Experience the Rubberneck Tour
By SCOTT MCCLOSKEY Staff WriterArticle Photos
Americana at its best - wagon rides, apple dumplings, quilt displays, spinning and weaving demonstrations and candle pouring. These are just a few things patrons can expect to see and experience at the 38th annual Belmont County Free "Drive-it-Yourself" Rubberneck Tour.
The tour which is scheduled for 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, will highlight six locations in the Bethesda area of Belmont County this year. Steve Schumacher, who is an educator for the OSU Extension Office and a Rubberneck Tour committee member, said they have scheduled less stops than previous years, but have planned more activities at each stop. He said all six stops are located within a six mile radius.
Schumacher said, "We try to highlight agriculture in the different communities, so we always want to have two or three farms on the tour." Two of the farms featured on the tour have been in the same family for over a century.
He said they try to showcase a different part of Belmont County each year, and this year they are concentrating on the Bethesda area.
"We try to not only promote agriculture, but promote business within a community." He said if a business is on the tour, we ask them to provide some education about their product," Schumacher added.
The first stop on the tour is the nearly 100-acre Maple Spring Farm located at 41767 Palmer Road, along Ohio 149. The Maple Spring Farm has been in the Rice-Stephens family since 1904.
The farm supports about 25 head of cattle with pasture and hayfields. Some of the activities this stop will feature will include: The Ohio Valley Cattlemen Association selling ribeye steak sandwiches, the Belmont County Rabbit Committee Educational Clinic, a pie sale, and a tractor display.
The Jones Creek Candle Company which produces hand-poured, original candles and is located at 41614 Helen Gregg Road, Bethesda, will be the second stop on the tour. The 10-year-old, family-owned business has helped numerous schools and organizations establish successful fundraising programs.
Carol Jones, owner of Jones Creek said, "We will be pouring candles all day ... we're thrilled to be a part of the Rubberneck Tour."
Jones said many people don't realize exactly what they do at the candle business. In addition to touring the candle shop and learning about how candles are made, visitors also will have a chance to see a Japanese Koi pond, a goat display featuring the junior and master showman winner of the 2008 Belmont Co. Fair, and a landscaping display by Jack's Landscaping of St. Clairsville. The Union Local Football Moms will host a concession stand at this site.
The oldest Chautauqua site in the state of Ohio is the third stop along the tour route. Epworth Park, also located in Bethesda, was established in 1868 and soon became part of the Chautauqua Movement. Tenting gave way to a small community of cottages built around 1882 and of the original 90 cottages, 60 remain today The open house will feature four of the park's cottages, including numbers 72, 13, 57 and 50.
Epworth Park will include: a concession stand, historical display, quilt display and antique and craft dealers.
The Bethesda Fire Department, which includes the village's first fire truck, a 1927 Sutphen Engine, will be the fourth stop on the tour. Members of the department will be giving demonstrations of the truck, the Jaws of Life and rescue equipment. Refreshments will be provided.
The Sandra and Larry Cain Dairy Farm will showcase its dairy facility at the fifth stop on the tour. They milk 75 Holstein cows, grow corn and alfalfa hay on a 250-acre farm that is divided into three locations. Sandra Cain will showcase her raised bed gardens and landscaping. Other attractions at that location will include a petting zoo, woodworking shop, bake sale and demonstrations of spinning and weaving and a hand lathe. The Dairy Service Unit will provide ice cream cones and selling cheese items at this location.
A variety of activities are scheduled for the last stop on the tour, featuring the Marietta and Bob Martin Farm located at 60310 South 26 Road, three miles south of Bethesda. Bob Martin said he plans to showcase several structures on his farm, which has been in his family for over 200 years. The farm was purchased by Martin's great-great-great-grandfather in 1805. The first dwelling on the property was a log cabin, but the Martins live in the third house, built in 1856. He said he plans to spend time focusing on the history of the structures, including the main barn, which seems to be a colorful centerpiece of the family farm.
Martin said although they don't have farm animals anymore, it is still a working farm in some aspects and they plan on educating folks about the history of the farm. He said he will highlight the old corn crib, wagon shed, smoke house and coal house.
The Martins have many other activities scheduled for their stop, including wagon rides with a team of Belgian draft horses, demonstrations of radio-controlled airplanes and boats at their nearby pond, and other educational programs,.
The Rubberneck Tour is sponsored by the Belmont County Tourism Council, OSU Extension and the Belmont Soil & Water Conservation District.
The "drive-it-yourself" tour is free to the public. Maps and information can be obtained by calling the Belmont County Tourism Council at 740-695-4359, located at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville. The hours of the office are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday and they are closed from noon to 1 p.m. each day for lunch.
