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The Case Of The Missing Milestone


cbustapeck
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I was browsing through the Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record at the Library of Congress, when I came across an interesting photograph of the S-Bridge on the National Road in Blaine, Ohio. It seems that there used to be a milestone on the bridge, but that in the intervening years, it has disappeared.

 

First look at these two HABS photographs, from the 1930s, the first one looking west, the second looking east. Then look at my photograph, the closest that I could find to the angle of the first one. How does a milestone like this disappear? It's not like the milestones by the roadside which can be dug up... or is there a story behind this that makes more sense? Either way, it's interesting.

 

1814131683_9f3169f36f_m.jpg 1814131673_ced814d696_m.jpg 1439607910_5216e44a75_m.jpg

 

Oh, and because I know you want it, a better photograph of these two great bridges: (or see more from the same set)

 

1439687266_d439395b78.jpg

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I was browsing through the Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record at the Library of Congress, when I came across an interesting photograph of the S-Bridge on the National Road in Blaine, Ohio. It seems that there used to be a milestone on the bridge, but that in the intervening years, it has disappeared.

 

First look at these two HABS photographs, from the 1930s, the first one looking west, the second looking east. Then look at my photograph, the closest that I could find to the angle of the first one. How does a milestone like this disappear? It's not like the milestones by the roadside which can be dug up... or is there a story behind this that makes more sense? Either way, it's interesting.

 

1814131683_9f3169f36f_m.jpg 1814131673_ced814d696_m.jpg 1439607910_5216e44a75_m.jpg

 

Oh, and because I know you want it, a better photograph of these two great bridges: (or see more from the same set)

 

1439687266_d439395b78.jpg

 

Ah, the Mystery of the Missing Milestone, involving the villain, Cobble, his confederate Flint, and their moll Gem!

 

Seriously...do you suppose a truck hit it or something like that? Over the years anything along the road suffers many accidents. Most old bridges, unrepaired, look like they were in a war zone.

 

Just a thought..and a keen eye indeed to spot the change.

 

Keep the Show on the Road

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Definitely an intriguing find although I think the "Where'd it come from?" is at least as interesting as the "Where'd it go?" I've not seen any round milestones like this but it has some similarities with the original two sided Ohio NR markers so it seems possible that it was part of the original 1828 construction. If that's true, then I wonder if any other bridges had similar markers. The rounded shoulder makes it vaguely similar in shape to the "regular" markers but, to me, the biggest similarity is its use of Cumberland as the primary reference point. The way it uses Wheeling, Zanesville, and Saint Clairsville (S.C.) as secondary reference points is also reminiscent of those "regular" markers.

 

Christopher probably knows this but not everyone. This is the oldest standing bridge in Ohio and was designated the Official Bridge of the state's bicentennial. (Did your state's bicentennial have an official bridge? Did your state have a bicentennial?) It was almost taken down in the 1990s but was saved, restored, and even has its own website. I'm betting there are some folks in Belmont County who know something about that marker.

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Christopher probably knows this but not everyone. This is the oldest standing bridge in Ohio and was designated the Official Bridge of the state's bicentennial. (Did your state's bicentennial have an official bridge? Did your state have a bicentennial?) It was almost taken down in the 1990s but was saved, restored, and even has its own website. I'm betting there are some folks in Belmont County who know something about that marker.

 

Hey, I don't know everything. Really. I just have good reference sources.

 

And it was my state's bicentennial bridge, at least at the time of the bicentennial - I'm only recently a Baltimorean. I didn't realize that it was the bicentennial bridge - I'm a former Clevelander - you know, those people who are ignorant of everything south of the Ohio Turnpike.

 

This goes into my long list of things to do further research on.

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From Sue Douglass, head of the Blaine Bridge Community Preservation Project, comes this bit of good news:

It is not lost ; it is at the top of the hill, near the westbound lane of the Historic National Road.
I hope to continue a dialog with Sue to see what else I can learn but thought that was a rather encouraging bit to start off with. The discouraging part is realizing that I must have driven by that marker several times without even noticing it. :blush:
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  • 8 months later...

Thanks to Sue's patience (I kept looking on the east end of the bridge.), I was able to find the marker and I've posted four photos in my gallery here. There can be little doubt that this is the marker that appears as part of the bridge in the HABS photos. I took a picture of some markings on the top of the marker thinking I could decipher them at home. No luck. If anyone would like a higher resolution copy of the photo to give it a try, just ask.

 

link corrected 9:43 7JUL08

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Hey Denny, your link is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Could you look at it? I'd like to see.

I think I've got it straight now. If there are still problem, click on the "Gallery" link at the top of the page. Right now they are the four newest images. When they are no longer the latest, they should still be in "Denny G's Gallery".

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