Some Vinton County History

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orange-n-brown 365
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Some Vinton County History

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West entrance of the Moonville tunnel.
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West entrance of the Moonville tunnel.
Location of Moonville, Ohio

Moonville is a ghost town in southeastern Brown Township, Vinton County, Ohio, United States. Little remains of this former mining community except a few foundations, a cemetery, and an abandoned railroad tunnel which is the subject of numerous ghost stories.

History

In 1856, the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad (M&C) was pushing through southeastern Ohio to reach Cincinnati. William Cutler, the owner of the fledgling railroad, was having financial problems and was looking to streamline and conserve money while building the railroad.

A man named Samuel Coe convinced Cutler to build the railroad on his large property for free, in exchange for a favor. The railroad would be routed through Coe's land in order to haul coal and clay off of his property. This move saved the railroad a great deal by reducing the amount of distance to Cincinnati.

Several coal mines sprang up, and it was found that there was a rich supply of it in the immediate area. Soon the mining town of Moonville was born.

Moonville never was a big town, with a peak population in the 1870s of a little over a hundred. It is thought to be named for a man called Moon who once operated a store in the town. The town was isolated in the woods and far away from any other towns; people had to walk the tracks to get from there to the nearest towns of Hope or Mineral. Vinton County is currently the least populated and most heavily forested county in Ohio; in those days it was even more wild and inhospitable.

Walking the tracks was incredibly dangerous, and was made even more hazardous by two long trestles in the area and the long Moonville tunnel. One trestle stood over Raccoon Creek less than 50 yards away from the tunnel mouth. It is estimated that by 1920, 5 or 6 people lost their lives on the bridges or within the tunnel. The last fatality was in 1986, when a 10 year old girl who was struck by a CSX locomotive on that trestle directly in front of the tunnel.

In 1887 the M&C was bought out by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). It quickly became part of a vital line from St. Louis to Washington, DC. Train traffic increased dramatically, while the town entered a decline from which it never recovered. By the turn of the century the coal mines slowly were used up and closed down. The last family left town in 1947; by then the town itself was abandoned. By the 1960s all the buildings had gone and there was little to mark the site, other than the town cemetery and the tunnel.

The legends
Ectoplasmic photographic phenomenon
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Ectoplasmic photographic phenomenon

The abandoned tunnel has been the site of many ghost sightings.

Several different ghosts are said to haunt the tunnel. The more famous is the "headless conductor", who is said to appear headless, wearing a railroad uniform, and carrying a lantern. Various reports claim that a railroad worker was killed near the tunnel. One popular account claims that a conductor was having an affair with an engineer's wife. The jealous engineer stopped the train and asked the conductor to check a brake line in the undercarriage. When the engineer saw that the conductor was under the train, he goosed the throttle, lurching the train forward, killing him. A less romanticized version has a brakeman falling from the train, a fairly common accident at the time.[1] Sightings of this ghost date back to the 1890s.

Another ghost is thought to be that of a miner who was struck by a train in the 1920s. The story is that he was heading home through the tunnel after a long night of drinking moonshine and playing poker. When a train approached he waved a lantern in a futile attempt to get it to stop. This ghost is described as a very tall black man wearing miner's garb and carrying a lantern.

Another version of this story claims that the town of Moonville was in the grip of a small pox plague and the town was in dire need of supplies. The ghost was that of a man who tried to save the town by heroically attempting to wave down a passing train that was ordered not to stop at the quarantined town. Unfortunately he couldn't stop the train and was run over, and the town succumbed to small pox. This story is purely based in myth and never occurred.

A third ghost is said to have appeared to hikers, a middle-aged woman dressed in white. She is thought to be the spirit of a woman killed on the trestle in 1905.

There are two other noted fatalities that took place around the tunnel that are worth mentioning: One had to do with a man who became embroiled in a conflict at a local saloon. He apparently was followed home along the tracks and bushwhacked by his attackers, then left to die on the tracks very close to the tunnel. He was found in the morning run over by several trains.

