to make arrangements or use the pedestrian access gate.
Getting There: Cambell Hill is located on the edge of Bellfontaine, Ohio, approximately 55 miles northeast of Columbus, Ohio. Once visitors enter the campus for the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and find a parking spot, it’s just short walk toward the small hill. The historical marker and Campbell Hill sign are located right next to the flag pole.
Entrance Fees: None.
Parking: The Ohio Hi-Point Career Center has a paved parking lot near the administration offices and NADRM site.
Accessibility: Easy for all ages and mobility levels. A sidewalk goes out to the monument.
Bonus: Indiana’s high point (Hoosier Hill) is a mere 80 miles from Campbell Hill. As such, many highpointers nab both these meager summits in a single trip.
Resources:
- An Overview of Campbell Hill (Summit Post)
- Visit Campbell Hill (The Outbound)
- Ohio Hi-Point Career Center
- U.S. Air Defense Radar Museum (museum with Bellefontaine USAF Station memorabilia)