CRIDERSVILLE, OH (WLIO) - The Cridersville Historical Society put together an exhibit to highlight the work of local students studying the area's Native American roots.
Over 50 4th graders were tasked with creating wigwams, teepees, and longhouses for the community to vote for their favorite at the Christmas on Main Street celebration. The top ten models were on display over the weekend at the museum to both reward the kids for their hard work, and encourage them to continue studying history. Ohio has a lot of Native American heritage and it's important for students to know the history of their own town.
"Cridersville was kind of on the borderline between the Wapakoneta reservation and the Hog Creek reservation. So we like to tell the kids that if you go on the south side of Main Street you're in the Wapakoneta reservation, if you're on the north side, you're in the Hog Creek. So we're kind of right in the middle," explained Greg Myers, the president of the Cridersville Historical Society.
Before building their models, students learned how natives really built those structures.
"They put three sticks or more to make like a triangle, like a pyramid, and they put the animal fur around the teepee that way they can block the sun," said Cridersville Elementary 4th grader Stefan Rose.
Stefan adds that he also enjoyed learning about the French and Indian War.
