Urban Exploration

Urban Exploration. Local History Sites, and the Almost Famous.

Places we think are kind of awesome for one reason or another, along with a brief description of why we think so. These are places that need to be remembered. Endangered, under-utilized, under-appreciated, macabre, or just plain....different, these are some places that we feel need a little more play in the court of public awareness.

The Dolomite Cliffs Clifton, OH is home to a 269-acre State Nature Preserve charged with protecting a most beautiful landscape. It is here that The Little Miami River has been carving through its surrounding dolomite and limestone since glaciers dominated the area, creating magnificent views of imposing cliffs and rushing rapids that must be seen to be truly appreciated.	Tipp Roller Mill Completed in 1839, this historic grist mill on the site of Lock 15 of The Miami and Erie Canal is a year older than Tipp City itself.	Captain's Quarters Captain's quarters of the deteriorating canal boat on the canal lock in Tipp City. Accommodations were quaint, if not completely claustrophobia inducing. The captain's duties would have been basic navigation, record keeping, and loss prevention. A rare sight today, a peek into 1912.
Cargo Hold The cargo hold of the canal boat on lock 15 in Tipp City, OH. This would have been full of provisions in colonial America. The grist mill on lock 15 would have manufactured flour primarily for transport to other stops further down the canal.	The City Hotel A three story hotel entertained guests at the corner of Second St. and Main St. in downtown Tipp from its completion in 1852 until it ceased hotel operations in 1925. Now known as the Hotel Gallery, it features shops, artist's studios, and galleries in the former guestrooms.	Tipp Canal Boat This boat is a strange, yet somehow familiar, sight behind the Tipp Roller Mill building. A glimpse at this floating historical tribute to a bygone era elicits daydreams of a much simpler time.
Roller Mill Venue The three story historic former mill in Tipp City currently operates as a local entertainment venue. This intimate stage hosts local artists eager to jam within the confines of the iconic-red walls. Some new life inside the old soul.	Miami-Erie Canal Lock 18 Restored in 2011, this once neglected canal lock on the corner of Endicott Rd. and Fishburg Rd. in Huber Heights, OH has enjoyed a rebirth as a public park. Currently full of stray garbage (Stay classy Huber Heights), it's nice to know someone cares enough to maintain it now.	Tadmor Village Once the most important crossroads in the Miami Valley, the now abandoned Village of Tadmor had everything it took to thrive. When the railroad came through in 1851, the village had all 4 major transportation methods of the time at its disposal. Crippled like everything else the flood of 1913 touched, the Taylorsville Dam was built to protect the area yet it rendered Tadmor almost useless. It is mere ruins today accessible by 1.3 mile hike or bike ride in Taylorsville MetroPark Vandalia, OH.
Cemetery Road Covered Bridge Also known as The Glen Helen Covered Bridge, it was built in 1886 by Henry Hebble. The bridge was relocated in 1975 to its current location traversing the Yellow Springs Creek, and has been collecting colorful artwork ever since.	Bock's Car This aerial chunk of world history is the deadliest aircraft you've never heard of. This is the airplane that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Nagasaki was not Bockscar's primary target for Fat Man, but an overcast day in Kokura, Japan rendered visual target confirmation impossible. The same clouds that saved Kokura, proved to be fatal to 35,000 in Nagasaki. Fat Man injured another 60,000, and annihilated 44% of the city.	The Rip Rap Road Bridge Built in 1923, The Rip Rap Road bridge is a beautiful side attraction of The Buckeye Trail system in Huber Heights, OH. It is an astonishing 300 foot long, 18 foot wide, single span Pettit truss that traverses the Great Miami River to a prompt dead-end. The Pettit truss construction, also referred to as a Pennsylvania truss, was a common method of building long spans primarily for railway use.
