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| History of Lake Hope |
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| Though the roar of the iron furnaces no longer echoes through the hills of Vinton County, there are many reminders of days gone by at Lake Hope State Park. Situated at the heart of Ohio's Hanging Rock iron region, Lake Hope State Park reflects the rich history of much of southeastern Ohio. |
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The Hope Furnace was built here over 100 years ago to process the iron ore extracted from the region's sandstone bedrock. The iron resulting from the ore smelting process was used to produce many different items, including ammunition and cannon for the Union Army during the Civil War. Hundreds of men labored cutting timber, working the furnace and driving teams of mules hauling iron ore to the furnace. |
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Charcoal fires were tended 24 hours a day; so much wood was
required for this process that the surrounding hillsides were almost
completely stripped of their timber. At the height of the Hope Furnace's
production, Ohio was one of the nation's leading producers of iron. As
time passed, iron ore was discovered farther west and Ohio's reputation as
a major iron producer waned. By 1900, nearly all of the major furnaces in southern Ohio were shut down. Today, the Hope Furnace chimney and some of the foundation are all that remain of the structure. In the vicinity of the chimney, one may find pieces of slag, the cast-off residue from the smelting process. These pock-marked, glass-like pieces have now become a part of the forest floor. The forest we now see is one that has grown back where hundreds of years ago a primeval forest once stood. For a time, coal was an important Vinton County export. A number of mines tunneled into the hills and large quantities of coal were transported out in ox-drawn coal cars. Most of the mines were abandoned early in this century. |
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Near to Lake Hope State Park is the famous Moonville
railroad tunnel. Legend has it that a ghost haunts the abandoned
track in the tunnel. If you visit on dark, rainy nights, you
may catch a glimpse of the ghost waving his lantern! |
| Although officially opened in 1940 as "Zaleski Forest Park" under the management of the Division of Forestry, the name "Lake Hope State Park" wasn't created until 1949 when the Division of Parks and Recreation came into existence and took over management of the facility. |
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Take a Postcard tour of early Zaleski
Forest Park aka Lake Hope State Park |
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The following are black and white real photo postcards made in the
late 1930's and early 1940's. Many of the photos may have
originally been engineering photographs taken during the construction of
the park.
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