HamiltonCo

Sites along the Presidential Pathway--Hamilton County

Shawnee Lookout Park
Congress Green Cemetery
Harrison's Tomb
Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel
Kilby Rd (Site of the Whitewater Canal)
Whitewater Canal Marker

Morgan's Raiders Marker
Downtown Harrison (Main Street USA)
Gov. Othniel Looker House
Miami Whitewater Forest
Passmore Cabin
White Water Shaker Village

Shawnee Lookout Park

2008 Lawrenceberg Rd. North Bend, OH 45052 Get Directions
(1,156 acres, Miami Township): I-275 to Kilby Road exit, right on Kilby Road, right onto U.S. 50, left onto Lawrenceburg Road to park entrance on left approximately 1.5 miles.

William Henry Harrison's (9th President) homestead in Ohio and birthplace of Benjamin Harrison (23rd President of USA). The Harrison homestead was one of the first established in southwest Ohio. The home is no longer standing.
Acres: 1,421
18-hole golf course -- (513) 941-0120
Shawnee Centre, which serves as a clubhouse, pro shop, snack bar and visitor center with archeological exhibits and restrooms.
Springhouse School and Log Cabin which illustrate how early pioneer settlers lived (open holidays and Sundays, May through September).
Playgrounds, a play field, picnic areas, a reservable shelter and three nature trails.
Boat launching ramp with access to the Great Miami and Ohio Rivers. Bank fishing is permitted at this site; however, anglers and boaters should use caution due to shallow waters.
900 additional acres of wetlands adjacent to the park along with 300 acres of Oxbow Wetlands owned by the Park District. Combined, these wetlands provide valuable habitat for many birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, as well as plants and insects.

If you love nature, see Oxbow, Inc. Wetlands Preserve.
The Oxbow does not have a street address. It is always open unless the Ohio river stage at Cincinnati is over 35'. (The area floods at this level).
Driving directions: To get to the Oxbow area go south on US Hwy 50 from the I-275 #16 (Lawrenceburg) exit. In about 200 yards, turn left (east) at the edge of the Shell/Subway and go over the levee to the front of the cement plant. Turn right and go to the Oxbow entrance sign. Turn left into the Oxbow. A gravel road runs along Oxbow Lake and Jackpot Pond and out over the levee beside Hollywood Casino. There is an overlook along this road for viewing Oxbow Lake.

North Bend and Cleves

	John Cleves Symmes and William Henry Harrison gained land grants from the US Congress, in what is now Southwest Ohio, to help settle the newly opened Northwest Territory	Congress Green Cemetery Cliff Rd near US 50. Across the street from Harrison's Tomb. Cliff Rd has an excellent view of the Ohio River. Early pioneer families, including the Symmes, Harrisons and Eatons are buried here. There tombstones give clues to the history of this area. Please be respectful of these founders who envisioned so much and worked so hard in the early years of the state.
Harrison's Tomb	View of the Ohio River from the tomb Brachiopods and other fossils are at your feet!	Harrison's Tomb Cliff Rd and US 50. William Henry Harrison (9th President of the United States) and some of his family are interred here. The tomb is opened daily to visitors. Although William Henry Harrison was only President for 30 days, rising to the office of President of the United States was not his only accomplishment. The inscription on this monument gives clues to the policies and practices of a later president: his grandson, Benjamin Harrison. The path to the tomb is made from local fossil-filled stone. A wooded park lies behind the tomb. The view of the Ohio River can't be beat!
		Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel S. Main St. in Cleves near US 50. Watch for the marker and follow the path down to the entrance to the Tunnel. After flowing along an aquaduct between Harrison and Cleves, the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal went into the darkness of the tunnel between Cleves and Cincinnati. A large tract of land for the canal was donated by William Henry Harrison. An engineering feat of its time, the canal and the tunnel were used to transport food from the west down to the growing city of Cincinnati. It was closed only a few years after it opened and later sold for a railroad route. Although the tunnel has been largely filled in in recent years, there are plans to use the basin as an amphitheater in the future.
		Kilby Rd Between I-74 and US 50. Kilby Rd is built on the site of the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal. It lies just east of the Whitewater River which flows into the Great Miami River just south of US 50. The Whitewater River provided the water for the canal. Top speed for a canal boat--2 mph.
While you are in Cleves and North Bend: Stop by the Cleves Presbyterian Church where President Benjamin Harrison was baptized. 25 State Rd. This is still an active Church. See the Harrison-Symmes Museum, on Main St. in Cleves. Open only Sunday afternoons. Try eating at the Cleves Family Restaurant on S. Main St. Check out Green Acres Canoe Rental, 10465 Suspension Bridge Rd. Visit Miamitown, Ohio. A small river town along the Great Miami River where William Henry Harrison delivered his famous speech on Slavery. The town sponsors a Ghost Tour in October. The American Discovery Trail crosses southern Ohio in Elizabethtown, just west of Cleves on Lawrenceburg Rd.

