Nearly 100 years have passed since the establishment of Camp Sherman in Ross County, and while most of the original buildings used to train and house more than 40,000 World War I soldiers no longer stand, the site holds a special place in the hearts of historians, archaeologists and countless others in the area.

On Saturday, May 14, representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ross County Community Improvement Corporation, city of Chillicothe and Ross County government offices will take part in a day of learning and fun as they conduct an archaeological dig in the bakery section of Camp Sherman.

Members of the Ross County Historical Society, the Hopewell Cultural National Historical Park, the Edwin F. Glenn VFW Post 108 and the Camp Sherman Legacy League International will also participate in the site exploration, and they will be on hand throughout the day to share information about the camp.

A portion of Camp Sherman was built on top of Hopewell Native American mounds in the area, and while some of the mounds had been razed over time by agriculture, others were cleared to make way for the buildings constructed at Camp Sherman.

Today, the Ross County Community Improvement Corporation’s industrial park property is located within one part of the former camp, adjacent to the U.S. Route 35/S.R. 104 interchange, and the excavations are being conducted in advance of a new road construction project in the industrial park.

Currently, the CIC and the Ross County Engineer’s Office are developing a project that will extend Industrial Parkway approximately 1,750 feet south and connect the roadway to the existing access roads between Gateway Drive and Pleasant Valley Road.

The road extension is needed for the continued development of the industrial park in the city, and construction, which is anticipated to take place next year, will also include building a bridge over Worthington Run.

Although the site has been studied for archaeological and cultural resources during the environmental review process, this is a continuation of the data collection and survey efforts to identify potential artifacts in the area.

The event will give anyone in the general public the opportunity to meet with archaeologists and learn more about Camp Sherman and its place in history.

The dig will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 14, and informational displays will be set up at the Chillicothe Baptist Church, off the access road from the S.R. 104 and Pleasant Valley Road intersection.

Parking will be available at the church, and a shuttle will be provided from the church to the dig site.