Do you ever stop and think about how wild life really is? And how our planet has been spinning and life giving for billions of years? There are so many incredible “givens” that are easy to lose sight of; for me, one of the best parts about being a parent is that I am constantly reminded just how cool life really is. Kids ask questions — lots of questions. And so, when they see a 12,500-year-old mastodon fossil at an Ohio museum, they want to know why — and who, what, when, where, and how. This particular relic in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has a fascinating story, so settle in for your daily dose of quirky and unique Ohio history.

Editor’s note: Please note that the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is currently undergoing renovations, and the The Kirtland Hall of Prehistoric Life, where the Johnstown Mastodon is housed, is temporarily closed to the public.

Ohio's connection to the Ice Age is a fascinating part of our state's story. During much of the Ice Age, Ohio’s environment was similar to today with limited geologic deposition occurring mostly in river valleys and during mild seasonal weather patterns.
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The Glacial Grooves of Kelleys Island are our state's most famous prehistoric attraction, formed some 35,000 million years ago by a slow-moving glacier that created the Great Lakes and Lake Erie islands.
Ohio, The Heart of it All/Facebook
But this National Natural Landmark is not the only remnant from the prehistoric past; roughly a century ago, a massive discovery quite literally put one Ohio town on the map.
Johnstown, Ohio Government/Facebook
In 1926, farmer James Bailey headed to the remote fields of Johnstown, Ohio, to bury a hog. What he unearthed as he dug the hole, however, was far more than he'd bargained for.
Ohio Magazine/Facebook
As Bailey dug into the earth, he hit something solid. Again. And again. These weren't just rocks or the left-behind remnants of a predator's meal; no, these were bones up to four feet in length, and to the farmer, they appeared to be rib bones.
James St. John/Flickr
A local newspaper ran a story about Bailey's discovery, which, at that time, many thought to be a deceased circus elephant. This theory was debunked by Harvard Professor Kirtley F. Mather, whose interest was no doubt piqued by the sensational finding.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Facebook
Definitely *not* a circus animal, the Johnstown Mastodon is skeleton of a young male that was about 19 years old when it died. A 1926 story that ran in "The Cincinnati Post" added that Professor Mather called the mastodon one of the most perfect specimens he ever had seen.
James St. John/Flickr
After crowds of curious folks paid to see this unique skeleton in 1926, it was sold to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it remains to this day.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Facebook

Have you visited the mastodon fossil at this Ohio museum? If you’ve yet to see the Johnstown Mastodon in person, definitely make a point of seeking out this massive mastodon marvel at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History! Please note that the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is currently undergoing renovations, and the The Kirtland Hall of Prehistoric Life, where the Johnstown Mastodon is housed, is temporarily closed to the public.

Why not turn your trip to The Land into a fact-finding adventure? The Cleveland Scavenger Hunt is a fun way to dive deeper into this fascinating Ohio town.

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Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA