The Monument
The Dublin Arts Council commissioned the work by Boston artist Ralph Helmick and dedicated it in Scioto Park on July 1, 1990. The Leatherlips Monument is a twelve-foot high portrait, the chief's hair blown back and receding into the hillside. Limestone slabs are mortared together to form the head, which gazes west towards the Scioto River.
The Name & Heritage
Chief Leatherlips had three Wyandot names. The one most often used was SHA‑TE‑YAH‑RON‑YA but he was sometimes referred to as THA‑TEY‑YAN‑A‑YOH. In later years he was called SOU‑CHA‑ET‑ESS, which means "Long Gray Hair". He was of the Porcupine Clan as was his great friend, Chief Tarhe, and he was related to Roundhead, Splitlog and Battise, noted Wyandot warriors of that period.
The Battle
The Wyandots had become decimated by disease and a long and disastrous war with the Five Nations of the Iroquois that forced them from their homeland near Lake Superior. During this migration south, the Wyandots began splintering into a number of different clans that spread out over northwest, central, and south central Ohio. At the time when Ohio was in the process of becoming a state, there were at least 3 clans of Wyandots in Ohio. All of these clans openly opposed the American settlers moving into the area. Having fought alongside the British in the past, a number of Wyandots hoped that another alliance with the British might protect their land from the Americans. This turned out not to be the case and in a final conflict, the Americans defeated the Wyandots along with a number of other Native American nations at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Here a number of the Wyandot chiefs who took part in the conflict were killed.
The Treaty
After the battle, all of the Native Americans in Ohio were summoned to sign a treaty with the American that not only declared an end to the conflict between everyone, but also defined specific boundaries that they would honor. Some Indians declined to attend. Regardless of that fact, the treaty became known as the Treaty of Greeneville.
One of those that did sign the treaty was Chief Shateyaronyah (known by American frontiersmen as Chief Leatherlips). After the signing in 1795 Leatherlips openly encouraged cooperation between the Wyandots and Americans. That change of heart and his willingness to give away land that others said he didn't have the authority to do, would ultimately lead to a conspiracy of revenge between him and two Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (The Prophet). At the side of Tecumseh, were two other brothers: Wyandot Chief Stiahta (Roundhead) and his brother John Battise.
After the treaty was finalized, Tecumseh became extremely upset with the direction his fellow Native Americans were taking. It became his life mission to unite all of the Indian nations into one organized nation that the Americans would be forced to deal with. However, there was a chink in his plan and that was several of the Wyandot Chiefs, namely Leatherlips and Tarhe, both of whom had signed the Greeneville Treaty, were both openly encouraging other Wyandots to accept the American settlers as well as the treaty they had signed. With both of these leaders openly defying Tecumseh, it became increasingly difficult for him to convince other nations across the country to unite. If he couldn't convince a few leaders in his own backyard so-to-speak to join him, why should others from even further away join him in this mission against the Americans.
In an effort to bring an end to this defiance, Tecumseh suggested that his brother the Prophet, bring charges against Leatherlips and Tarhe. The Prophet along with Chief Roundhead and some others held a council where false charges of witchcraft were brought against Leatherlips. The verdict of the trial came quickly and the sentence was death. Roundhead quickly dispatched 6 loyal Wyandot warriors to find Leatherlips and carry out the execution. Finding him was not difficult as he was living openly along with a few other Wyandots along the eastern side of the Scioto River in Delaware and Franklin Counties.
The Trial
On the evening of June 1, 1810 the six Wyandots arrived at the Black Horse Tavern in Dublin. This new tavern was operated by the Sells family and was located along the Scioto River about 12 miles north of downtown Columbus. This is where historic Dublin is now located. The six Indians told Benjamin Sells they were looking for the old Chief Shateyaronyah, known to the locals as Chief Leatherlips. They called him Leatherlips because when his word was given, it could be trusted -- his words were as strong as leather.
Leatherlips had become a local fixture at the new Black Horse Tavern which the Sells brothers had constructed the previous fall. The tavern was just below an old and well-traveled Indian trail (today the trail would have followed along Dublin's High Street. In fact, during that winter a number of Wyandots would gather at the new tavern and talk.
The following day Benjamin told his brother John about the visitors the night before. John Sells was a friend of Leatherlips and he immediately set off to find the chief who he knew was camped about 2 miles north along the west bank of the Scioto.
When John Sells arrived at the camp, which was in a copse of sugar trees close to the bend in the Scioto river, he found the six warriors seated around his old friend who had been bound with thin roping. There were also several other frontiersmen present as well as a companion of the Chief.
