In the middle of a local winter, there are periods of cold, dreary weather. Not to worry - days will be getting longer. Here’s an easy, cost effective cabin fever relief idea: take a drive on local roads. You will see signs for towns, streets, and points of interest. As pointed out in an earlier article, each name has a story behind it.
Start on State Route (S R) 550. You’ll be heading west through or near stops on the 1850s-era Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad (M&C). From Marietta:
Tunnel was named for the 1300-foot Vanderwarker Tunnel near there. Thomas W. Moore (another place name, Moore Junction on S R 7, was named for him) built the Tunnel station in 1854 by the rail line and operated a store there. In 1863, after funding delays, he finally completed building the tunnel - which should have been named for Mr. Moore since he promoted and built it. Vanderwarker? He was the last resident to live on the site.
McAvan is marked buy a small stone overpass near Bender Road at S R 550.
Fleming was named for the nearby Fleming families. Andrews’ History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio ca 1902: "Fleming, a station on the old Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, is now a prosperous little hamlet..., laid out August 3, 1853, by Henry Earle Vincent, who kept the first post office. The first store was opened by Church B. Tuttle, and Enoch Preston kept the first tavern."
Henry - N. P. Henry owned several tracts near this stop.
Vincent was founded as Vincent’s Station in 1853 by Henry Earle Vincent.
Napier – maybe a misspelled version of a nearby property owner listed as "G. Napler Jr."
Dunbar was originally called Little Hocking since it crosses that river there. It’s known for the still standing 80 ft high stone "Dunbar piers" which held the railroad trestle. William Dunbar settled there from Virginia about 1814.
Cutler was originally laid out in 1857 as Harshaville for William Harsha who had the first cabin there. It was later renamed for Ephraim Cutler's son, William P. Cutler, founder of the M&C Railroad.
State Route 26 offers a plethora of interesting place names. It's such a winding road that you'll be driving slow enough to notice signs. You may need dramamine. From Marietta, you'll pass:
County House Lane, named for - well, you know that one.
Hills Covered Bridge is just south of S R 26 on County Road 333, built in 1881, named for numerous Hill families in the area.
Eightmile Road is a two-fer, named for Little Eightmile Creek and for being eight miles from somewhere. Ditto for Fifteen Mile Road, located a few miles east.
Sitka is in Alaska, right? And Ohio, too. The name honors a soldier, Joseph Tomlinson Bukey (from a Williamstown WV family), who drowned while on duty in Sitka, Alaska.
Cow Run has earned a permanent place in the oil and gas industry. Businessman John Newton and others drilled here in 1861. That touched off a boom that brought thousands of people to that remote area. The "Cow Run Sand" is the petroleum-producing layer from 500-800 feet deep in our region.
Biehl's Store at Moss Run, closed now, was operated by the Biehl family for over a century. Historian Scott Britton pointed out that Moss Run is not named for the furry green stuff. It's the changed pronunciation of "Morse," the family that ran the post office there.
Britton also explains how Dart, where the now closed Lawrence Elementary School building sits, got its name. A post office was planned there in 1905. While officials met to decide on a name, a bird caught their attention by "darting" to the ground. Dart became the name.
Keep looking and be curious. There’s always a story.
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