Raymond Charles Vietzen
Raymond Charles Vietzen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Elyria, Ohio, United States |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Occupation(s) | Car dealer, artifact enthusiast, self-taught archaeologist, writer, illustrator |
| Years active | 1930–1995 |
| Known for | Founder of Indian Ridge Museum; founder and leader of Archaeological Society of Ohio; archaeological excavations in Midwest and Eastern US; prolific author |
Raymond Charles Vietzen was a notable American car dealer,[1] artifact enthusiast,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and self-taught archaeologist.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Originating from Elyria, Ohio, he was a prolific writer and illustrator, producing numerous articles, books, and contributions to edited collections focused on North America's history and prehistory. His work earned him several accolades, most notably the honorary title of "Colonel."Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Vietzen is widely recognized for founding the Indian Ridge MuseumCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name in 1930 and for establishing the Archaeological Society of OhioCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (initially known as the Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society),Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name where he fulfilled multiple leadership roles including editor, president, secretary, and treasurerCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name over nearly four decades from 1941 to 1980. His publications predominantly document the archaeological digs he conducted at prominent sites across Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Following his passing, his extensive relic collection was auctioned by Old Barn AuctionCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name during 1998Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and 1999,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name generating total sales amounting to $1,777,652.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name In tribute to his contributions, Colonel Matthew W. Nahorn founded the New Indian Ridge Museum in Amherst, Ohio in 2000. Despite his achievements, Vietzen faced criticism concerning his excavation of Native American burial sites and his involvement in the sale and exchange of antiquities.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Publications
Between 1941 and 1995, Vietzen established himself as a leading expert in archaeology, geography, and history concerning the midwestern and eastern regions of the United States, with a special focus on Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Throughout his career, he authored more than 35 works, encompassing at least 17 books, 14 peer-reviewed academic articles, and 4 chapters contributed to edited scholarly collections. Numerous titles are accessible through public libraries or online platforms.
- Vietzen, Raymond. Ancient Man in Ohio. McCahon Printers, Lorain, Ohio, 1941.
- Vietzen, Raymond. The Immortal Eries. Wilmot Printing Company, Elyria, Ohio, 1945.
- Vietzen, Raymond. The Ancient Ohioans and Their Neighbors. Ludi Printing Company, Wahoo, Nebraska, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Birdstones and their probable use." Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society 4 (2): 15–30, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Prehistory of the Black River Valley." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 15: 6–9, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Fraternizing with the ancient Kentuckians." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 16: 3–13, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Along the Sandusky." Society Bulletin 17: 6, 8, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Morrison site." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 17: 8, 10, 1946.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Petroglyphs on the Ohio." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 19: 10–16, 1947.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Prehistoric pipes from Lorain County, Ohio." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 20: 9–10, 1948.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "The Hasler mound." Ohio Indian Relic Collectors Society Bulletin 21: 1–14, 1949.
- Vietzen, Raymond (in Grimm, Robert ed.). "My first visit to Cahokia." In: Cahokia Brought to Life: An Artifactual Story of America's Great Monument. Greater St. Louis Archaeological Society, St. Louis, Missouri. pp.70–72, 1950.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Cave crawln’." Ohio Archaeologist [N.S.] 2 (3): 31, 1952.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "A magnificent birdstone." Ohio Archaeologist [N.S.] 2 (3): 32–34, 1952.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "A birdstone study." Ohio Archaeologist [N.S.] 3 (2): 30–34, 1953.
- Vietzen, Raymond. The Saga of Glover's Cave. Ludi Printing Company, Wahoo, Nebraska, 1956.
- Vietzen, Raymond. Indians of the Lake Erie Basin, or Lost Nations. Ludi Printing Company, Wahoo, Nebraska, 1965.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Aborigines of Cansadooharie." Ohio Genealogical Society Report 6 (2): 3,1966.
- Vietzen, Raymond. "Lorain County's Indians." Pathways of the Pioneers 2 (3),1967.
- Vietzen, Raymond. Sittin' on Stump. Indian Ridge Museum, Elyria, Ohio,1968.
- Vietzen, Raymond. Yesterday's Ohioans. Indian Ridge Museum,Elyria Ohio ,1973.