Probably the most bizarre story is a freak accident that cost yet another young man his life. The man in his late 20s waited patiently for a train to pass before crossing the tracks. He preceded to cross only to be hit by the second half of the train which had somehow become uncoupled from the first half. This took place between the trestle bridge and the tunnel.[2]

The demise of the line
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With the town long gone, the train traffic continued to increase on the single track line. In 1973 the B&O merged with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) and the Western Maryland Railway (WM) to form the Chessie System. Train traffic doubled, with as many as 14 trains per day. [2]

Railroad workers called the line the most lonesome, desolate eight miles of track between Parkersburg and St. Louis. They hated the area because it was isolated and trains seemed to show up without warning. The line was "dark" (unsignaled) between Parkersburg and Cincinnati, and traffic was governed by train orders. [2]

In 1981, a signal was erected at Moonville. The railroad said that if a railroad worker needed to stop a train, they had to use this signal, not a flashlight or lantern. Engineers and conductors were ordered not to go into emergency unless the signal was red. All of these measures were put in place specifically for this area because of the numerous and unpredictable ghost sightings that had forced many trains over the years into emergency.

In June of 1985, CSX announced that the line between Cumberland and Cincinnati would be reduced to secondary status, and the last scheduled freight train passed through Moonville in August. Trains continued to run until the line was abandoned and the rails pulled up in 1988. The area remains accessible and the old roadbed provides access to the tunnel. Plans to make a formal rail trail have not been realized. [2]

References

1. ^ Moonville, Ohio at forgottenoh.com. Accessed: 7 October 2007.
2. ^ a b c d DePeel, Kirk (October 1993), Ghost of Moonville, <http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/moonvill.html>. Retrieved on 23 June 2007

External links

* Moonville, Ohio - The Haunted Train Tunnel
* Ghost of Moonville
* The Moonville Tunnel
* The Moonville Ghost


* Maps and aerial photos for 39°′″N 82°′″W / 39.3067, -82.3213Coordinates: 39°′″N 82°′″W / 39.3067, -82.3213
o Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
o Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA

Municipalities and communities of
Vinton County, Ohio
County seat: McArthur
Villages

Hamden | McArthur | Wilkesville | Zaleski

Map of Ohio highlighting Vinton County
Townships

Brown | Clinton | Eagle | Elk | Harrison | Jackson | Knox | Madison | Richland | Swan | Vinton | Wilkesville
Other localities

Creola | Ingham | Moonville | New Plymouth | Oreton | Ray

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... image&cd=3


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orange-n-brown 365
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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Image
Image
Hope Furnace
Description

The Hope Furnace is maintained by the State of Ohio - Department of Natural Resources.

The Hope Furnace stack is in fair condition, but some of the inner furnace has fallen, nearly blocking the tuyere's - this may have been done deliberately to prevent people from crawling inside the furnace, as it is on a popular hiking trail. The structure to the RH side of the furnace is probably the location of the engine house and/or boilers.

First Visit: 1Q-2001

Last Visit: 4Q-2001
History

Start of Operation: 1854

Blowout: 1875

Daily Tonnage: 15

Built By: Hope Furnace was built by Colonel Putman & Others

Stack:

Blast: Hot

Type: Charcoal

The Olde Forester reports: Statistics of the Hope Furnace are given in an 1870 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF OHIO. Production was 15 tons of cast iron per day and in 1870 the furnace produced 2,827 tons of foundry iron. The raw materials were iron ore, roasted to remove some the impurities, 1,150 to 1,225 pounds; 70 pounds of limestone; and 35 bushels of charcoal. The charcoal was produced from trees on the nearby forest. Ore from the vicinity was unsatisfactory, so they brought ore from the Vinton Furnace Tract via the Big Sand Railroad -- the roadbed which is now under the waters of Lake Hope. Added was 70 pounds of limestone to complete the chemical reaction when heated to 950 degrees by the blast.

