There are some hikes, and in my case drives, along the Buckeye Trail where the history of the area is pretty much front and center. These sections have historical markers, visitor centers with access to information on the area’s past and architecture that when viewed with a critical eye can help put the pieces of the past together. The West Union section of the Buckeye Trail is just the opposite for its history is a bit more hidden. So far on this journey I explore then research the history of an area partly because I am so close to these sections that if I want to revisit them it will not be an issue. However, with the West Union section I am getting to the point where multiple trips to a section may not be feasible.
The West Union section taught me that researching an area before heading out will make future adventures more rewarding. I wish I knew then, when I was exploring the West Union section of the Buckeye Trail, what I know now. Honestly, I thought I would have an entry or two at most on the history of the area. But as I sit here, coffee in hand, winds howling outside my office window, I am unearthing a wealth of fascinating information on this little section of the Buckeye Trail.
To tell the history of the West Union section of the Buckeye Trail we need to start with the Ohio River. While we only have a few brief views of this majestic waterway (Gift Run Road or if you dip into Manchester) the river is key to history of the West Union section.
The Ohio River; the pathway to new territories to discover by European explores and brave and ambitious settlers. The Ohio River; the boundary between Native Americans and Europeans, then the dividing line between free and slave states and always a thriving commercial route.
The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania then flows 900 miles downstream at Cairo, Illinois, where it joins the Mississippi River. The Iroquois called the river, “O-Y-O” or the great river. One of the first Europeans to see the Ohio River was Frenchman Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1669. He named the river "la belle riviere" or "the beautiful river."
Le Salle was born to wealthy French merchants on November 21, 1643. Le Salle opted not to go into the family business and instead entered into the Society of Jesus. He was planning to become a priest which ended up not suiting him as well as he had hoped. Poor, having had to denounce his wealth when joining the Jesuits, Le Salle had to make a fresh start for himself. He sailed to Canada to join his brother and became a fur trader in the Ohio River valley and explored the Mississippi River with the hope of establishing a line of trading post stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. As a trader and explorer La Salle reestablished his standing in military, social and political circles. He was able to establish good relations with the Native Americans, key in successful trading. The land he explored was claimed on behalf of Louis XIV, the King of France and called it Louisiana.
La Salle returned to France to promote settlement in the new ‘French’ territory. Returning to the New World with 200 colonists depending on him, La Salle missed the mouth of the Mississippi River. Leaving a few men behind to build a fort in Matagorda Bay, Texas, he set back out in search of his original destination. This proved to be a fatal error for La Salle. He was killed by revolting members of this search party on March 19, 1687. La Salle may not have achieved his goal of establishing trading posts from the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi, but he did play a crucial role in establishing the French control of this area that would last for nearly a 100 years.
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