New Indian Ridge Museum

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The New Indian Ridge Museum, Historic Shupe Homestead and Wildlife Preserve is a complex founded in 2000 by Matt Nahorn. The Preserve is located in scenic Amherst, Ohio and has received recognitions from the Ohio Archaeological Society and other organizations. The oldest house in Amherst is located on the grounds of The Preserve and houses both the museum and its curator. Jacob Shupe, the founding father of Amherst and an early resident of what would become Lorain County, Ohio, was responsible for the house's construction which was finished by 1828, making it one of the oldest structures still standing in Lorain County.

"...Perserving, interpreting, & teaching the past To prepare & build for the future..."

1 Overview
2 Raymond C. Vietzen
3 Matt Nahorn
4 References

[edit] Overview

With artifacts dating from prehistory to just a few decades ago, the Museum's collection is diverse. Many of the artifacts came from the Indian Ridge Museum, founded by Col. Vietzen. Since Col. Vietzen's death, Matt Nahorn has worked to reassemble the museum; the goal of the New Indian Ridge Museum (NIRM) is to regather the original collection which was auctioned off after Col. Vietzen's death. In order to accomplish its goal, the NIRM has received loans from the Amherst Historical Society, Ohio Archaeological Society, and private citizens.

In recent years, the NIRM has begun to focus on ecology and the conservation of wildlife habitats. With the growth of Ohio's economy, developers have began to build up Amherst. In order to counter adverse effects caused by development on the surrounding ecosystem, Nahorn and his team at the NIRM have become leaders of the Beaver Creek Watershed Protection Group (BCWPG), a group that works to limit changes to the land that could augment flooding. The BCWPG has placed an emphasis on maintaining floodplains and riparian zones along Beaver Creek. For a creek of Beaver Creek’s size, a riparian area of at least 120-150 feet is needed; a river for the size of the nearby Black River or Vermilion River needs a riparian area of about 300 feet. To assist in this, the NIRM has declared that all NIRM land on Beaver Creek shall remain undeveloped. This has allowed for the creation of trails to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and to observe the wildlife. As a result of Nahorns's conservation efforts, the Archaeological Society of Ohio petitioned the Kentucky State Government to have the curator named an official Kentucky Colonel in 2007.

For the past several years, the NIRM team has reached out to local academic institution, Lake Ridge Academy and provided tours for the students and teachers. His efforts continue those of Col. Vietzen to help educate the students of Lake Ridge Academy and other interested individuals in regards to the natural, prehistoric, and historic history of the area.

[edit] Raymond C. Vietzen

Most of NIRM's collection of artifacts is based upon the work done by the Indian Ridge Museum curator, Col. Raymond C. Vietzen. Col. Vietzen was born in Elyria in 1907 and in 1930 he opened the Indian Ridge Museum on a portion of his family's homestead, located at the corner of West Ridge and Fowl Road in Elyria, Ohio. Over the next sixty-five years, Col. Vietzen worked to document the prehistory and history of not only the local area, but also other important locations throughout the United States. Col. Vietzen authored seventeen books over the course of his life and was an artist. During his numerous archaeological explorations, Col. Vietzen uncovered valuable information on the prehistoric cultures who inhabited the Lake Erie Basin, including sound information supporting the existence of the Erie Indians in the Northeastern Ohio area. Col. Vietzen was the last living founder of the Archaeological Society of Ohio. The museum served as an important resource tool for area schools and organizations.

[edit] Matt Nahorn

Matt Nahorn is a Senior at Lake Ridge Academy who has held the title of museum curator since his youth. He plans to continue his museum and conservation efforts as an adult. His recent appointment as an official Kentucky Colonel has led him to a closer connection with Colonel Vietzen. Nahorn plans to attend a local college to enable him to continue his research on his hometown. He has begun to work with the Lake Ridge Academy staff to establish an historical inventory of the school and works closely with his family and local officials to maintain the complex.