This site attracts visitors since it is part of a state park. I like to pitch a tent at the campgrounds located just north of the site. The site makes a nice base of operations for a long weekend of field work.
Directions

The Hope Furnace is located on Rt278, on the RH side of Lake Hope. The furnace is on the west side of the road, about a mile north of the ranger station.
Hope Furnace
Description

The Hope Furnace is maintained by the State of Ohio - Department of Natural Resources.

The Hope Furnace stack is in fair condition, but some of the inner furnace has fallen, nearly blocking the tuyere's - this may have been done deliberately to prevent people from crawling inside the furnace, as it is on a popular hiking trail. The structure to the RH side of the furnace is probably the location of the engine house and/or boilers.

First Visit: 1Q-2001

Last Visit: 4Q-2001
History

Start of Operation: 1854

Blowout: 1875

Daily Tonnage: 15

Built By: Hope Furnace was built by Colonel Putman & Others

Stack:

Blast: Hot

Type: Charcoal

The Olde Forester reports: Statistics of the Hope Furnace are given in an 1870 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF OHIO. Production was 15 tons of cast iron per day and in 1870 the furnace produced 2,827 tons of foundry iron. The raw materials were iron ore, roasted to remove some the impurities, 1,150 to 1,225 pounds; 70 pounds of limestone; and 35 bushels of charcoal. The charcoal was produced from trees on the nearby forest. Ore from the vicinity was unsatisfactory, so they brought ore from the Vinton Furnace Tract via the Big Sand Railroad -- the roadbed which is now under the waters of Lake Hope. Added was 70 pounds of limestone to complete the chemical reaction when heated to 950 degrees by the blast.

This site attracts visitors since it is part of a state park. I like to pitch a tent at the campgrounds located just north of the site. The site makes a nice base of operations for a long weekend of field work.
Directions

The Hope Furnace is located on Rt278, on the RH side of Lake Hope. The furnace is on the west side of the road, about a mile north of the ranger station.


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Vinton County

* Home »
* History »
* Places »
* Vinton County

On March 23, 1850, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Vinton County. Residents named the county after Samuel Finley Vinton, a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.

Vinton County is located in southeastern Ohio. It is predominantly rural, with just six percent of the county s 414 square miles consisting of urban areas. It is in Appalachia. With a population of 1,888 people, McArthur, the county seat, was the county s largest community in 2000. Vinton County experienced a sizable increase in population—15.4 percent—between 1990 and 2000, raising the total number of residents to 12,806 people. Many residents of Ohio s rural communities are seeking better lives and more opportunities in the state s cities, but Vinton County is growing in population. Still, Vinton County has the smallest population of all of Ohio s eighty-eight counties. Vinton County averages thirty-one people per square miles.

Farming is the primary occupation of Vinton County residents. The second largest employer in Vinton County is the government, with manufacturing businesses a close third. During the late nineteenth century, iron ore and coal mining were major businesses in the county. In 1999, the per capita income in the county was 16,423 dollars. Almost nineteen percent of the people lived in poverty.

Most voters in Vinton County claim to be independents, yet in recent years, they have overwhelmingly supported Republican Party candidates at the national level.


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Doc Panther
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Re: Some Vinton County History

Post by Doc Panther »

Somebody needs to contact the Sci Fi channels GHost Hunters for a trip to Moonville. It's rather easy to get to if you have directions. I enjoyed my visit and even though I captured no ghostly pictures I still marveled at the history and location of this place. Every year I backback and camp on the Zaleski hiking trail nearby. One year I traveled past Moonville and one of the other ghost-towns in this area. It's a remarkable story considering that these were once thriving towns with schools and churches and stores.

People have captured ghostly pictures of the brakeman of Moonville...supposedly killed by a train on the Moonville tracks.

I wouldn't stay there all night.....might visit with the chance to run like hell if necessary.