Sells learned the charge against the chief was witchcraft and the small group were conducting a trial. The entire council lasted about 3 hours. The six men were supposedly the men who had suffered from Leatherlips witchcraft. From Sells later written account of his conversation with the Wyandots, these men probably believed the old Chief was responsible for some calamities that had recently befallen upon them.
According to Sells, as he became more aware of the charges, it became even more clear that these charges were false, and based on what he thought was just superstition. At the time Sells wasn't aware of Tecumseh's plotting.
When Sells questioned the leader of the six warriors about the charges he replied that Leatherlips had made a "good Indian sick" and he had "made a horse sick and die." The leader said Leatherlips was a bad Indian. Sells then spoke with the other frontiersmen present and argued they could free the old chief from this mockery, but refused to join in, fearing a reprisal from the northern tribes if they interfered with the council. During this time in Ohio's history, this area was still sparsely populated and conflicts with the Indians were increasingly common.
Sells then proposed buying the chief's freedom by giving the leader his prize horse in exchange for the chief's release. The lead warrior first wanted to see the horse before considering this offer. After looking the horse over carefully, he consulted with the other warriors for a period of time. The offer was finally rejected. Noting how concerned Sells seemed to be over what was going to be the outcome for the old Chief, the lead warrior completely misread Sells interest in Leatherlips and said if Sells really wanted to execute the old man, it would be alright with them, but he couldn't accept the horse. Despite the negotiations, the efforts to free the old chief failed.
The Execution
After clothing himself in his finest attire, Leatherlips, joined by his executioners, sang his death chant as they walked about 60 yards away from the camp. At one point, according to eyewitnesses, he knelt down in front of a shallow grave that the warriors had prepared earlier, and prayed, along with 5 of the Wyandots. After he completed his prayer, he remained bowed and one of the Wyandots pulled a tomahawk from his clothing and quickly struck Leatherlips in the head a number of times. Each of the others then took the tomahawk and struck him. When it was clear that he was dead, one of them touched the old Chief's neck and declared his neck was covered with sweat, an indication that he was guilty of witchcraft as charged. The body was quickly covered over and the 6 warriors departed.
From that time forward, the site of the execution became a shrine of sorts for the new citizens to the area. Most of them had only fear in their minds for the people they considered to be wild savages who only wanted to kill the settlers given any opportunity. Leatherlips was the exception and his life became one to celebrate. For many years after his death, the location was treated as sacred.
Today, there is a grave marker at the corner of Stratford Avenue and Riverside Drive indicating that location as the execution site and burial site of Chief Leatherlips.
The Curse
Chief Leatherlips was executed not far from the Muirfield Village golf course site. Legend has it that the ghost of Leatherlips brings the rain because the traffic and crowds of the tournament disturb him. It has rained approximately 75% of the time, during the 4 day tournament, since Jack Nicklaus opened the course in 1976. The 1990 tournament was shortened to 54 holes with Greg Norman declared the winner. The worst weather was in 1979, when 35-mph winds, 40-degree temperatures, and a wind chill of 13 degrees whipped through Muirfield. In 1989, Nicklaus moved the tournament to Mid-May to attract more European golfers — and it snowed that year — the first time snow fell in Columbus in May in 23 years. In 1990, winds reached 35 mph, forcing ABC to ground its blimp. Because of the recurrence of rain, they moved the Memorial Tournament to the weekend after Memorial Day. The rain still continues to come.
Though there is no evidence it is true, local lore has it that the golf course was built on an Indian burial ground. Measures have been taken to break the curse. In 1993, when The Memorial was delayed by rain for the fourth straight year and 11 of 18 years overall, Jack Nicklaus’ wife Barbara decided to do something about it.
Arnold Palmer’s wife, Winnie, suggested that if Muirfield Village was built over an old cemetery that a glass of gin left at the burial site of Chief Leatherlips- it rests in the trees beyond the practice fairway -might mollify any angry spirits. So late Thursday night during the 1993 tournament and again during a Friday afternoon suspension, Barbara Nicklaus made trips to the nearby cemetery and monument to Leatherlips. Both times she left a glass with gin in it. Jack even drove her Thursday night, albeit reluctantly.
“I had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing,” Jack said at the time in mock disbelief. “She just said, ‘Maybe I will give them a little gift this year and maybe next year it’ll be something really nice.’ ” Not even that worked.
Apparently being the most successful golfer ever carries clout with the USGA & PGA, but not with Chief Leatherlips!
To claim this Virtual you must follow the instructions below!
How to claim this virtual:
From the plaque at GZ send me a message of what admirable trait Chief Leatherlips had. Also, but not required, take a selfie with the Chief Leatherlips monument and post it with your log.
If you care to pay your respects to Chief Leatherlips the coordinates to his grave are listed below but is not required to claim this virtual!
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
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Congratulations to scrapcat for there 10,000 milestone!
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