Historians believe that Waverly and the surrounding areas were inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC. The first historical evidence that can be tied to a particular culture dates back to sometime between the years 1000 and 800 BC, to the culture known as the "Adena". The area around Waverly is particularly rich in Adena heritage, including a number of mounds throughout the area. The Adena were given their from Thomas Worthington's Adena Estate near Chillicothe, where evidence of their culture was found in the early 1900s.