Wednesday, July 21, 2010

This morning we moved east out of Columbus through Worthington and passed over the Hoover Dam. Leaving on the north side of the city, we cycled through horse country and the picturesque and immaculate city of New Albany. A bike path begins near here and once again runs alongside the rail lines, only this time there are working lines next to the trail. A stop in Granville and Denison University proved to be a perfect place for lunch in the historic downtown. The path continues all the way through Newark and affords a view of a town hard hit by the economy. Shells of abandoned factories inhabit spaces along the train line and we are separated by wire fences on both sides. The route of the bicycle path reveals all sides of boom and bust in history,- past and present.

Lincoln stopped in Newark among several places on February 14, 1861 and due to his fast paced schedule, was forced to greet wellwishers at the spur of the moment. At this stop he was brief and almost Mark Twain like when he commented about having nothing to say and said, "I understand that arrangements wTere made for something of a speech from me here, when the train moved down, but it has gone so far that it has deprived me of addressing the many fair ladies assembled, while it has deprived them of observing my very interesting countenance. It is impossible for me to make you a speech: there is not time, so I bid you farewell."

No comments:

Post a Comment