District History

Keenhongsheconsepung?

The Olentangy River which runs along the western edge of the University District is a tributary of the Scioto River. Long before European settlers made their way to what is now Ohio, Deleware Indians had named the river Keenhongsheconsepung.

The river has large concentrations of shale along its shores which was ideal for sharpening knives. The literal translation of Keenhongsheconsepung is "stone for your knife stream".

Daunted by the difficulty in pronouncing the river's name, settlers quickly began to refer to the river as the "Whetstone River" or "Whetstone Creek".

In 1833, well meaning state legislators began an effort to return Indian names to Ohio rivers and with that, the Whetstone River was renamed the Olentangy River. In the Deleware language Olentangy means "river of the red face paint".

But if the river's indian name was Keenhongsheconsepung and is known for its shale, how did it become the Olentangy River?

During the process of renaming Ohio's rivers, the original name for the Big Darby Creek was mistakenly given to the Whetstone River. oops.

Camp Thomas

Most of us generally assume that the land their home rests upon was once part of a larger farm. Residents in one northern section of the University District might be surprised to hear that the couch they sit on to watch Ohio State games, rests on land that was once part of a U.S. Army military installation.

In May of 1861 , then Colonel Henry Beebee Carrington of the 18th infantry was given the task of establishing a recruitment camp in the North Columbus area. Named in honor of Army's Adjutant General, General L. Thomas, Camp Thomas became the temporary home for large numbers of Union troops throughout the Civil War.