Ohio River Adventures

Over the Back Fence Magazine | Summer 2005

Where rolling hills harbor breath-tak­ing views; where echoes of history still remain along its banks, the Ohio River flows by river town treasures that have survived its floods and time. The mighty Ohio River, stretching 981 miles, flows through or along the borders of six states. It is part of the ancient remains of the Taeys River that once flowed over a thousand miles, rivaled only by the Nile of Egypt. Today it harbors mysteries and adventures of river pirates, pioneers, escaped slaves and even ghosts. Follow the river and find experiences that offer tempting treasures of art, history, festivals and more.

Museum in Barnesville, featuring 26 skillfully restored rooms. Bordering Belmont County, OH, is Wheeling, WV, known as the Gateway to the West. Its historical significance is being a wilderness outpost and having the nation's first federal highway used by set­tlers pioneering the west. It is best noted for its national historic landmark, the 1010-foot Wheeling Suspension Bridge, built in 1849. It was the longest span bridge in the world during its day and the first constructed bridge to cross the Ohio River. With its hand-cut stone towers, it is one of the oldest bridges still in use in the United States.

originally the Federal Custom House built in 1859, became the legislative cen­ter of history when West Virginia became a state. Enjoy the scents of sum­mer in the open-air Centre Market with fresh produce and specialty shops. Visit The Children's Museum of the Ohio Valley where exhibits change every four to six months. Two well-known toy museums bring back childhood memo­ries, the Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum and the Official Marx Toy Museum. If you look for the unusual, visit the West Virginia Penitentiary, the second public building constructed in the state. Offering its historic maxi­mum-security tour, this gothic fortress remains a national landmark.

Along the river one can walk the deck of the W.P. SNYDER JR., America's sole surviving steam-powered stern-wheeler towboat. The oldest steam­boat pilothouse known to exist, built in 1885, is at the Ohio River Museum.

Discover the Start Westward Monument by the famous Mount Rushmore sculp­tor Gutson Borglum or visit The Castle, a gothic revival Victorian home complete with authentic furnishings. With walking tours that lead to the riverfront where steamboats dock, one can find an old trestle footbridge leading to historic Harmar Village. The free Marietta Soda Museum offers cool drinks and great memorabilia of times gone by. Marietta offers quaint shops, history and the annual Ohio River Sternwheel Festival that shouldn't be missed in the fall.

• Directly across the Ohio from Marietta is Williamstown, WV, the home of Fenton Art Glass Co. offering its muse­um and factory tours and one-of-a-kind glass art. Just down river, at Parkersburg, WV, a paddleboat awaits to take visitors to an island of romance and tragedy - Blennerhassett Island -- and its sweeping mansion. Be sure to stop   at   the   Blennerhassett  Museum, which offers 3 floors of history of the Island and the region. Another unique museum is the Oil and Gas Museum, exhibiting the history of the oil and gas industry in West Virginia.

• Gallipolis lies just south of Marietta (on St. Rt. 7) where the famous "French 500", French artisans, noblemen and skilled professionals fled from the French Revolution to this new home­land in 1790. They were swindled by the Scioto Land Company, promising land upon their arrival and few descen-dents survived and stayed. Today the city is known for its hospitality and quaint streets of antiques and history. The focal point of the city is the old bandstand built in 1876 and the French Art Colony, a regional multi-art center housed in a Greek revival building with a three-story floating staircase.

Our House Museum, with its second floor ballroom, is an old tavern built in 1819 where the famous General Lafayette stayed. View his highly embroidered coat and see Napoleon Bonaparte's medallion given to his long lost love. Possibly, you'll hear the ghosts who still lodge there, being known as one of the most haunted places in Ohio. Inland, visit and savor the great taste of country cooking at the Bob Evens Farm, which has constant events from craft, and quilt expositions to truly down home music festivals. 

• As you travel further south along Route 7, the scent of flowers greets trav­elers. In Meigs County, from the town of Hazel to Pomeroy, take time to smell the beauty of the Green House District where some four dozen commercial greenhouse operations supply the bed­ding plants for the Wal-Marts and K-Marts in ten states.

• A Silver Bridge Memorial can be found on both sides of the river, linking Gallipolis and Point Pleasant, WV, ded­icated to the 46 who lost their lives to the cold Ohio River in 1967. Myths and history link the two cities. At Point Pleasant find the statue of the Moth Man whose ominous urban legends were the focus of the movie, Mothman Prophecies. Even today, a festival is held around the legend.

Point Pleasant offers history from a unique view with the full size wooden Fort Randolph. The West Virginia State Farm Museum is well known in the area. This sprawling 50-acre tract of land is the home of a farming complex offering a taste of history. The working museum depicts early farm life, repre­sented by artifacts and year-round farming operations. From weaving to making molasses, learn how it was really done by generations past.

