Genesis Christian Academy Students Journey Back in Time on Kelleys Island Field Trip
KELLEYS ISLAND — History came alive this week for students from Genesis Christian Academy as they set sail for Kelleys Island on October 17, 2025, under the guidance of local historian and history teacher Kenneth Hammontree. The field trip offered an unforgettable journey through time — from the ancient forces of the Ice Age to the early days of Native American life and Ohio’s frontier past.
Walking in the Path of Giants — The Glacier Grooves
As students explored the island, they learned about one of Ohio’s most remarkable natural wonders: the glacial grooves carved into Columbus Limestone nearly 10,000 years ago. Hammontree explained how the massive glacier, moving like a slow, grinding river of ice, sculpted the island’s landscape — leaving behind deep, sweeping marks that reveal the power of nature’s hand in shaping the Great Lakes region.
“These grooves are like history’s handwriting in stone,” Hammontree told his class. “They show us the incredible force that helped form the land we live on today.”
From the Point of the Cedars to the Island of History
Before crossing Lake Erie, Hammontree explained, various Native American tribes would gather at what we now call Cedar Point, long before it became an amusement park. The tribes — including the Erie, Neutral, Ojibwa, Seneca, Ottawa, and Chippewa — knew it as the “Point of the Cedars.” From there, they would launch their canoes and paddle across the lake to Kelleys Island for council fires, trade, and seasonal gatherings.
“It’s amazing to think,” Hammontree said, “that the same waters families cross today for fun and recreation were once crossed by entire tribes seeking peace and community.”
Uncovering the Mystery of Inscription Rock
Another highlight of the trip was a visit to Inscription Rock, a massive limestone slab bearing ancient carvings — or petroglyphs — created by Native American tribes around 1200 A.D. Students examined the mysterious etchings believed to have been used as a form of communication among those same tribes that once launched from the Point of the Cedars.
“These inscriptions remind us that this island was once a gathering place — a council fire ground — for tribes who lived, hunted, and fished here centuries before Ohio became a state,” Hammontree said.
From Native Homeland to Frontier Enterprise
Hammontree also shared the story of Datus and Irad Kelley, two entrepreneurial brothers from Cleveland who purchased the island in 1833. Drawn by its dense forests of red cedar — a valuable fuel for steamboats — they began acquiring land and established what would later become Kelleys Island Township in 1840 and the Village of Kelleys Island in 1887.
The brothers were also early preservationists. By 1885, realizing that time and weather were eroding the ancient carvings on Inscription Rock, they began copying the symbols to preserve them for future generations.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
For Genesis Christian Academy students, the day wasn’t just a history lesson — it was a vivid encounter with Ohio’s past. From the geological wonders of the Ice Age to the cultural heritage of Native tribes and early settlers, Kelleys Island offered a living textbook of the forces — both natural and human — that shaped the Buckeye State.
“It’s one thing to read about history,” said one student, “but it’s another to stand where it happened.”
As the students boarded the ferry back to the mainland, Hammontree reflected on the day’s lessons. “History isn’t just dates and facts,” he said. “It’s about stories — the people, the land, and the Creator’s hand in it all.”