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orange-n-brown 365
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Re: Some Vinton County History

Post by orange-n-brown 365 »

The Iron Furnace also has a ghost! :122245 personally haven't seen it but heard about it!
I always looked at night when we passed it! I lived about 5 miles or so from it! :122245


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mustang_lvr
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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Heard people talk about Moonville tunnel


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1974Viking
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Re: Some Vinton County History

Post by 1974Viking »

Very Good Information on Moonville Tunnel. I grew up swimming in the Creek there.Only problem is, now people know where I live.....Again great reading, and thanks for the time you put in writing and researching this. I was always told that their was a headless man with a latern walking up and down the railroad tracks. Wouldn't be caught there after dark....


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Politicians who were born in Vinton County

* McArthur: Horatio C. Claypool 1859


Politicians who lived in Vinton County

* McArthur: Edward Franklin Bingham - David H. Moore - W. J. Jones - Delbert Reese - Homer E. Abele
* No city given: Harvey Wells
* Zaleski: A. C. Sands


Politicians who died in Vinton County

* Hamden: Homer E. Abele 2000


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Vinton, Samuel Finley (1792-1862) — also known as Samuel F. Vinton — of Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio. Born in Massachusetts, 1792. Whig. U.S. Representative from Ohio, 1823-37, 1843-51 (7th District 1823-33, 6th District 1833-37, 12th District 1843-51); candidate for Governor of Ohio, 1851. Died in 1862. Interment at Pine Street Cemetery, Gallipolis, Ohio. Vinton County, Ohio is named for him.


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Image
map from 1877


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Anyone have any information on a castle that is out in Vinton County ?


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Origins of Vinton County Place Names
This information comes from various sources. I can only assume that they are correct since many of these explainations of place name origins are now dependent on histories and tradition. Any original documents that may have supported many of these stories, either never existed or are long gone.
Vinton County:
The county was named after Samuel Finley Vinton of Gallipolis, an Ohio statesman and a United States Representative for 20 years. The county was named after him because he was a respected person in the area.
Township Names:
Brown:
According to one source it was named after the surname Brown, which was the most common surname in the United States (at that time). This township came from Hocking County.

Clinton:
Named after a distinguished American, George Clinton, the first governor of New York, a general and Vice President of the United States. This township came from Jackson County.

Eagle:
It was named for the bird. This township came from Ross County.

Elk:
The township was named for the herd of elk that roamed the county, especially around Elk Fork Church located one mile north of McArthur. This township came from Athens County.

Harrison:
It was named for President William Henry Harrison. This township came from Jackson County.

Jackson:
It was named after President Andrew Jackson. This township came from Hocking County.

Knox:
It was named after Henry Knox, a Revolutionary War general and the Secretary of War under President Washington. This township came from Athens County.

Madison:
It was named after President James Madison. This township came from Athens County.

Richland:
It was named for the rich and abundant natural resources in the area. This township came from Jackson County.

Swan:
It was named for the bird. This township came from Hocking County.

Vinton:
It was named after the same Samuel Vinton that the county was named for. This township came from Athens County.

Wilkesville:
It was named after Captain Wilkes, an industrialist, who lived in the township. This township came from Gallia County.
Town and City Names:
Allensville:
Founded by Henry Cozad in 1837, it was named in honor of William Allen, a United States senator from Ohio and later Governor of Ohio.

Arbaugh:
Apparently named for a person or family with the surname of Arbaugh.

Bolin's Mills:
William Bolen established mills here in 1845.

Creola:
Some say that it was originally called Karns City and Karns Grove when it was laid out in 1830 and started in the 1860s by Cornelius Karns of Greenbriar, Virginia. Mrs. Doretta Steele suggested naming it for the Creole Indians, since the Post Office was getting confused by the two names.

Dundas:
It was settled by Scottish immigrants. Dundas is supposed to mean "town" in a Scottish dialect. The mining industry in the 1870's was probably responsible for the towns existence.

Eagle Mills:
Started as a mill in Eagle Township.

