Downtown Grafton is dominated by the railroad, which sits one block off Main Street (US 119). In this mystery cache, you'll visit several sites historic sites in the downtown area before heading to a nearby location for the final cache.
For this cache, you should park along Main Street near the B&O Depot at the published coordinates. From here, explore along Main Street at the various stages to find answers to the questions and determine the final coordinates.
- Location 1: The Willard Hotel was finished in 1912 and named after B&O President Daniel Willard. As Grafton was a major division point and where its lines to the west split, many travelers had an overnight stay here. The hotel operated until the 1960s, when it began being used for railroad crews. It has been largely abandoned since 1988.
Looking at the hotel (building to the left of the depot) from the published coordinates, how many floors can you see at or above grade level? This is A.
- Location 1: The B&O Depot was also built in 1911. Although Grafton was never a large town, the grand depot represented its importance to the B&O. The depot was restored by the Vandalia Heritage Foundation in 2006 and is occasionally open for visitors.
How many light fixtures on the street-side exterior? This is B.
- Location 2: The Manos Theater has been part of downtown since 1949. It is currently being restored.
How many openings for doors are on the front of the building? (Count double doors as 1 opening.) This is C.
- Location 3: The Merchants and Mechanics Savings Bank building's unique rounded corner tower has graced downtown Grafton for over a century.
What is the year etched in stone surrounding the bank's name? This is D.
- Location 4: The Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church is the home of the International Mother's Day Shrine. Here, Anna Jarvis started the holiday to memorialize her mother. It became a federal holiday in 1914.
What year was Mother's Day first observed? This is E.
- As of November 23, 2021, the final is at N 39 (4*(C + 2)).(D-1262) W 080 (A-B).(E-1342). It is 0.50 miles away, but significantly uphill; you will want to drive to it. Please visit the final location only during daylight hours. Access the final location from the back side of its hiding spot. (Note: The location has not changed since June 2017, but the formula has been updated to reflect a change with the Manos Theater.)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com or using Geocaching.com's built-in checker tool below.
Complete the whole geotrail!
This geocache is part of a series of geocaches (see them all) in Taylor County. As of November 2021, seven of the original eleven caches remain. Find at least six to get a special Taylor County Geotrail wooden nickel! Fill out the codeword puzzle to receive your reward.