The Whitewater Walk is complete for 2007! We arrived at the Ohio River in
Northbend on Sunday September 30th at approximately 1:00 p.m.. What a
wonderful journey we had and what an amazing region we live in.
Included this year were two new routes, one through Union County and one
through Hamilton County Ohio.
In Union County we toured Liberty where we learned the history and visited The
Blue Heron Gallery. We walked through quaint little towns, Brownsville,
Abbington, Roseburg, Dunlapsville, and Quakertown. We visited the Whitewater
State Memorial Park, The Treaty Line Cabins, and the Yard Art Shop in
Roseburg. We also 'walked on water', so to speak, as we toured Brookville
Lake via pontoon boats provided by River Valley Lake Tours. It was raining the entire
time we were on the lake but that did not slow us down or our very
knowledgeable tour guides. We saw a bald eagle, red tailed hawk, and several
great blue herons, learned where the best fishing was, how deep the lake was,
where Old Fairfield was and much more.
In Hamilton County we walked through the communities of Harrison,
Elizabethtown, Whitewater Township, Cleves, and Northbend. We learned the
history and visited Ox Bow, the Cleves' Tunnel, Harrison's Tomb, Shawnee
Lookout and dined in the Cleves Family Restaurant where they have a great
menu. On Lawrenceburg Road we saw the biggest swing set I have ever seen.
Don't know much about the park, but they do have a really big swing set.
Wayne, Fayette, and Franklin Counties are counties we walked in last year but
learned so much more this year as we traveled through them again.
In Wayne County we added a new route this year. We started our walk on Sunday
September 23rd at the Gorge in Richmond. The Rev. Gene Spicer lead a sunrise
service for the walkers. In the early morning fog and haze of this beautiful
gorge we felt as if we were in God's Cathedral. Thank you Rev. Spicer for
blessing this walk. We walked the gorge, then traveled down Liberty Avenue
past the Catholic cemetery on the left and the Lutheran cemetery on the right,
past many historic homes and beautiful farms to US 27 where we walked to the
Wayne/ Union County line. We traveled by car to Cambridge City where we
visited the graves of Buckskin Ben, Sarah Sell (a cook on the Canal Boats),
and the Overbeck sisters (Overbeck pottery fame) saw many historic homes,
visited the library and had watermelon with Jerry and Phyllis Mathias. Day
two in Wayne County we walked from Cambridge City to the Fayette County line.
Walking through Milton, we learned about windmills, visited the two Quaker
cemeteries, City Run culvert, two lock ruins and the factory built around an
old church. We celebrated Wayne county's assets at the Old Milton School
where the funds raised in Wayne county will go in support of their restoration
project.
Fayette County saw the most walkers this year. Seventeen people started the
walk on Tuesday morning including Senator Bob Jackman, John Davis DNR, Phil
Anderson - Indiana Rural Development Council and Debbie Troucha - Indiana
Cooperative Development Center. We walked through the communities of
Connersville, Nulltown, and Alpine. We visited the Feeder Dam on Interstate
Road, the Community Education Coalition building, Whitewater Valley Railroad
Depot, Nulltown General Store, toured the Elmhurst Mansion, and lunched at
Brain's Bookstore. The scenery of Fayette County goes from rolling corn
fields to wooded hills along the Whitewater River. Beautiful!
In Franklin County while waiting for the rain to subside a little on Thursday
morning ( it never did until about 11:00am) we were given a tour of the
beautiful Laurel Community Library. After the tour and realizing the rain was
going nowhere and we were going to get wet, we started our walk through
Franklin County. Even in the rain this county's beauty came through. We
walked Dam Road to the Feeder Dam and then the railroad tracks of the
Whitewater Valley Railroad along the Whitewater Canal to Metamora. Through
Metamora past the Grist Mill, Locks no. 23 and 24, the Aqueduct, and along the
new Whitewater Canal Trail to the twin locks. If you have not yet seen the
trail and twin locks, join the Canal Trail Group on October 13, as they
celebrate the grand opening of the trail. What a great job they have done on
this trail! We walked the trail at Yellow Bank, US 52 to Brookville, and main
street in Brookville. Visited FCN Bank and St. Michaels' School, read the
historic markers along Main Street and ended at the Brookville Antique Farm
Machinery Show. We held the final press conference for the walk at the Little
Cedar Baptist Church east of Brookville on US 52.
We only had two days in each county which was not enough to see the wonderful
assets each county possesses. I guess we have to vacation in our back yard to
be able to see it all. Now that's an idea!
Wow, what a walk and what a valley. But the thing I noticed most this year
were the people of this region. The hospitality was warm and wonderful.
Folks came out to show us pictures, tell stories, and welcome us into their
communities. They walked, gave monetary support to the local projects,
attended press conferences and showed a sense of pride in their 'hometown'.
So I wish to say a very special thank you to all of you. To the county
chairs, Kathy Vandivier - Wayne County, Balnche Stelle - Union County,
Brenda Todd - Fayette County, Dave Cook - Franklin County, and Bonita Porter -
Hamilton county, Ohio, Thank You, job well done! To the Walkers who joined us
and didn't complain (at least not much) about sore feet and cramping legs,
Thank you! To all of the sponsors throughout the region, Thank you! To all
who made pledges or bought t-shirts in support, Thank you! To the support
vehicle drivers who kept us safe and had water and snacks always close at
hand (while being bored out of their mind as they drove at about 2 miles an
hour for hours) Thank you! To the knowledgeable tour guides that taught us so
much, Thank you! To the people that brought out pictures and told us about
their local history, Thank you! To St.Senator Jackman, St Senator Johnny
Nugent, St Senator Allen Paul, St. Rep. Tom Knollman, St Rep. Phil Pflum, John
Davis - DNR, Phil Anderson - IRDC, Nancy Kinder - EIDD, Susan Craig - SIRPC, and
Debbie Troucha - ICDC for supporting our regional efforts, Thank you! To the
press throughout the valley, newspaper and radio, for promoting the walk and
it's efforts for regional collaboration, Thank you!
We are blessed to be able to live in this beautiful valley. I guess I would
say the Whitewater Walk of 2007 was a success if for no other reason than to
remind us how lucky we are!
Thank You!
Candy Yurcak
Regional Chair
Whitewater Walk 2007