October 11, 2022
Stepping back in time to see local history in dynamic and engaging ways is easier than ever with the Shawnee State University Center for Public History’s Scioto Historical. Launched in 2013, the history website and app recently introduced its 4.0 version, providing a major update to the collection of Portsmouth and the surrounding history available on the site.
The public website encourages cultural heritage tourism, historical preservations, and connects local history with the larger story of American history. SSU students also have an opportunity to help with the development of the latest mobile and software applications for public history projects.
The new update has allowed Center for Public History Director Dr. Andrew Feight and area scholars and historians to present studies online for the first time on the subjects related to earthworks and mounds built in the area by Native Americans. The update also will feature a profile of The Portsmouth Spartans – a formerly local professional football team – as well as more detailed information about the local Civil Rights Movement. History enthusiasts can find articles on the website and app with interactive maps.
“One of the biggest additions to the app provided with this update is that the app will turn the landscape into a museum, with virtual historical markers,” Dr. Feight said.
In his role, Dr. Feight reviews content for Scioto Historical extensively and encourages student development through projects offered in his “Ohio History” course. In one instance, a former student of his was able to locate a runaway slave advertisement that opened up the lost history of a nineteen-year-old slave named Harriet who had escaped through an underground railroad in Portsmouth, Ohio.
The new set of tours on Scioto Historical 4.0 will be launching every two weeks through Dec. 4. The final tour will feature an account of the Portsmouth Spartans defeating defending champions Green Bay Packers by playing only eleven total players on both offense and defense.
For more information about Scioto Historical, visit sciotohistorical.org. To learn more about the History program at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/history.