Editor’s Note: This story was submitted to Crawford Source by the Crawford Park District.

The extinction of over 30 species of mega-fauna occurred over 10,000 years ago. Lions, cheetahs, camels, sloths, and mammoths are just some of those that vanished from the Earth during the Pleistocene Epoch.

Unfortunately, confirmation of only one extinct mammal has come to light in Crawford County: Mastodons. The following is an overview of the most recent Mastodon finds.

In 1971, three brothers were playing in the Brokensword Creek, a mile northwest of Sulphur Springs. (Isn’t that what kids are supposed to do?)

They found what turned out to be two molars from a Mastodon. The molars were sent to Ohio State University for examination. A professor then led a 9-member team to possibly recover more remains. A tusk and other bones were found, including the atlas vertebra (C1).

The tusk unfortunately fell apart. Those pieces were divvied up and given to various individuals and institutions.

In 1973, a father and his two sons excavated the same site and discovered the other tusk, another tooth, part of a clavicle, and the skull. The skull was in such poor condition that the only parts saved were the bones of the ears and a part of the jaw that formerly held a tusk.

These items are currently in a private collection.

In the fall of 2009, the Crawford Park District attempted to determine the exact site of the Sulphur Springs Mastodon, in hopes that more bones could be discovered. (Oddly enough, there was no record as to the exact location of the find.) Over the course of three digs, it was determined that, based on the shifting of the subsoil, the original site had been located.

Unfortunately, no other bones were found. The assumption was that the rest of the body had washed down stream.

In the fall of 2017, while walking in the Brokensword Creek, Chris Rothhaar kicked up a curious object from the creek bed. It turned out to be a Mastodon rib. While only a few hundred yards downstream from the original Mastodon find, it is presumed to be from the same animal; however, this is not definitive.

Where the rest of the skeleton is for this animal remains to be seen.

Other Mastodon remains have been found in Crawford County. The most complete skeleton, referred to as the Hahn Mastodon, was discovered in 1838 near the tracks on Hopley Avenue in Bucyrus. Documents claim it to have been a complete skeleton.

Unfortunately, it is presumed to have been consumed by fire in a Philadelphia museum. Two other references from the Ohio History Connection cite a Mastodon being found in Chatfield, and a Mastodon molar in Bucyrus Township (date unknown, now at OSU’s Orton Hall).

Currently, the Crawford Park District has the atlas, a molar, and a rib, all presumed to be from the Sulphur Springs Mastodon, on temporary display at the Nature Center. A long-term exhibit is being developed for the three pieces.

Stop in to see a piece of Crawford County’s history.

The CPD would like to thank the following for assisting in the documentation of Crawford County’s Ice Age History: Dale Stansbury, Dale Gnidovec of OSU’s Orton Hall, The Ohio History Connection, Tom Kibler, Evelyn Kibler, Chris Rothhaar, and the Medici Family.