Hiawatha Hotel Traditional Cache
Tellico Gap: Under flood water ... wrboater will ressurect it when the waters subside ... new spot ... new name ... stay tuned!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This is a nice hide along the shores of Hiawatha Island - once you get there! THIS IS NOW A MULTI-CACHE. We changed it to prevent further loss from flooding. You'll need to swim or get a boat, but after that, it should be a one star cache. The first part has the corrdinates to the second part.
This geocache is located on Hiawatha Island in the Susquehanna River. Hiawatha Island was shaped by the Susquehanna River as it changed its course. The island was used by native people as a resting area and for agricultural purposes. In the 1870's a hotel was built on the island and operated there for about twenty years. At that time, the island was almost entirely cleared. The hotel was built as a two-story structure, a third and fourth story were added later. In keeping with the style of the Victorian era, there was a ballroom for dining and dancing. The registration book can be viewed at the Tioga County Historical Society in Owego. River day trips from Owego to Binghamton and back were popular in the late nineteenth century. Hiawatha Island was a popular stopping point on these trips. Guests rode a Lyman-Truman river boat, which was manufactured in Owego. The hotel closed around 1895, the structure became home to the Goodrich family until 1930. At that time, the hotel and outbuildings were dismantled. Other buildings on the island either burned down or fell into disrepair. Today, only two structures remain intact on the island, one stores maintenance equipment, the other is an open structure. In 1988 local citizens purchased the preserves to save them for future generations. After several years of fundraising, the group turned the properties over to the Waterman Center to be managed as a wildlife refuge and education center. You can take a self guided tour and see the old hotel at N42 05.181 W076 12.377, as well as a barn in that area and several other buildings. Then be sure to climb the hill to the tower at N42 05.058 W076 12.478. You will probably enjoy the trail loops in this area.WRBOATER and Tellico Gap collaborated on placing this cache and we had a fun time hiking the entire island as well as boating all the way around it in kayaks. Have fun here and be sure to leave some pictures of your adventure!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jrypbzr gb gur ubgry.