Newly opened, the River Museum houses artifacts and a library of information deal­ing with the Ohio River boat history. The museum offers displays and information spanning river disasters, major floods and even includes a large-scale model of the collapsed Silver Bridge. Hear the festive music of the steamboat calliopes and horns that once announced the docking of passengers along the Ohio. A great landmark of history is the Tu-Endie-Wei, Point Pleasant Battle Monument State Park, with a spectacular view of where the Kanawha River and the Ohio join. A huge 8 5-foot obelisk monument marks the spot where Virginian soldiers defeted Chief Cornstalk.

• Route 7 blends to 52 and ribbons itself along the Ohio River to Cincinnati. The longest work of art in Ohio can be found in Portsmouth, where history is por­trayed   on   2,100   feet   on   the Floodwall Murals, with detailed depictions of the area's history painted   by   muralist   Robert Dafford.    The Portsmouth areis nicknamed "The Little Smokies" for its ruggedness with looming green hills and the vast bottomlands that frame the river.  Noted for being the home of Roy Rogers, the famous actor/singer of pop­ular westerns, Portsmouth holds a festi­val in his honor each June. The historic Boneyfiddle   District   displays   antique shops and restaurants.

Gaze at the wonders of space at the Clark Planetarium, which houses one of 50 Digistar II Planetariums in the world. The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts offers major concerts and box office Broadway tours. History is preserved at the 1810 House where reminders of bygone days linger in the old homestead. Southern Ohio Museum and Art Center (SOMAC) includes historic collections and displays regional art and hosts cul­tural events. Or spend crisp mornings and lazy afternoons at the area golf courses. If the beauty of the woods and solitude is what you seek then the Shawnee State Forest offers over 62,000 acres spanning Scioto and Adams Counties with 75 miles of bridle and 60 miles of hiking trails.

• Adams County's silent mounds mark the land of ancients where the Adena and Hopewell civilizations once flour­ished. Serpent Mound is a major point of interest inland from the river. The city of Aberdeen appears at the river's bend, the final stopping-place for Zane's Trace, the first continuous Ohio road from Wheeling, WV. Just across the Ohio River is Maysville, KY, old in nature but alive with vitality and preservation.

• Cobble streets lead the way to a time past in Maysville, KY. This 1800's river town has an abundance of famous people including such great explorers as Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton. From escaping slaves chronicled by Harriet Beecher Stowe who witnessed slave auc­tions on the town lawn in Washington, KY, to panoramic murals depicting Maysville's history, there is something for everyone. Washington is a preserved town where guided tours will lead you to walk historic paths. Simon Kenton's Shrine and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum await you. Downtown Maysville hosts an annual Rosemary Clooney Music Festival in September in honor of their hometown star. .'•
|
The Maysville Museum Center fea­tures art and collections of historical and genealogical significance, as well as large-scale dioramas of the city's historic river­front. Immerse yourself in the region's history of Civil War and the Underground Railroad by visiting The National Underground Railroad Museum. This is a marker on the larger trail that leads to Ripley, Ohio and on to Cincinnati where the newly opened National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located. Discover the path of the migrating buffalo, where the floodwall depicts the historic buffalo trail that crossed from Ohio to Kentucky. A permanent opening has been made in the wall to reflect its orig­inal path and an extensive river walkway awaits visitors at the base of the Maysville-Aberdeen Bridge.

steps rising from the river's edge. Also in Ripley, visit The Ohio Tobacco Museum, The Parker House and The Ripley Museum in a place rich in river town history. Just west of Ripley, a car ferry crosses to the old town of Augusta, KY. The ferry is one of the oldest remaining river ferries left on the Ohio River. Founded in 1795, nearly three quarters of all the buildings within Augusta are historically marked build­ings. The Old Augusta Jail is the oldest remaining jailhouse in the state of Kentucky. A slave church still stands near the river where the famous lyricist Stephen Foster was inspired to pen "My Old Kentucky Home". Be sure to have lunch at the historic Beehive Tavern built in 1796. Augusta hosts several riverfront events throughout the year.

Adams County CVB
6809 U.S. Rt. 52
Manchester, Ohio 45144
Website: www.adamscountytravel.org
Phone: 937-549-8515 or
877-232-6764

Belmont County Tourism Council
Ohio Valley Mall, Unit 485St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950
Website: www.belmontcountytourism.org
Phone: 800-356-5082
Email: beltour@aol.com

Brown County Chamber
116S. Main St.
Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Website: www.browncountyohio.org
Phone: 937-378-4784
Or 888-276-9664

Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau
61 Court St., Gallipolis, Ohio 45631
Website: www.visitgallia.com
Phone: 740-446-6882 or 800-765-6482 Fax: 740-446-7483
E-mail: info@visitgallia.com

Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau
300 West 6th St
Cincinnati, OH 45202-2361
Website: www.cincyusa.com/
Visitor Information:
1-800-CINCY-USA
Phone: 513-621-2142
Fax: 513-621-5020    
                                 ^
Meigs County CVB
238 W Main St., Pomeroy, Ohio 45769
Website: www.meigscounrytourism.com
Phone: 740-992-2239 or 877-634-472