LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC

LOWELL, OH

Hune Covered Bridge The historic Hune Covered Bridge as it crosses the Little Muskingum River by the national forest's Hune Bridge Campground.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks — Hune Covered Bridge Credit: Wayne National Forest

The Lower Muskingum Historical Society Inc is a non-profit organization based in Lowell, Ohio, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the Muskingum River Valley. The Society was established in 1967 and has since been committed to educating the public about the rich history of the area through various programs, exhibits, and events.

The Society operates out of the Campus Martius Museum, which is a National Historic Landmark and an important historical site in the region. The museum houses a collection of artifacts, documents, and exhibits that showcase the early settlement of the Muskingum River Valley and its role in the development of the Northwest Territory.

The Lower Muskingum Historical Society Inc also offers educational programs for students and adults, including lectures, workshops, and guided tours of the museum and other historical sites in the region. The Society also publishes a quarterly newsletter containing articles, photographs, and updates on its activities and programs.

As a non-profit organization, the Lower Muskingum Historical Society Inc relies on the support of its members, volunteers, and donors to carry out its mission of preserving and promoting the history and heritage of the Muskingum River Valley.

LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in LOWELL OH. US MID #8403900351

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

Rinard Covered Bridge The Rinard Covered Bridge is one of the many privately-managed sites along the Wayne National Forest Covered Bridge Scenic Byway.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks

Historic Barn Along the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway This historic barn is one of the many privately-managed sites along the Wayne National Forest Covered Bridge Scenic Byway.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks

Hune Bridge Campground Sign Hune Bridge Campground is a small campground in the national forest's Marietta Unit. It sits next to the Little Muskingum River and the Hune Covered Bridge.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks

Hune Bridge Campground Hune Bridge Campground is a small campground in the national forest's Marietta Unit. It sits next to the Little Muskingum River and the Hune Covered Bridge.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks

Marietta Unit Field Office The Marietta Unit field office, located in Marietta, Ohio.

Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks

Star of the Show After all the exploring on Google Maps and in person, it turns out I missed an industry just north of Marietta. Cue me standing around Harmar Street like a fool for well over an hour - closer to two - before BIP578 reared its head around the buildings at the north end of the street.

Turns out the train had been switching ProFusion Industries the whole time and I had no idea. That's just how it goes with these things. But the wait was well worth it, seeing as we got a former B&amp;O GP40, now a rebuilt GP38-3, on the old B&amp;O tracks that run down the middle of Harmar Street. Streetrunning becomes rarer and rarer as time goes on, so every opportunity to catch it is one I just have to take.

Also, partially featuring the little Kia that takes me to every shot I take. Bless that poor little white car. The stuff I put her through just to get some pictures of trains!

Watch You Crawl One particular location on the BIP is worse than all others in terms of track condition, with severe bumps and misalignments left and right. Here, BIP578 slowly, slowly pulls away from that section, but there are still plenty of cars that must finish traversing the large bump before they can move any faster than a mere crawl.

If nothing else, the ratty trackwork does make it nice and easy to get ahead of the train, that's for sure.

Return to Form Having spent a good hour and a half at Globe, the BIP local turned around and began its return back to Parkersburg. I had only just been returning to Globe from a gas station to check their progress when they sped right on out, so I turned tail and headed back to a spot I knew I had to get in better light - an old smokestack! Rare sights these days, they're always worth a look, though I can't say I know any history on it and the building beside it, try as I might to find it. And with the way the kudzu spirals up that stack, you have to wonder if it's gonna cover the whole thing up before it inevitably gets torn down one day.

With our train having switched to heading south, better light was to be had finally, and the leader of the train also switched. BIP578 became the new leader, and it's a more fitting one as this motor traces its history back to the same company who once owned these very tracks - the B&amp;O. Built as the B&amp;O4061, it lived on CSX for a time before shipping off to RailAmerica and eventually the Ottawa Valley Railroad for a good chunk of time. It appears to have suffered some mechanical problems while on the RLK, and was rebuilt from a GP40 to a GP38-3 and then sent to the BIP. A perfect place for it to go, I think.

Where Am I? Bound for Globe, the BIP378 and 578 lead their short train through a winding route that follows the Muskingum River into Ohio. This scenic route gives some spectacular views of the Appalachian farmland. Seemingly midwestern, it might be a hard sell to someone unfamiliar with the BIP that the railroad is very much a grimy industrial shortline. The flip-flop between industrial plants and fields is part of what makes the BIP so intriguing though!

For me, I wasn't expecting to hit gravel roads and questionable cell service while out on the BIP. It's a good thing I'd just experienced plenty of that the previous few days, so I was more than ready to tackle some interesting road networks with little direction!

Close Quarters With the Big Sandy over and done with, it was time for my next stop on my week east - the BIP! The industrial shortline has been on my list for a while now, and I was able to make the pitstop on the way to Virginia to check it out. I was lucky, the full day I had given myself for the shortline granted me a full roundtrip to Globe, which meant one very crucial thing - streetrunning!

BIP378, one of five refurbished GP38-3s that run the railroad (and former L&amp;N 4023), leads partner 578 north through the streetrunning in Marietta, Ohio. The former B&amp;O trackage is still in good condition up to this point and a few more miles beyond, but it won't be long until trackspeed drops to a mere crawl.

Contact LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC

LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC
1579 COAL RUN HILL RD
LOWELL
OH
45744

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LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC Information

MID #	8403900351
Name	LOWER MUSKINGUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	237213957
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201210
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	39.58585, -81.577837
CODES	FIPS State Code: 39 FIPS County Code: 167 US Census Tract: 021300 US Census Block: 4014