Roadtrek Van Motorhome to Ohio River

1. Roadtrek Tour No. 83 Spring Tour 2001 Ohio River Valley April 2001 13 Days 2,037 Miles

2. Itinerary Apr 30-May 12, 2001 Tour No. 83 Ohio River Valley (13 Days) Wheatland, Buchanan Mansion, Lancaster, PA Battlefield Resort, Gettysburg, PA Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, Fredrick, MD Harpers Ferry National Park, Harpers Ferry, WV Harpers Ferry KOA, Harpers Ferry, WV VA Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, VA Clayton Creek State Park, Dublin, VA Andrew Johnson Natl Historic Site, Greenville, TN Johnson National Cemetery, Greenville, TN River Plantation CG, Sevierville, TN AOL Online Campers Rally Great Smokey Mountain National Park, TN Graphite Reactor, Oak Ridge, TN Rugby, TN St Alvin York Gristmill Park, Pall Mall, TN Moutardier Corps of Engineers CG, Brownsville, KY GM Corvette Plant, Bowling Green, KY Lincoln Boyhood Home, Lincoln Park, IN Lincoln State Park, Lincoln Park, IN St Benedict Monastery, Ferdinand, IN Old IN State Capitol Building, Corydon, IN Locust Grove, Clark Home, Louisville, KY East Fork State Park, Batavia, OH Taft Natl Historic Site, Cincinnati, OH WP Snyder Steamboat, Marietta, OH Campus Martius, Marietta, OH Camp Civiton, Marietta, OH Fenton Art Glass Co., Williamstown, WV Coopers Rock State Park, Bruceton Mills, WV Indian Springs CG, Big Pool, MD

3. Lancaster, Pennsylvania Log Entry: Drove though Lancaster County with its Amish farmers and horse and buggies on the roads. The farmers are plowing their fields with horse drawn plows. There are no electric lines to the houses or barns. Stopped to tour Wheatland, James Buchanan's 1828 federal mansion in Lancaster, PA. We got a private tour of the house by a great Docent after seeing a film on the life of Pennsylvania's only president, the 15th and the only bachelor. He was engaged but family of the bride to be broke it up and she died 4 weeks later from "hysteria". He was also the oldest president at 66 until Reagan. Buchanan or his niece Harriet who was raised by him and served as his first lady owned about half the furniture in the home. Buchanan was responsible for the lying of the Atlantic cable and with trade with Japan. He held many political jobs, Senator, Secretary of State, and Ambassador to England and Russia. He tried to buy Cuba from Spain. The newel rail at the steps leading upstairs has a clear quartz stone, called a "Peace Stone", imbedded in the center which signified the mortgage was paid off and was "peace in the house". The mortgage paper itself was originally placed in a hollow wood newel post and capped with a plug, which was replaced by the stone. There are keyhole covers on the bedroom doors because you bathed there. A multiple seat privy stands in back of the house. It has varying height "seats" for adults and children. The mansion was left to Harriet who sold it to the Wilson family who in turn sold it to the historical society in 1936. Wheatland

4. Fredrick, Maryland Log Entry: Stopped in Fredrick, MD to tour the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum but it was closed. Did look at the outside of the house, which was built in 1756 and is one of the oldest structures in Fredrick. Scifferstadt Museum

5. Harper’s Ferry, WV Log Entry: Drove on to Harper's Ferry National Park, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, for a tour of the buildings and exhibits. Last time we were here, in 1994, many of the buildings were being renovated. Harper's Ferry was originally the site of an U.S. armory and just before the Civil War became famous because of infamous abolitionist, John Brown's raid. He believed he could free the slaves and chose the armory to seize its weapons. He was captured in the armory firehouse, now known as "John Brown's Fort". During the Civil War, the Union burned the armory and the town changed hands six times. Walked across the wooden platform walk along the railroad bridge across the Potomac as a train was going over. It really vibrated in the middle. Climbed the steps hand carved in rock to an upper level where Harper's house still stands. Harper’s Ferry