- Vietzen,R., The Riker Site , Archaeological Society of Ohio , Bolivar , Ohio ,1974
- Vietzen,R., Lorain County Historical Society (ed.). "Prologue," in Lorain County Sesquicentennial. American Multi-Service,Elyria , Ohio ,1974 pp .6-7
- Vietzen,R., Lorain County Historical Society (ed.). "Indian Ridge Museum," in Lorain County Sesquicentennial. American Multi-Service,Elyria , Ohio ,1974 p .17
- Vietzen,R., Shakin' the Bushes: From Paleo to Historic Indians , White Horse , Elyria , Ohio ,1976
- Vietzen,R., From the Earth They Came , White Horse , Elyria , Ohio ,1978
- Vietzen,R., "Fakes," Ohio Archaeologist , vol .30 no .4 pp .37-39 ,1980
- Vietzen,R ., The Old Warrior Speaks White Horse Elyria Ohio1981
- Vietzen,R ., Their Fires Are Cold White Horse Elyria Ohio1984
- Vietzen,R ., Archaeology around the Great Lakes: Also Gen . G.A . Custer and the Indian Leaders White Horse Beverly Ohio1987
- Vietzen,R ., Rothgery,J ., Glendening,A . (eds .) "Sheffield," in Kipton-Camden Township History Camden Historical Society Wellington Ohio1988
- Vietzen,R ., Prehistoric Americans White Horse Elyria Ohio1989
- Vietzen,R ., My Life and Philosophy as an Archaeologist Author Artist White Horse Elyria Ohio1992
- Vietzen,R ., I Touched the Indians Past: Prehistoric Era White Horse Elyria Ohio1994
- Vietzen,R ., Prehistoric Indians: From Darkness into Light White Horse Elyria Ohio1995
Honors
Col. Veitzen was the recipient of a wide array of awards recognizing his diverse accomplishments. Throughout his career as an artist, writer, archaeologist, artifact collector, and historian, he earned 14 distinct honors. Some of the most notable accolades include:
- Eugene Field Society, awarded in 1941
- International Mark Twain Society, recognized in 1944, alongside the American Academy of Political and Social Science
- Honorary titles of "Kentucky Colonel" and "Citizen of Tennessee," granted by gubernatorial commissions in 1957
- Ohioana Author Award, received in 1962
- Recognition from the Kentucky Historical Society by the state legislature in 1969
- Inclusion in "Who's Who in American Education" during 1962–1965
- Named in "Who's Who in Antiquities" in 1972
- Listed in the International "Who's Who in Art" in 1973
- Appointment by the Ohio Sesquicentennial Committee for Lorain County through a gubernatorial commission in 1974
- Featured in "Who's Who in America" in 1975
- Honored as "Man of Achievement" by the Ohio State House of Representatives in 1981
- Lifetime membership with the Lorain County Historical Society
- Founding member of the Archaeological Society of Ohio
Excavations
Col. Veitzen conducted excavations at numerous archaeological locations across the United States. His work contributed significantly to understanding 15 prominent archaeological and historical sites situated in Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. These sites are identified using Smithsonian trinomial codes. For instance, Cahokia—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is designated as 11MS2: "11" indicating Illinois, "MS" for Madison County, and "2" signifying it as the second recorded site there.
- Spiro Mounds (34LF40), located in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, excavated in 1936
- Page Site (15LO1), situated near Lewisburg, Logan County, Kentucky, studied between 1938 and 1942
- Moes Site (33LN55) at Brownhelm, Lorain County, Ohio, explored in 1940
- Seaman's Fort Site (33ER85) at Milan, Erie County, Ohio, investigated from 1940 to 1942
- Morris-Franks Site (33LN8) also at Brownhelm, Lorain County, Ohio, examined during 1941–1942
- Glover's Cave (15CH315) near Trenton, Christian County, Kentucky, excavated from 1941 to 1955
- Cahokia (11MS2) located at Collinsville, Madison County, Illinois, studied in 1949
- Pennington Bend sites at Two Rivers (40DV41, 40DV101, 40DV304, and 40DV566), Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, excavated in 1950
- Eiden Archaeological District (33LN14, 33LN40, 33LN46) at Sheffield, Lorain County, Ohio, explored during 1958–1959
- Riker Site (33TU2) situated at Midvale, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, investigated between 1965 and 1967
References
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