Johnston Farm & Indian Agency Native American, Frontier, and Canal History

 Be sure to check out our teacher guide and aid below!

The Johnston Farm & Indian Agency has been a very special place for different peoples over generations of Ohio’s past. It remains a very special place today. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been selected to house Ohio’s Historic Native American Museum by the Ohio Historical Society.

Our interpretation of the Johnston Farm & Indian Agency focuses on Ohio’s Native American history, the relationship between the Native Americans and the European settlers, the lifestyle of one family on the Ohio frontier, the development of agriculture in Ohio, and the rise and fall of Ohio’s canals. This is one place in Ohio where you can see all of these parts of Ohio’s past tied together as they were in the time this was happening.

 To help you and your students achieve an understanding of our site; we will do the following:

1. Examine Native American cultures in the Miami Valley, and the relation over time with the European settlers
2. Share information about the life of John Johnston and his family
3. Explain the development, use, and decline of the Miami-Erie Canal
4. Disseminate information to the public through our exhibits, educational programs, special events, and other interpretive activities

It is one of the goals of the Johnston Farm & Indian Agency to serve as a resource and interpretive center for area schools in the four areas of focus for this site:

      1.Native American relationships with European settlers

      2. Family life on the Ohio frontier

      3. The construction, use, and decline of Ohio’s canals

Schools are very important to this site. By offering teachers a program that fits their needs, as well as addressing the curriculum adopted by the State of Ohio, this site will be fulfilling part of the mission of the Ohio Historical Society.

Each visit can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual class. Teachers are able to select - based on the material covered in the classroom, and the time available or them on site - any combination of activities for their students. Activities they can select, include the following:

1. Tour of the Johnston Home and Farm
2. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency Site Museum
3. Miami-Erie Canal and General Harrison canal boat

During their visit the children will learn about both the prehistoric and historic Native American inhabitants of the Miami Valley, as well as the relationship between the Native Americans and the European settlers in the 18^th and 19^th centuries in the Miami Valley.  Children will learn the role of the Federal Indian Agencies in the early 19^th century and John Johnston’s role in this story.  They will also be told about what life on the Ohio frontier was like for the Johnston family, and learn about the construction, operation, and eventual decline of the canal system in Ohio.

If interested please contact the site at: 937-773-2522 or 1-800-752-2619 for more information.  You can also email ahite@ohiohistory.org 

We want to work with you and your students so that your preparations before your visit, the day of your visit, and the follow-up activities all help to expand your teaching unit on Ohio’s early frontier settlement.

Below you will find documents that explain our mission and how a visit to the site can meet the needs of your students. 

DOCUMENTS FOR TEACHERS

 Teacher's Guide Documents

Teacher's Text Document