6. Roanoke, Virginia Log Entry: Stopped in Roanoke, VA to tour the VA Museum of Transportation. It is located in the old Norfolk and Western railyard which has over 50 pieces of rolling stock, including both steam, diesel electric locomotives and an engine that pulled ships through the Panama Canal. You can go aboard some of the rolling stock. VA Museum of Transportation

7. Continued: Inside, there is a large O-Gauge model train layout with trains running through tunnels, over bridges and through towns. There is a display featuring black railroad employees. They were only hired as "non-promotables". There is a complete miniature circus display, a station area with a three-wheeled handcar and a small automotive display that includes a '50 Studebaker. Roanoke, Virginia VA Museum of Transportation

8. Greenville, TN Log Entry: Stopped in Greenville, TN to tour the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. We started out touring Johnson’s homestead which is completely furnished and 85% of them are his. He was a Democratic vice-president to Lincoln, a Republican. When Lincoln was assassinated, he became the 17th president. He fought with the Republican Congress after the end of the Civil War on how to govern and help the South. He was impeached because he dismissed Stanton, the Secretary of War, and a Lincoln appointee. Congress had passed a law that the president could not dismiss a Federal appointee after that appointee was approved by Congress. The House impeached him but the Senate found him not guilty. Johnson felt that as Commanding General of the Armed Forces he had the power to do it. In 1926, the Supreme Court sided with Johnson and the impeachment record was expunged. He was the only President to return to Washington as a Senator, doing so in 1875, 8 years after leaving the presidency. He freed his slaves before he had to and fought for free public schools. Johnson started as a tailor and his Greenville log cabin tailor shop is preserved within another building of the visitor center. A home he once rented is preserved and serves as a museum. Johnson is buried in Greenville, high on a hill in what is now the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. Johnson Homestead & Grave

9. Sevierville, TN Log Entry: Continued on to Sevierville and arrived at 3:15 PM for a three-night stay with AOL OnlineCampers at River Plantation Campground. There is an antique auto rally in Knoxville during the weekend and many participants are staying at the campground. They tow the cars in closed trailers to protect them. During the day many beautiful old pre-1949 cars and street rods are “on display” at their sites. Antique Car Rally

10. Oak Ridge, TN Log Entry: Stopped in Oak Ridge, TN to go through the Graphite Reactor. Oak Ridge was created during WWII when the government bought up all the land, wiping out the town of Wheat, KY, to build the facilities for developing the Atomic Bomb, code name “The Manhattan Project”. The only structure remaining is the Bethel Church, which was allowed to stand with its cemetery. The church was used as a facility to do the first engineering work on the site and it is now a small museum. Outside in the graveyard are a few covered graves, a tradition in this area. They have an open sided roofed structure over them with a picket fence around the sides. Bethel Church Bethel Cemetery

11. Oak Ridge, TN Continued: The Graphic Reactor is down the road from the old church. In 1942, Enrico Fermi proved that Atomic Energy was possible at the University of Chicago. Shortly afterwards, the Graphic Reactor was constructed for experimental purposes. In November of 1943, the first critical mass was achieved. It is the world’s oldest reactor and was active until 1963. You can view the loading face and the control room and see exhibits on its operation. Currently, the overall facility that was developed, now called the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is used for nuclear medicine development, material testing, environmental studies, etc. Graphite Atomic Reactor

12. Rugby TN, Pall Mall TN Log Entry: Drove on over the back roads and stopped in Rugby, TN for lunch. The town was started by an English author as an experimental community in 1880. Today, 20 of the original Victorian buildings remain. Our next stop was Pall Mall, TN, home of Sgt. Alvin C. York, the most decorated soldier of WWI. He received more than 40 decorations including the Congressional Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre for his legendary action in the French Argonne Forest in October 1918. After most of his squad was wounded or killed, he used the marksmanship developed while hunting to pick off 25 Germans, demoralizing them into surrender. He and seven of his men marched their captives’ back to the allied lines, picking up more prisoners along the way. They returned with 132 prisoners. He was offered $50,000 to indorse business propositions but turned them down to return to his Tennessee valley. Grateful Tennesseans contributed money to build him a house and he ran a gristmill in the 40’s which still stands. His son is the park ranger at the old mill. York Gristmill Rugby

