Granville, Massachusetts to Granville, Ohio 200 Years after the Settlers
For the July 2005 issue of Licking County Bicycle Club Newsletter
By: Ken Apacki
Our goal was to follow the 1805 trek of the Granville, Massachusetts settlers to Ohio. Eddie McKee, Bob Rush, and I were driven to Granville, MA by Doug Maxfield and were treated to a send off not unlike 1805. Fifty people came to a pot luck supper to wish us well Sunday night at the Federated Church that sent the original Congregationalists to Ohio. A blueberry pancake breakfast was attended by the town road crews and officials. The final farewell was at the elementary school where all the children had signs wishing us well and encouraging us to climb the hills and be safe.
We headed south from Granville, MA and immediately entered Connecticut. The church pastor and his wife rode with us for several hours to extend their hospitality even further. We crossed the northern counties of Connecticut and turned south down the Housatonic River just like the settlers. A breakfast stop in Kent, CT introduced us to the ROMEOS, a Tuesday morning men’s group at the church. The Retired-Old-Men-Eating-Out invited us to eat with them, share stories, and enjoy the gathering.
We crossed the ridge containing the Appalachian Trail in New York, our first big hill climbs. We then crossed the Hudson River on the I-84 bridge. A “northeaster” kept the clouds and rain on us for the first four days so we alternated between camping and motel. We kept putting on rain gear and taking it off. We made our way across New York and a corner of New Jersey and into Pennsylvania by crossing the Delaware River at Dingman’s Ferry. Traffic was intense near the cities and more pleasant out of town, but the drivers were always going at full speed, not waiting for a clear view of the road ahead. It wasn’t until Washington, PA that I observed a driver actually wait behind us to see over the hill before passing.
We were seven full days in Pennsylvania that included following a valley between ridges for several days, then crossing the Susquehanna River on a historic paddle-wheel ferry run by volunteers on Saturday and Sunday. A little past the Susquehanna, we started crossing the rows of mountains. Our back road route was close to the historic route and gave us a sense of the settlers’ difficulties. The back roads are steep and go over the ridges while the toll road is gradual and cuts through ridges with tunnels. We went above the highway and over the tunnel on Sideling Hill.
In Bedford, PA, we met a group of 25 athletes and trainers riding coast to coast for charity. They had come from Baltimore in two days (about 150 miles) and were traveling light with their gear being transported for them. It wasn’t all hills, there was a plateau that was very pleasant and took us to the bike trail along the Youghiogheny River. We were on the trail for 85 miles, and the settlers never had the benefit of a rail-to-trail path. Going west from the Monongahela River we bicycled through a county park following the Mingo Creek for maybe 5 miles. Circumventing Washington, PA we came upon Danny’s Restaurant in Meadow Lands, PA. Danny served a 15-inch apple-cinnamon pancake. I ate half with the help of Bob and Eddie and saved the second half for a snack break in the afternoon.
A bicycle path took us into Wheeling, WV where we crossed the Ohio River on the suspension bridge. Then it was up one of our longest hills to St. Clairesville, OH. The terrain changed from steep ridges to more gentle rolling hills with long views. Our longest day was 85 miles that took us to Nashport where we stayed with old friends from Granville (Ohio). What hospitality - baths, individual bedrooms, and breakfast.
In the morning fog we followed the east bank of the Licking River into Newark and then to Granville. Several local cyclists greeted us on our way into the county. At the stump on the green in the center of Granville we were greeted by friends and family along with the mayor. We had mixed feeling. We had accomplished our goal but our adventure was at an end.
The total distance was 790 miles. Our shortest day was 54 miles and our longest was 85 – we averaged 64 miles per day. Every day I went down hills at speeds over 32 mph and hit a top speed of 41 – without any wobble on my new wheels. We were on our bicycles from 5 to 7 hours each day. I spent $715 during the trip for food and lodging. We ate most meals in restaurants. We camped half the time and were in motels half the time. Eddie and Bob are great partners to travel with. Eddie always volunteered to sleep on the floor or the window seat. Bob had two flat tires on the same morning. Eddie broke one spoke. Bob made one stop at a bicycle shop to tune up his head set that reduced his shimmy. We had a great time together.
The trip starts off with a big send-off from the children and parents of Granville, MA Elementary School.
The flower children of the 60's decided to stop and get a picture along the way. You know, you can make wine outta that stuff!
Accommodations along the way. Thought you guys were roughing it?
Here we see Bob Rush at another lodging stop along the trip. OK, maybe you did spend a night of so away from the comforts of home.
The trio takes a photo break after crossing one of the passes over the Allegheny Mountains after a hard climb. Feel those legs burn!!
Finally, 13 days and 790 mile later, the trio arrives in Granville, OH, and has their portrait snapped at the memorial stump in the center of town. Congratulations Ken, Bob and Eddie!!!