Oreton Station Traditional Cache
Hidden : 10/23/2005
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Easy micro at the abandoned Oreton Train Station

While searching for the Oreton train tunnel (aka Eagle Tunnel), Trekbabe & I (Crystal Sound) came across this site on SR-160. Trekbabe commented that this would make an excellent cache location. I had to agree, thus, this cache was born.

Enjoy the search for this micro, while you wait at the station. Consider yourself lucky if you find a train stopping here, as the tracks were removed long ago. However, the cache should prove a much easier find. Take care to re-hide well.

Oreton was a New York Coal Company mining town. Like most towns, Oreton had a post office (1880-1950) as well as a church (Azariah McManis was the caretaker), and possibly as many as 70 houses for the miners & families, most of them built by a Mr. Bert Harder. I've found some recorded births as early as 1853, though the town's heyday seems to be between the 1890's and 1940's.

In the early days, Oreton was mostly a coal mining town, as well as the production of iron in the nearby iron furnce. In the early & mid 20th century, clay was mined. Mining records show most of the area surrounding the cache was clay mining operation. Also, very close to this area was one of the first state forests, the "Vinton Furnace Forest Experiment Station". (visit link)

The only remaining structure in Oreton, is the brick safe of the company store (run by Dave Eberts, also built by Mr. Harder). (visit link) This is the small brick "building" you see at the side of the road. There are a few concrete foundations between the safe, and where the tracks ran through the area. To the west of the safe, are the remnants of the concrete loading docks of the station. Old mine entries (now closed) lie just above the track level along the hillside. A keen eye can find lots of remains of the bustling area this once was.

You can find a really good topo map from the early 1900s that shows Oreton in it's heyday, here: (visit link)

I've also found that a Dr. Bertie Virgil Swisher M.D. practiced medicine for a time at Oreton. (visit link)

Be sure to click on the "Nearest Waymarks" link, or see the benchmark logs for JY0194 and JY0196. There, you will find lots of information on the nearby Eagle Iron Furnace Ruins, the Eagle Tunnel, as well as some nearby Benchmarks.

Eagle Tunnel was named for the iron furnace which operated here in 1852 until at least 1892. You can find the furnace nearby at: N39 09.772 W82 24.645 (visit link)

Superintendent of the Eagle's Furnace was Samuel T. Benner, a Civil War Veteran of Co. L 12th Ohio Cavalry. (visit link)

I'm still doing research on the area, but if you have something to share, please feel free to contact me. Or visit the waymarking page on Oreton at: (visit link)

Eagle Tunnel: (visit link)

Eagle Furnace: (visit link)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

YBBFR OEVPX

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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