The Dayton region is linking to a nationwide network of bicycle routes, the first in Ohio designated as U.S. Bike Route 50 from the Indiana border in Preble County to Steubenville on the WV border.

The road traveled from Cincinnati, the Old Pinckney Road it was called locally due to its proximity to Pinckney Pond, which was in the area just south of the expressway and north of Valley Road. This was literally a wagon trail along what was believed to have been an Indian route to the Ohio River.

Before the road laws were legislated and improvements began, the Pinckney Road, or Trail, was the first path accessible to the pioneers from Fort Washington (Cincinnati) to Bellbrook. It ran from the Queen City to Lebanon, passed through Bellbrook on Main Street, proceeded north toward Alpha and passed by Pinckney Pond, in which the road was supposedly so named.

A local story from the Beavercreek Historical Society's 'Beavercreek Chronicles':

One night, John and Samuel Morningstar went out on Pinckney pond in a canoe with their guns and a large torch. Proceeding slowly along the banks, they suddenly came upon a large buck standing at the edge of the water. The blinding light of the torch seemed to petrify the animal with fright and the sudden appearance of such large game gave the boys a genuine attack of what is known among hunters as ‘buckague’. The boys recovered and shot the deer. It bounded directly into the boat, capsized the hunters, and a long struggle took place in the water which finally ended when the boys succeeded in dispatching the deer.

Head south on Grange Hall Road, the intersection of Dayton-Xenia Road features the Charity Grange No. 1208 Building, currently known as the Beavercreek Event Center.  This Hawker Church-based Grange was a spin-off of the Beaver Grange which met at Beaver Church east of Alpha.  

Early Granges were established as a farmer’s collective for bulk purchasing plows, washing machines, coffee, sugar, tea and other commodities.  This fraternity stressed organization, education, cooperation and legislation as a remedy to some of the farm and national problems.  Charity Grange No. 1208 was organized in 1875 and originally met in the basement of Hawker Church.  This block building replaced a two-story frame building in 1953.

• Leonard's Parts Garage Leonard's Parts Garage
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Our tour begins at 2800 New Germany-Trebein Road – formerly the 112 acre farm of J.L. Lantz and currently The Beavercreek Golf Club.  The 1855 farms of Sam Brown, Edward Tobias, George Harner and Henry Ankeney were cut from the rolling, densely wooded hills of this area known as ‘The Big Woods’.

Born in 1919, lifelong Beavercreek resident Ruth Booher-Stafford recalled young ladies from around her home near Alpha sneaking away from home to attend parties in 'The Big Woods' area.  Often, to the embarassment of their parents, they'd be stranded overnight due to the treacherous route and extreme darkness of the journey back home again.

As you exit Golf Club Boulevard, the green to your left was the approximate location of the Rudisell blacksmith shop, one of over a dozen throughout the township.  We’ll soon turn west toward N. Fairfield, but at the crest of the hill to your left was the location of the Harshman-Walters Cabin.  This was the oldest structure in Beavercreek until destroyed by fire during restoration on November 23, 2004.  Thought to have been originally owned by a member of the Harshman family, it was a 19’x17’ log building with a loft containing a porthole to lookout for Indians.  It is believed that it had also been a toll gate house, which is how funding was raised to clear timber and construct roads.

Much of history is documented in obituaries and on headstones.  Beavercreek has numerous cemeteries, large and small.  One of the smaller, quaint ones is located just to the north of here off of Pascal Drive.  A few images of the Reese-Petro cemetery follow...