There are at least three things I like about this spot on the globe. (It’s in Logan County, Ohio.)
The road is a boundary between Virginia Military Reserve lands on the west, and lands on the right which were part of the rectangular survey system. The land on the west was surveyed according to a system of metes and bounds, which meant a lot of work over the years for lawyers.
But the rectangular survey of the land on the right, while part of a much more orderly system, wasn’t quite the usual. It’s a system of 6×6=36 square miles per township, but the numbering is different than the usual zig zag pattern that was used almost everywhere else. More on that another time.
The third thing is that it overlooks the Mad River valley. In 1812, General Hull’s army came this way on its way to Detroit, where Hull soon saw fit to surrender to the British. The army travelled from right to left on the valley below, and then made another turn to the left to go around the ridge on which I was standing when I took this photo.
On this googlemap, I’ve marked the position where I was standing and I’ve marked in red the approximate path taken by Hull – a path that later became known as Hull’s trace. I must note, though, that not everyone seems to interpret the path quite as I’ve done here. It’s something I may have an opportunity to study further tomorrow, if I can work it in among more bike rides.
I must say that such descriptions of his route that I’ve read now make a lot more sense after seeing them from my bicycle today.
Today’s milleage total: a little over 57 miles.
We’re staying in Bellefontaine now — at a much nicer discount motel than where we stayed in Wapakoneta. There is good food in Bellefontaine, too.
[...] now see that back on September 2, in an article titled “Hull’s Trace in the Mad River Valley,” I gave out some bogus information about the route that General William Hull’s army [...]
Concerning your re-calibration of the route later, I think you are right in saying that this route swings too far out to the east. According to the research I have done, the route follows the railroad tracks from where they cross McKees Creek and your route has you ending up too far north of there. Based on the early descriptions of the route and walking through the area, I wonder if they took the slope up from CR 5 to Rte 68 just north of where Twp Road 191 connects them.
Dear Mr. Baker,
I would like to get in touch with you. I have been researching Hull’s Trace for many years.
The cut-off from Rd 5 is just north of West Liberty, where texts mention the “Hiildebrand farm”. From there, the Trace runs NW to the old Country Club (marker) where the reference to the RR bridge is fits.
( I’ve got a lot to do before Summer of 2012 )
Ron
I would love to get together with you to share our notes on the Hull Trace. I had hoped we would be able to do that earlier in the summer, but never quite knew how to get in touch with you. What’s the best way to exchange contact information so we can work out a time?
Wes
to Wes, and “Spokes”,
I live in Bellefontaine, on North Main Street
my e-mail is ririck@bright.net
I hope we can get together
Ron
Ron and Wes,
I’ve been meaning to set up a place to discuss get-togethers and other things that are hard to discuss in the comment sections of these forums. Maybe I can get it finished tonight. It’s a forum section that will require you to register as a user.
As for getting together this summer, I’d like to wait a bit yet, perhaps until after the corn harvest begins and it’s possible to see things again. That’s my favorite time of year for touring. I am still hoping to spend some time in west-central Ohio, using either Fort Loramie or Bellefontaine for a base camp.