Athens County History: Hocking Railway/Coal Strike Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Backwoods Reviewer: As the owner has not responded to my prior note, I am archiving this listing.

Backwoods Reviewer
Geocaching.com Community Volunteer Reviewer

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Hidden : 6/22/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This cache was placed as part of the Athens County History Geotrail. The incentive is gone, but the cache is still available for finding/logging. Thank you for supporting Athens County geocaches.

The posted coordinates will take you to an area of historical significance. Using information in the immediate area (and possibly at additional waypoints), you will be able to calculate the coordinates for the cache as follows:

After locating the first historical marker associated with this cache, take note of the Nelsonville Public Fountain. There are eight posts surrounding the perimeter of the fountain. Let A = the number of lion heads on any given post (note: not the total number for all posts, just the number for any one post). Now count the number of bull heads on the upper fountain bowl and the number of sheep heads on the lower fountain bowl. Let B = the number of sheep heads divided by the number of bull heads. Now proceed to the additional waypoint provided below. After locating the historical marker, proceed to the train station just south. Let C = the number of Western Union Telegraph signs on the front of the building. There is a brown door with a number on it. Let DE = the number on the door.

The cache can be found at N 39 26.AB0 W 082 13.C0D

Before leaving the first location, be sure to find A Night At The Opera.

About This Location

The arrival of the Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad in 1869 led to the decline of the Hocking Canal and assured Nelsonville's prominence as a major shipping point of coal and industrial products. The portion of the railway from Logan in Nelsonville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, along with steam locomotive #33 and caboose #90704.

Following a wage reduction from 70 to 60 cents per ton after many Hocking Valley coal mines consolidated in 1883, the Ohio Miners' Amalgamated Association struck on June 23, 1884. The operators responded by offering an even smaller tonnage rate and a requirement for returning miners to sign no-strike contracts. The strike idled three thousand miners in 46 mines at Nelsonville, Murray City, New Straitsville, Carbon Hill, Buchtel, Longstreth, and Shawnee.

Syndicate mines precipitated violence by importing hundreds of immigrant strikebreakers and employing dozens of Pinkerton detectives as mine guards. A mine fire set at Syndicate #5 in New Straitsville still burned more than one hundred years later. Although the strike ended in March 1885 with no victory for the miners, the Ohio Legislature ended the operators' practice of requiring miners to trade exclusively in company stores. Strike leader Chris Evans later became secretary of the American Federation of Labor and was a founder of the United Mine Workers of America.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre gur cbepu orfvqr gur sbbg bs gur unaqvpnc-npprffvoyr enzc gb gur trareny fgber.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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