Colonial Houses - Day 45

  Another of the things I love to look at is the large number of old colonial-style houses in this area. Most of these were built from 1800 to 1830.

This one has two sections at right angles, and was actively being restored as I walked past.

As I got closer, I realized the reason it was so large was because one wing had actually been a store. The window says, "W.B. Knigely, Dry Goods, Groceries, & Notions." I hope they manage to save what's left of that window!

But this was the best! The new owners have a sense of humor. Two high round windows that were probably too difficult to replace have been turned into eyes.

Here is a smaller version of the classic colonial style. Usually, there is a central door with two windows on each side, and then 5 windows on the upper story. Usually with a chimney at each end. This one is three windows over two and a central door.

But I suspect the central portion of this house might be even older. It's built with limestone blocks of unequal thicknesses. You can catch the modified colonial style.

The first part of what I walked today was the last for this trip of the Little Miami Rail-Trail. There wasn't too much to see, but I did learn that a Confederate named John Hunt Morgan led a long string of raids in southern Ohio during the Civil War. His goal was to disrupt the dispatch of Union troops to the south. One of his more spectacular successes was to derail a train known as the Kilgour. This drawing recreates the episode.

Denali and I did not hike together today either. She's doing some shorter days, but tomorrow at the end of the day we should end up in the same location. We'll hike together after that. But here she is at the Trail Junction sign in Milford.

I've now turned the corner at Milford and am headed east (well, the Buckeye Trail wanders a lot in southern Ohio, but it's a change from going pretty much straight south.)

Miles today: 15.6. Total miles so far: 647.3

Bonus section: They ARE workin' on the railroad

This short line, the Cincinnati Eastern Railway, is owned by Norfolk Southern, and runs a single-track line between Portsmouth and Cincinnati.

I guess if you are the only train on a line, you don't need a siding to unload. These guys were unloading this hopper car which was carrying gravel. You can see the conveyor belt if you look beneath the train car. When I was walking toward this, one guy was slamming the sledge hammer under the hopper. I guess the latch was jammed or something. The second door fell open as I walked past, and gravel was then emptying from both sides of the car, falling through the tracks and onto the conveyor. I really enjoyed seeing this operation up close and personal.

And... the engineer waved at me as I walked past the engine!

See They've Been Workin' On the Railroad