Harrison, OH and West Harrison, IN

	Whitewater Canal Junction Marker located on State St. in Harrison, a few blocks south of Main St. Another canal marker lies west of State St. in West Harrison. The Whitewater Canal follows US 52 into Harrison, veers left at the canal junction and meets up with the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal. It follows Campbell Rd. and Kilby Rd to US 50, veers left into Cleves, and meets up with the Whitewater Canal Tunnel in Cleves. The Junction increased Harrison's importance as a commercial hub for the area. Some remains of the canal are still located along this route. A prominent building still stands that is over 200 years old. It was used to unload lumber and grain from the canal boats. This building is located in W. Harrison and stands at Broadway and Railroad Sts. The Hollowell building is still being used to house a business. It is privately owned by a Mr. Wheeler, who is very interested in preserving this historic structure. The Whitewater Canal continued south inside Indiana to Lawrenceburg, lowered to the level of the Ohio River through a series of locks. Rent a canoe at Green Acres Canoe Rental and you can follow the route of the Whitewater River through this junction point.
	Morgan's Raiders Markers Five markers (see attached) will be placed in Harrison at: 1) Corner of State Street & Harrison Ave. 2) Corner of State Steet & Broadway St. 3) Corner of State Street and Harrison (Ohio’s response to the raid) 4) Harrison United Methodist Church, SE corner of S. Walnut & E. Broadway 5) Corner of Harrison Ave. and Walnut St. John Hunt Morgan, a Confederate General led over 2000 troops in a raid through southern Indiana and Ohio in 1863. Morgan and his troops raided Harrison on July 13 of that year, taking food and bolts of fabric which they used to keep the dust down behind their horses. The adventure became known as the 'Calico Raid' due to this practice. This was the farthest north any uniformed Confederate troops penetrated during the war. The Morgan Trail has been marked across Indiana and has been mapped out across Ohio. Morgan's men were assisted by southern sympathizers living in the area and shot at by Unionists. Morgan's Raiders cross the Whitewater River
	Downtown Harrison This town was named after President William Henry Harrison. The area in the 100-200 blocks of Main Street was designated as a "Main Street, USA" in 2005. Originally laid out in 1810, Harrison was one of the first settlements west of the Great Miami River. Some buildings remain from the 1800's, making walking the historical section along Main St and nearby streets a treasure hunt for any person interested in history. The Presbyterian Church at 115 S. Vine St. has excellent examples of stained glass windows. State St. (US 52) separates Harrison, OH from West Harrison, IN. State Road also connects the Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway (mostly in Indiana) and the Presidential Pathways Scenic Byway in Ohio. Shops bakeries and restaurants fill the buildings. Stop in the Market Street Grille for a great meal. For more information, contact the Harrison Community Center, 300 George St, Harrison, OH 45030, 513-367-2111.
	Gov. Othniel Looker's Home 10580 Marvin Rd, Harrison, OH 45030 Private home. To arrange group tours, please contact Mary Lou Smith at the Harrison Village Historical Society to arrange group tours. 513-367-9298. Gov. Looker was the 5th Governor of Ohio (1814) after serving in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate. He served with Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War. He built the first milled lumber dwelling in Harrison (Photo).

Crosby Township

Bike Path in the Miami Whitewater Forest.
The bike path circles the White Water Shaker Village.

Miami Whitewater Forest

9001 Mt. Hope Rd. Harrison, OH 45030 Get Directions
(4,279 acres, Crosby, Whitewater and Harrison Townships): I-74 to Dry Fork Road exit, turn right on Dry Fork Road, turn right on West Road to park entrance. Also accessible from Rt. 128 to Mt. Hope Road.

130-acre restored Shaker Trace Wetlands with a wildlife viewing shelter located along the Shaker Trace Trail.
Frisbee golf course, three nature trails, two Parcours Fitness Trails and an equestrian trail.
18-hole golf facility with driving range, cllubhouse and snack bar.
46-site campground and picnic and shelter areas.
Soccer complex for games and practices.
85-acre lake with fishing by rental boat only. Electric and gasoline motors up to 4 hp are permitted; bank fishing area.
Parky's Pirate Cove wet playground. Admission is $2.00 per child.
Pirate Parky's Pedal Bay - designated lake area for pedal boats equipped with water cannons.
Two-floored Visitor Center with nature displays and Nature's Niche gift store.

Passmore Cabin, completed in 1816.
located at the corner of New Haven And Baughman Rds, behind fire station in New Haven, Crosby Twp, Hamilton Co.
Tours by appointment only. Contact Bill Morgan at the Crosby Twp Historical Society, 513-367-9671.

Bill Morgan, an early mountain man re-enactor, will talk about all the furnishing of the cabin and early pioneer cooking! Beautiful flowers appear in spring provided by a local garden club.

Family House at White Water Shaker Village

White Water Shaker Village
located on Oxford Rd. in the Miami Whitewater Forest. (The Shaker Village is currently being restored by Friends of the White Water Shaker Village.) A bike path circles the village.
Tours available by appointment only. Call Richard Spence 513-772-7974 or James Innis 513-738-8764.

The White Water Shaker Village was established in 1824 by the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, generally called "Shakers." It is the only one of four Ohio Shaker villages retaining most of its original buildings in their original settings. The village contains 22 buildings, including at least two 'family' houses with women living on one side and men on the other side of the house.

While in Hamilton Co.
Taft Museum of Art--Masterworks of art are displayed in the home where President William Howard Taft (27th President of the United States) accepted his nomination to be President. The home was owned by Taft's half-brother, Charles Phelps Taft who started the collection. 316 Pike Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-4293, (513) 241-6243. The museum offers classes and family experiences with art as well as displaying a world class art collection, originated by President Taft.
Underground Railroad & Freedom Center 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, 513.333.7500
Vinoklet Winery serves wines made on the premises. 11069 Colerain Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45252, 513-385-9309.
The Fernald Preserve is the former site of a uranium processing plant. It has been recommissioned as a natural area with enhanced wetlands and prairie section. Trees have been planted to recreate what was growing in the area in the early 1900's. The Visitor's Center opened in 2008. 10995 Hamilton-Cleves Hwy. 513-648-4026