Cycling the Underground Railroad--Part 2

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 DAY 10:  SPRINGFIELD  TO DUBLIN (COLUMBUS), OH

Mike Coyle and I heading out of Springfield. 

I was honored to be accompanied on the first 35 miles of today's ride by Mike.  He and his daughter Rebekah (she and Jeremy hosted me last night) are hiking the Buckeye Trail, a 1,444 mile loop around Ohio, in segments.  He's not a regular bike rider, but a trooper extraordinaire.  Not many non-riders would attempt this, but Mike jumped right in! I thoroughly enjoyed his companionship and catching up on what has been going on in our lives.

About 17 miles of our day was on these beautiful Ohio bike paths.  A person could take the one we're on, the Ohio to Erie Trail, all the way from the Ohio River to Lake Erie (diagonally across Ohio), 326 miles!

The rest of the day was along mostly roads winding through corn and soy bean fields.

At West Jefferson we stopped for lunch at the Main Street Deli.  Mike ended his ride at this point, and his son-in-law Jeremy (Rebekah's husband) met us and rescued Mike from me.

Jeremy, Mike and In West Jefferson,  OH.

Nearing my destination in Dublin (Ohio, that is) I came across this park/playground "planted" with corn! Very unique,  and very Midwest.


Tim Traub, my "conductor" yesterday, did some additional research on the grave marker we found at the Stevenson cemetery for Eliza Shula Williams.  This is what he found:

She indeed was a freedom seeker, and made it here all the way from Mobile!  I have been following the path of this brave women since I started this journey in March!  Knowing this makes this trip so much more real and meaningful! Thank you, Tim, for showing me the cemetery and introducing us to Eliza.

Moving time: 5 hrs, 4 min.  Average speed: 10.6 mph.
 
Today's mileage: 53.8
Total mileage this trip: 444.0
Total distance on Underground Railroad:
     1577.4 miles



Comments

  1. Tim TSeptember 14, 2021 at 6:23 AM

    It was very interesting to learn about Eliza… I found it very impressive too that Eliza bequeathed her 43 acre farm to her siblings who had been enslaved in Alabama. Freedom in Wilberforce Ohio meant she could become a landowner and live the American dream.

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