WORTHINGTON, Ohio – A wagon train will be crossing our state this summer and all Ohioans are encouraged to ride along.
People of all ages are invited to register to ride on the Bicentennial Wagon Train: Path to Statehood.
The wagon train, a signature event of the Ohio and Worthington bicentennial celebrations, will journey across the state June 21-July 14.
Register. Registration applications are available to download online at www.worthington.org/bicentennial or may be picked up at a number of locations, including community libraries, area chambers of commerce, convention and visitor bureaus, county offices and historical societies.
A list of specific locations can be obtained by calling the Worthington Bicentennial Information Line at 614-543-0299.
The registration deadline is June 6.
Vacation idea. A daily fee of $25 per person will help cover the costs of procuring wagons, animals, food, safety measures and campsites.
Participants can tailor their wagon trail adventure around a weekend getaway or the family vacation.
Travelers will be responsible for transportation to and from the sites where they start and end their trip.
During its 275-mile trek across the state, the wagon train will roughly follow the National Road (U.S. 40) as it crosses 10 counties.
Communities along the route are planning special parades, picnics and parties to welcome the rolling history event.
Towns on the path. Just as Ohio settlers did 200 years ago, the wagon train will begin in Martins Ferry.
Beginning June 21, it will follow a route that traverses sections of Zane’s Trace and the National Road, pivotal routes for the early 19th century settlement of Ohio.
In the eastern phase, the train will pass through Belmont, Guernsey, Muskingum, Licking and Franklin counties.
The train will arrive in Worthington July 5, when it will lead the bicentennial homecoming parade.
Going west. From Worthington, the wagon train will continue its journey west through Madison, Clark, Miami and Montgomery counties before ending in Preble County, in New Paris, July 14.
Participants will travel 12-16 miles a day depending on the terrain and the number of scheduled activities.
The event will honor those who settled Ohio and laid the foundations for statehood, as well as the 100 men, women and children who traveled west from the Farmington River Valley of Connecticut and Massachusetts in the fall of 1803 to settle Worthington.
Details. For more information visit www.worthington.org/bicentennial or call the Worthington Bicentennial Information Line at 614-543-0299.
For more information on Ohio Bicentennial events, call 1-888-OHIO-200, or visit www.ohio200.com.