The Buckeye Trail When Merrill Gilfillan proposed the building of this trail in 1958 in an article for The Columbus Dispatch, his idea was a trail from Cincinnati to Lake Erie. The first 20 miles of trail would be dedicated a year later in Hocking County. Today The Buckeye Trail extends over 1,444 miles, completes a circle around Ohio, and passes through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the state. It is built and maintained entirely by volunteers, and is passable by foot and bicycle.	The Big Four Bridge After the Great Flood of 1913 washed out the tracks of the existing Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad line, the need arose to relocate the tracks south of town. Five deaths and an amateur demolition attempt later, the bridge was finished in 1923... or maybe 1924? Perhaps we should ask the worker still buried in the marked concrete pillar, anyone speak buried-alive-EVP Spanish? The result is a massive, skyline-dominating structure, that dwarfs the three-span abandoned one in the foreground.	Eldean Bridge Built in 1860 as the Allen's Mill Bridge, The Eldean Covered Bridge is a 224 feet long two-span wooden covered bridge. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. When the Old Blenheim Bridge in North Blenheim, New York met an untimely fate at the hands of Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011, it left Eldean Bridge alone at the top as the longest "Long truss" covered bridge in the world.
Charleston Falls Charleston Falls. 2535 Ross Rd. Tipp City, OH. 216 acres. 4 miles of trails. 37 foot tall waterfall originating from local underground springs. First occupants were North American Indians; burial mounds, fire pits and artifacts have all been found on the grounds.	Tipp City Historic Downtown Tippecanoe City was founded in 1840 by John Clark along the old Miami and Erie Canal. The US Postal service began abbreviating the name in the 1930's to resolve a conflict with another Ohio area called Tippecanoe 200 miles away. Tipp City has a population of approximately 10,000 today. The original downtown was a popular stop on the canal, and at that time was home to bars and a red-light district.	The Narrows Pet Cemetery The Narrows Pet Cemetery, Dayton, OH. Opened 1929, closed 1989 stemming from an investigation in August of that year in which the remains of 40 animals were discovered unburied. The rear of the grounds appear to have been forgotten completely, while the air seems to change dramatically from the front to the back. It is this area, along with the adjacent Scout Leadership area on the other side of the back fence, that is said to be patrolled by a white spectral German Shepherd.
The Relic Room at Maria Stein Chapel of the Holy Relics at Maria Stein. 2nd largest private collection of holy relics in the USA. Offer a prayer candle for friends or family in need of a boost while surrounded by bones and artifacts of Catholic saints.	Miami-Erie Canal Lock 15 The canal lock that built Tipp City. The lock was abandoned after it was extensively damaged during the Great Flood of 1913.	Repurposed Railroad Bridge Once upon time, this was an abandoned railroad bridge. Now, with some assistance from the City of Troy, Concord Township, Miami County Parks District, and The Troy Foundation, this once ugly duckling has been restored and re-purposed into a beautiful swan.
Piqua Nuclear Reactor The Piqua Nuclear Generating Station was the first municipal nuclear power plant in the world. Plagued with technical issues during its short life span (1963-1966), its organically cooled reactor was experimental and viewed as very risky by the public. The reactor dome stands today on its original site on Water St. in Piqua, OH, and is currently used as city storage. The first step to nuclear power, for better or worse, is right here.	Falknor Road Bridge The Falknor Road Bridge(s) is a two-span, pin-connected through truss platform crossing over the Stillwater river just south of Covington OH. Built in 1899, it is connected to State Rt. 48 by a beautiful stone arch bridge of its own (also 1899) and is closed to all traffic today. A new bridge currently serves this ones old directive, and was built in 1971. This wonderful piece of local history still stands today in The FL Blankenship Riverside Sanctuary.	Piqua Reactor Bridge This footbridge is on the bike-way in Piqua traversing the Great Miami River. It is notable that it is merely a half-bridge, the right side was used as a simple cooling system for the nuclear reactor behind it. Open to the public (must carry bicycles, one pedestrian at a time).
Twin Arch Culvert The Twin Arch Stone Culvert site is one of only two remaining of its type in Ohio. An easy to miss treasure due to it's location under the path itself. Adjacent to a convenient concrete boat launch.	Eldean Covered Bridge. Again. Because, I mean, just look at this...

