The Scenic Scioto Heritage Trail Committee has added a new chapter to Scioto County’s story with the dedication of a historical sign at Earl Thomas Conley Westside Park. The marker pays homage to the Village of Alexandria, the first town officially laid out in what is now Scioto County in 1799.
But Alexandria was not the first community here. Long before it was surveyed and named, this land was home to the Shawnee people, whose villages and hunting grounds stretched across the Scioto Valley. The new sign acknowledges both Alexandria’s place as the county’s earliest town and the deeper history of the Shawnee settlement that came before.
ETC Park Manager Brian Howard and his crew erected the marker, which joins more than 40 other signs along the 84-mile Scenic Scioto Heritage Trail. Each sign highlights a point of interest, weaving together the stories of Native American heritage, early settlers, and the rugged Appalachian landscape.
The project was a true community effort. The Portsmouth Murals Committee contributed artwork from its Alexandria mural, students from the Scioto County Career Technical Center helped build and maintain the signs, and the Scioto County Commissioners gave permission for installation.
Since its establishment in 2007, the Scenic Scioto Heritage Trail has guided travelers through the natural beauty and layered history of southern Ohio. Today, with 44 points of interest, the trail continues to highlight the region’s unique mix of Native American influence, river lore, and frontier settlements.
The new Alexandria sign ensures that both the county’s first town and the first people who lived here are remembered as part of Scioto County’s story.