13. Bowling Green, KY Log Entry: Stopped in Bowling Green, KY to tour the GM Corvette Plant. There were 100 people there for the 9:00 AM tour. Many were from Corvette clubs in the U.S. and Canada. Tours were given on the assembly line floor in groups of about 20 people and you see the car assembled and tested. They cost between $40,000 and $48,000 and delivery is about 8 months. Bowling Green is the only place they are produced and about 68,000 are made a year. The line produces one every 6 minutes. They have 5 coats of paint and sealer, feature a rear transmission and have two gas tanks, divided for balance. Corvette Plant

14. Lincoln Park, IN Log Entry: Drove along “twisty-turny” narrow roads through the hills with no guard rails, but SCENIC. Went through Owensboro, KY where we crossed the Ohio River into IN. Arrived in Lincoln Park for a tour of the Lincoln Boyhood Home. We saw a 25 minute video at the memorial center which highlighted Lincoln’s boyhood years in Indiana. Young Lincoln moved here with the family in December 1816, when he was seven and his mother died and is buried here. He helped build their cabin and said clearing the land and building the cabin was the hardest work he had ever done. He went to 3 schools in one year during this time. His father, Tom Lincoln was remarried to a woman he knew and he moved her and her children to the area. They lived here for about 10 years before moving on to Illinois, where there was easier farming. Their farm has been recreated as a working farm with a furnished cabin and outbuildings near the original cabin foundation. The family was self-sufficient in the one-room cabin with a sleeping loft above. Lincoln Boyhood Home

15. Ferdinand, IN Log Entry: Stopped in Ferdinand, IN to tour the Sisters of St. Benedict Monastery Immaculate Conception, which sits on a hill-overlooking town. The large monastery was started by German nuns for the immigrants in this area. Originally they were semi-cloistered and an ornate iron grill door where they greeted visitors is still in place. The huge church is 170 feet long, 55 feet wide and 137 feet high from the crypt to the cross atop the dome which is 87 foot high itself. It has 16 stained glass windows depicting angels surround the altar. An outdoor colonnade surrounds the church. When the bishop came to dedicate the church, he said, “Look what those women have done”. The church, which was started in 1915, is known as “The Castle on the Hill”. The site also includes a Lourdes Grotto, Stations of the Cross and Rosary Steps. A girl’s prep school is also located here. Saint Benedict

16. Corydon, Indiana Log Entry: We stopped in Corydon, IN to see the original Old State Capitol Building, which sits on the square in the center of town. The first territorial capital of Indiana was in Vincennes and when the Illinois Territory was separated from Indiana, it was moved to the more central location of Corydon in 1813. Indiana became a state in 1816 and Corydon remained the capital until 1825 when the capital was moved to Indianapolis, in the true center of the state. There are many shops and restaurants around the town square. Old State Capitol

17. Louisville KY Log Entry: We drove on and crossed the Ohio River at Louisville, KY to tour Locust Grove, home of George Rogers Clark, founder of Louisville and brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Their sister, Lucy Clark who married William Croghan, an Irishman, built the house, the first brick home in the area. Croghan designed the house like the homes in Ireland with built-in closets on either side of fireplaces and in bedrooms. The closets have pegs to hang clothes and shelves for folded items. Most houses of the time did not have closets. The grandfather clock in the hall has a second hand and phases of the moon indicator, which was most unusual in 1800. There is beautiful wood on the floors and walls. A “travelers room” on the second floor has its own steps and an outside entrance for strangers to use. There were no Inns in the area and the room could be locked and isolated from the rest of the house. The home has a full third floor for the children and servants and the house is well furnished. There is a separate kitchen building, dairy and spring houses and a 200 year old locust tree in the yard. There is a “disappearing wall” along one side of the yard where the soil is graded up to the top of a low wall on the house side so you couldn’t see it from the house. George Rogers Clark moved into his sister’s home in 1809 and the visitors to the mansion include three presidents, James Audubon, William Clark and Meriwether Lewis. Locust Grove