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Urban Exploration. Local History Sites, and the Almost Famous.

The Dolomite Cliffs

Tipp Roller Mill

Completed in 1839, this historic grist mill on the site of Lock 15 of The Miami and Erie Canal is a year older than Tipp City itself.

Captain's Quarters

Captain's quarters of the deteriorating canal boat on the canal lock in Tipp City. Accommodations were quaint, if not completely claustrophobia inducing. The captain's duties would have been basic navigation, record keeping, and loss prevention. A rare sight today, a peek into 1912.

Cargo Hold

The cargo hold of the canal boat on lock 15 in Tipp City, OH. This would have been full of provisions in colonial America. The grist mill on lock 15 would have manufactured flour primarily for transport to other stops further down the canal.

The City Hotel

A three story hotel entertained guests at the corner of Second St. and Main St. in downtown Tipp from its completion in 1852 until it ceased hotel operations in 1925. Now known as the Hotel Gallery, it features shops, artist's studios, and galleries in the former guestrooms.

Tipp Canal Boat

This boat is a strange, yet somehow familiar, sight behind the Tipp Roller Mill building. A glimpse at this floating historical tribute to a bygone era elicits daydreams of a much simpler time.

Roller Mill Venue

The three story historic former mill in Tipp City currently operates as a local entertainment venue. This intimate stage hosts local artists eager to jam within the confines of the iconic-red walls. Some new life inside the old soul.

Miami-Erie Canal Lock 18

Restored in 2011, this once neglected canal lock on the corner of Endicott Rd. and Fishburg Rd. in Huber Heights, OH has enjoyed a rebirth as a public park. Currently full of stray garbage (Stay classy Huber Heights), it's nice to know someone cares enough to maintain it now.

Tadmor Village

Cemetery Road Covered Bridge

Also known as The Glen Helen Covered Bridge, it was built in 1886 by Henry Hebble. The bridge was relocated in 1975 to its current location traversing the Yellow Springs Creek, and has been collecting colorful artwork ever since.

Bock's Car

The Rip Rap Road Bridge

The Buckeye Trail

The Big Four Bridge

Eldean Bridge

Charleston Falls

Charleston Falls. 2535 Ross Rd. Tipp City, OH. 216 acres. 4 miles of trails. 37 foot tall waterfall originating from local underground springs. First occupants were North American Indians; burial mounds, fire pits and artifacts have all been found on the grounds.

Tipp City Historic Downtown

The Narrows Pet Cemetery

The Relic Room at Maria Stein

Chapel of the Holy Relics at Maria Stein. 2nd largest private collection of holy relics in the USA. Offer a prayer candle for friends or family in need of a boost while surrounded by bones and artifacts of Catholic saints.

Miami-Erie Canal Lock 15

The canal lock that built Tipp City. The lock was abandoned after it was extensively damaged during the Great Flood of 1913.

Repurposed Railroad Bridge

Once upon time, this was an abandoned railroad bridge. Now, with some assistance from the City of Troy, Concord Township, Miami County Parks District, and The Troy Foundation, this once ugly duckling has been restored and re-purposed into a beautiful swan.

Piqua Nuclear Reactor

Falknor Road Bridge

Piqua Reactor Bridge

This footbridge is on the bike-way in Piqua traversing the Great Miami River. It is notable that it is merely a half-bridge, the right side was used as a simple cooling system for the nuclear reactor behind it. Open to the public (must carry bicycles, one pedestrian at a time).

Twin Arch Culvert

The Twin Arch Stone Culvert site is one of only two remaining of its type in Ohio. An easy to miss treasure due to it's location under the path itself. Adjacent to a convenient concrete boat launch.

Eldean Covered Bridge. Again.

Because, I mean, just look at this...