ohio historical society

Ohio Museum Wraps Up Move Of Mastodon Skeleton

How do you move a one-ton, 10,000-year-old mastodon? The easiest answer is, of course, very carefully. Workers today finished up a three-day adventure of moving the massive 10-foot-tall skeleton. The mastodon skeleton is named Conway after the man who unearthed it in western Ohio in 1887 and used to be placed rear first at the Ohio Historical Society but it has been moved to a more flattering position. The marvelous mastodon once traveled around to Ohio country fairs in horse-drawn carriage but was last moved in 1993 during renovations at the historical society.

The move was done in pieces with a crew of six to eight people first removing the front and hind legs from the 10-foot-tall skeleton and then the head and tusks. The skeleton will now be placed so that visitors get a more appealing side view of Conway as they enter. You can learn more about it from Conway's point of view in a Facebook page that has been set up for the popular attraction.

Mastodon skeletons are a rarity and very valuable. A few years ago a California family put a mastodon skeleton on eBay looking for a minimum bid of $115,000. It didn't sell.

Tags: mastodon, mastodon skeleton, ohio historical society