18. Cincinnati OH Log Entry: The Taft site has a visitor center and his boyhood home, where he was born in 1857, is next to it. The visitor center had a video chronicling his life and that of the family. There is also a small museum tracing Taft and other members of the Taft family including Senator Robert Taft. A diorama with a talking robotic figure of Robert fishing, is also in the museum. Taft was Secretary of War under Teddy Roosevelt, Governor of the Philipines and was responsible for the completion of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt, who had vowed to limit himself to one term as president, anointed Taft to be his successor and he won two to one in 1908. When he ran for a second term, Roosevelt was angry that he was not progressive enough and he formed the “Bull Moose” party to ran himself. With the Republican vote split, Wilson won. He went on to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a lifelong ambition. Taft was a large man at 335 pounds and took his own bathtub with him when he moved from house to house. The family left the home in 1899 and it was saved from demolition in 1938. The house is furnished in period with some Taft pieces Taft Site

19. Marietta, OH Log Entry: Toured the Ohio River Museum. Starting with a guided tour of the W.P. Snyder Jr., the last steam-powered, stern-wheeled towboat on the river (1918-55). She has a steel hull, 151 feet long and 32 feet wide. Her stacks folded to pass under bridges. She had a crew of 18. We walked around her for over an hour, pulling every lever and ringing every bell. As we were leaving the boat, Fay got to feed the giant carp, which gathered around the gangway with a baby bottle filled with river water and bread. We then went through the museum, which is filled with steamboat era items and scale models of 19th century riverboats. W.P. Snyder

20. Marietta, OH Log Entry: After lunch we walked along the river and saw the town’s paddlewheel “showboat” named the Becky Thatcher. Becky Thatcher Model Steamboat Ohio River Barges

21. Marietta, Ohio Log Entry: In the afternoon, we toured Campus Martius Museum, an interpretive center for the history of settlement of Ohio. The museum is on the site of a civilian fortification built by the Ohio Company in 1790 and named Campus Martius, which is Latin for “Field of Mars” , the site outside of Rome where its legions were trained. Part of a corner blockhouse still remains and a building was erected around it for preservation. It was sold and lived in by Rufus Putnam, the superintendent of the Ohio land office. His original office stands outside the museum where it was moved for preservation. The museum has displays, which chronicle the settlement of Marietta from frontier settlement to its incorporation as Ohio’s first town in 1800 and on to the influx of migrants from West Virginia and Kentucky making it a city. They spread across Ohio to other cities like Akron and Dayton. Campus Marius Museum

22. Williamstown, WV Log Entry: Stopped in Williamstown, WV, across the river from Marietta to go through the Fenton Art Glass Co. Took the factory tour out on the manufacturing floor very near the glass blowers. It is a very labor-intensive operation with many hands heating and re-heating the glass at 2,400 degrees in one of many furnaces on the floor. The molten glass on the end of a blow pipe is lowered into a mold and the person blows into the pipe or uses compressed air to expand the glass into the mold which often has a pattern on the inside (hobnailed or ridges, etc). The top is trimmed, the mold is split open and the piece removed. Salts are sprayed onto some pieces for coloring or shine. Applying a handle on pieces is evidently more of an art and each person has their own stamp, which they use to identify their work. All the glasswork goes through a long cool-down oven when it is finished and is then packaged. We saw a video on other processes used and went through a display museum of theirs and others pieces. There are many glass factories along the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to West Virginia. Of course there is a complete factory store and Fay bought a few small pieces. Fenton Art Glass

23. Bruceton Mills, WV Log Entry: We stopped at Coopers Rock State Park in Bruceton Mills, WV, where we have stayed a few times, to take a hike through “Rock City”. After a 1-mile hike through woods, you come to a quarter mile crevasse in the earth, made during the ice age, where you walk and climb through huge rock formations. One place you can squeeze through a crack in 30-foot high walls that are 15 foot deep. There are many other lesser fissures in the field, surrounded by huge Rhododendron bushes that twist and turn through the cracks to get sun. The roots snake around boulders like tentacles to reach for soil. Coopers Rock

24. Gregg Graphics Gradyville, Pa. A Presentation of