Campbell Hill (Ohio)

Campbell Hill is Ohio's highest point in elevation. At 1549 feet (472 m), it is located two miles northeast of Bellefontaine, Ohio.

The peak is the former home of the Bellefontaine Air Force Station, where the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron maintained a Cold War early warning radar. Currently, the summit is occupied by the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and is open to visitors Monday through Friday.

History

The hard rock of the area resisted the glaciers that covered and flattened much of Ohio during the Ice Ages. The unglaciated land south of the hill became a channel for glacial runoff and formed the Little Miami River. The river's beautiful limestone gorges are due its recent formation.

To European settlers, Campbell Hill was first known as Hogue's Hill, perhaps a misspelling of the name of the person who first deeded the land in 1830, Solomon Rogue. In 1898, the land was sold to Charles D. Campbell, in whose name Campbell Hill is now known. Campbell sold the hill and surrounding land to August Wagner, who was the original brewer of Augustiner and Gambrinus beers. (These brands are now the trademarks of the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas, though the company has stopped production of these beers.)

In 1950, the family of August Wagner deeded Campbell Hill and the surrounding 57.5 acres to the Federal government of the United States. The government then stationed the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron on the hill in 1951. The 664th AC&WS and similar military units were eventually superseded by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (or NORAD), and the base in Bellefontaine was closed in 1969.

The Ohio Hi-Point Vocational-Technical District opened a school atop the hill in 1974. The school is now known as the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.

See also

• List of U.S. states by elevation

External links

• Ohio Hi-Point Career Center