This cache is a small plastic vial placed on an interesting piece of local history the stone abutment for what would have been a train trestle. This stone base was built in the 1850's but never completed. It is located along the horseback riding trail and is in a pretty part of Alum Creek State Park that not too many people get to see.
Note that to get to the cache from the parking coordinates, you must cross the bridge which can be busy. It is a 35MPH zone but still be very careful. There is a mown path through the grass that is on state property but close to someone's back yard. Please be mindful and stick to the path. Also, this is a horse trail and can be muddy and overgrown at times. It is approximately four tenths of a mile from parking to the cache with the majority being on the trail. No climbing is needed to reach the cache. There may be riders and/or people fishing so use stealth if appropriate.
Cache placed with permission under my event permit.
Who will be FTF? - CONGRATS to mizmackin for the fast FTF
Here is a detailed history of the structure.
In the early 1850’s, the Springfield and Mansfield Railroad Company developed a plan to build a rail line from Springfield east to the City of Delaware and then on to Mount Vernon through Brown, Kingston and Porter Townships. This proposed line had several other names including the Springfield and Delaware Railroad, and Springfield, Delaware and Mount Vernon Railroad.
Financial problems plagued the company and with more direct routes available from Cleveland to Cincinnati, the plan for the Springfield to Mount
Vernon rail line was abandoned reportedly in 1853.The company was sold in 1862 to the Cleveland and Columbus Railroad.
The proposed route would have taken the line through Eden (which is now Kilbourne) and Olive Green. To finance the project, the railroad
attempted to have local townships back the sale of government bonds. According to a local account, the railroad did approach the Brown Township
Trustees to back the bonds in the railroad (whether they or Kingston Township financially backed the bonds is not known), and according to Kingston Township Road Superintendent Doug Crowl, bonds were backed by the Porter Township Trustees.
After the railroad project was abandoned, the township was sued by a lending institution located in Toledo, Ohio. This lawsuit eventually ended up
in the Ohio Supreme Court in 1884 who (we believe) upheld the appeals court ruling that the township was not responsible for the bond cost. It
is not known whether any tracks for the railroad were actually laid. If anyone has knowledge about whether tracks were installed, please let us know.
Today, there are several places where remnants of the failed railroad can be seen. The best remnant of the raised rail bed is the mounded area located on the east and west side of Blue Church Road just north of State Route 521 at the creek. Raised remnants can also be seen on the north side of State Route 521. The raised rail bed is located just inside the wooded area at the back of the farm field across from the white house and barn just west of State Route 61. For the adventurist, a stone bridge abutment still exists where the proposed railroad was to cross Alum Creek south of State Route 521in Kilbourne. The abutment is located within Alum Creek State Park and public parking is available on the south side of State Route 521. The abutment is about one quarter mile downstream of the parking lot toward the lake.