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Being history buffs and lovers of great cycling, several years ago we followed the Lewis and Clark route that explored the Louisiana Purchase.  Meriwether Lewis started that journey in Washington DC where he made arrangements, got authorization and funding, and received final instructions from President Jefferson. Lewis left DC on July 5, 1803 to join Clark by first traveling to Pittsburgh, PA.  In September he loaded his boats for a journey down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River then up to St. Louis.  Lewis met William Clark in Clarksville, Indiana for the final “pre-leg” of their expedition.  Our journey will follow Lewis’ river route, but on bicycles.  It took Lewis almost 6 months to reach St. Louis, we hope to do it in 3 weeks.

Another historic journey down the Ohio was taken by Reuben Gold Thwaites, his wife, son, and a friend (referred to as the Doctor).  His book “Afloat on the Ohio,” first published in 1897, chronicles his 6-week journey.  He chose a float boat (called Pilgrim, was 15 feet long by 4 feet wide) over a steamboat because it allowed him to experience local color; which we liken to exploring on a bicycle. Both of these journeys will provide historical context to our ride down the Ohio River. 

Ohio River data
The Ohio River, which flows southwesterly from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. The 981-mile (1,579 km) river flows through or along the border of six states and is the source of drinking water for three million people.

The name "Ohio" comes from the Seneca, Ohi:yo', meaning "Good River".  Numerous Native Americans civilizations lived along its valley and used the river as a major transportation and trading route.

Discovery of the Ohio River by English explorers occurred in the latter half of the 17th century. After English settlements began, the river served as a border between Kentucky and the Indiana Territory. Early pioneers used it as a primary transportation route for westward expansion. In his Notes on the State of Virginia published in 1781–82, Thomas Jefferson stated: "The Ohio is the most beautiful river on earth. Its current gentle, waters clear, and bosom smooth and unbroken by rocks and rapids, a single instance only excepted."

During the 19th century, the river was the southern boundary of the Northwest Territory and part of the border between free and slave territories. Where the river was narrow, it was the way to freedom for thousands of slaves escaping to the North using the Underground Railroad.

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