Elk Fork:
It was named for the elk herds in the area. Founded on Elk Fork Creek in Elk Fork Township.

Hawk or Hawks:
Named after an early settler in the area, Wes Hawk.

Hue:
Speculation says it may refer to the colorful fall scenery on the hills of the area.

McArthur:
Named for General Duncan McArthur of the War of 1812. He was also a large land owner in southern Ohio. The town was laid out in 1815 and was originally called McArthurstown. I have seen Mc spelled as Mac sometimes. The town name was changed to McArthur and the town was incorporated on February 7, 1851 by an act of the legislature.

Minerton:
It was never a platted town. It just sprang up around 1880 due to the coming of the Hocking Valley Railroad. Coal mining at the community account for its name.

New Plymouth:
It sprang up around 1838. It was named for Plymouth, Massachusetts by early settlers from New England.

Oreton:
No longer a town. The Acme Cement plant was located there in more recent years (1950s).

Orland:
Named for the ore industry here.

Potters Ridge:
This area or community in Jackson Township was named for all the pottery manufacturers in the area because of the fine pottery clay found there.

Prattsville:
A Massachusetts native and Revolutionary War veteran, Ephriam Pratt, is believed to be the patriarch of the family that owned the land where this community was established.

Radcliff:
Probably named for Jonathan Radcliff, who arrived here in 1826 or 1827..

Ratcliffsburg:
It is thought to be named for John Ratcliff, who settled in the township between 1812 and 1820. Judy Schoch, email: rs01650@alltel.net, provides the following: "Ratcliffsburg was laid out by Timothy Ratcliff about 1850. He was hoping that the railroad would be built following Route 50. A Ratcliff researcher who lives in Columbus told me this several years ago. So far I have not found deeds to support this, but I do know that he bought land in section 11 of Harrison Twp, Vinton Co., Ohio, in 1815." Ratcliffsburg is at the corner where sections 10, 11, 14 and 15 meet.

Ray:
This town straddles the county line between Jackson and Vinton Counties. I'm not sure which county it really belongs in. Maybe both. It was originally called Raysville and was named after Moses Ray who started the town in 1854. Descendents of the Ray family still live there.

Richland:
There was never a platted town here. The community takes its name from the rich land of the area as does the township name.

Vale's Mills:
Probably named for J. Q. A. Vale, the nephew of pioneer Samuel Vale. J. Vale owned and operated a mill near here for many years.

Vinton:
Like the village in Gallia County, it was named for Samuel Finley Vinton.

Wilkesville:
It was named after Captain Wilkes, an industrialist, who lived in the township and owned land where the town is located. The town was laid out in 1810 by Henry Due, the agent of Mr. Wilkes.

Zaleski:
Named for Peter Zaleski, a native of Poland and a Parisian banker who laid out the town in 1856 on the land of his Zaleski Mining Company. It was incorporated in 1880.


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orange-n-brown 365
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Re: Some Vinton County History

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FalconFan wrote:Anyone have any information on a castle that is out in Vinton County ?



Here is a website for it!
http://www.ravenwoodcastle.com/

http://www.bloggingohio.com/2007/01/30/d/


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Orange, are you sure you are orange-n-brown? You sound awful maroon and white to me :aaaaa59


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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freakintheseat wrote:Orange, are you sure you are orange-n-brown? You sound awful maroon and white to me :aaaaa59


I was maroon and white until I had to come to the land of orange n brown :122246
lived there 14 years :122245 but been in the land of orange n brown longer :122247


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Re: Some Vinton County History

Post by vikefan »

Thanks for the great history you have shared !


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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Zaleski is a village in Vinton County.

The community was named for Peter Zaleski, owner of a mining company operating here

The latitude of Zaleski is 39.282N. The longitude is -82.395W.
It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 755 feet.

The estimated population, in 2003, was 394.

Image

my dad was born and raised here... :122245


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Re: Some Vinton County History

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The town of Richland was a company town that existed only because of Richland Furnace.


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