2018-09-15 Destination: Fort Laurens

Goshen Township Office

Goshen Township Office, just northeast of New Philadelphia on SR-39.

Looking east from the Goshen Township Office

Looking east from the Goshen Township Office parking lot, up the valley of Beaverdam Creek. Just ahead I turned off of SR-39 and went north (left) on Township Road 314.

Looking back toward the Goshen Township Office

Looking back toward the Goshen Township Office before turning north on Twp-314. The Township Office can be seen in the distance, tothe right of the road.

Bicycle route along the Tuscarawas River

Google Maps showed that a bicycle route/multi-use trail along the Tuscarawas River started here. But there were no signs indicating it was anything of the sort. Finally a bicycling Dad with young children came down the trail and told me it was like this all the way to the dam .

Dover Dam

Dam across the Tuscarawas River at Dover. The spillway didn't look like it was a good place to cross the river, even if I could have somehow got down to it with my bicycle.

The view downstream from the Dover Dam.

The path north of the Dover Dam

North of the Dover Dam the path quickly deteriorated. I probably should have gone back and taken the township roads instead. I had to walk my bicycle through the loose crushed rock, but that stretch didn't last long.

Trail along the Tuscarawas

The graveled trail soon became grass with two wheel ruts, then grassy without wheel ruts but rocky in a few places, and then there were water puddles, as shown here. And then there were deeper puddles across the entire trail. But the bottoms of the puddles were solid, and I was able to ride through (but not without getting soaked feet).

AFter (finally) getting off the bicycle trail, I rode SR-212 to Somerdale and stopped at the Town House Drive-Thru and General Store where I ordered a ham sandwich and ate it at a picnic table out back.

TR-315 south of Somerdale

After a leisurely lunch in Somerdale, I took TR-315 south toward the Fairfield Township Building. There was a long, steep hill to climb, and I walked my bicycle up part of it. Later in the day I talked to a man who said he knew that road. He once drove up it when it was icy by keeping one set of wheels off the pavement. He stopped to help a car that had slid sideways, stepped out of his car, and slipped and fell, sliding down the hill until he was stopped by the sideways car. I can believe it. This photo was taken at the top.

Approaching Fairfield Township Building

From the Fairfield Township Building, looking west

Looking west on TR-85. (I went the opposite direction from here.)

East of Fairfield Township Building on TR-85

TR-85 follows a small stream to SR-212, and there are only a few gentle hills along the edge of the valley.

Wararen Township Community Center

The Warren Township Office seems to be part of the Warren Township Community Center in New Cumberland.

Warren Township Community Center in New Cumberland

A glimpse of New Cumberland can be seen just beyond the Warren Township Community Center

Warren Twp schools

There appeared to be two generations of former school buildings at the Warren Township Community Center. This older one is presumably the township office building, but there was no sign indicating that it serves that function.

Nap time at Warren Township Community Center

Nobody was using the playground, and given that it was Saturday, there were no pre-school activities. So I took a 15-minute nap on one of the picnic table benches in the playground.

Last Range Line of the Seven Ranges

After my nap at New Cumberland, I took SR-212 toward Fort Laurens, but stopped here where what seemed to be a private driveway was on the westernmost range line of the Seven Ranges, which is also the boundary between Warren and Fairfield townships. It would be interesting to know if the millstones came from a nearby mill.

Range Line between Fairfield and Warren townships

The road straight ahead is on the Range Line that separates Fairfield and Warren townships, and is also the westernmost of the range lines of the Seven Ranges. SR-212 is on the left. The millstones seen in another photo were in the grassy area to the right.

Zoar Town Hall

I took SR-212 to Zoar, rather than get back on the bicycle trail I had left earlier. I saw a town hall, so took a few photos just in case it was a township hall rather than a village hall. (It was an old village hall, as I learned before I left.)

Historic Marker: Zoar and the Ohio & Erie Canal

Zoar Town Hall

The Zoar Store

I stopped at the Zoar Store to replenish my water supply. Stepping inside, I found it was a museum rather than a store. But it had water to sell, anyway. I also learned that the trail along the river was good compared to the section I had attempted to ride north of the Dover Dam.

Zoar Hotel

The Zoar Hotel, on my way to the canal path access point.