Rails-to-Trails Heartland Trail,
Marshallville, OH //
Wayne County’s non-profit Rails-to-Trails newest project, the ‘Heartland Trail’, is on its third stage of development. Set to be fully completed in 2026, the trail is set to connect the Ohio-Erie Trail in Clinton to Orrville’s Allen Avenue. However, it doesn’t seem like the final product will not pave the section Marshallville to Warwick Road, which will hopefully get done in the future.
The Heartland Trail has garnered nationwide attention in bike circles. When completed, Ohio’s surprisingly robust trail system will be connected to the recently announced ‘Great American Rail Trail.’ The Heartland Trail will be included in the route that spans from Atlantic Coast in Washington DC across the US to the Pacific Coast in Washington State. In Ohio, the trail will connect to the aforementioned Ohio-Erie Trail. This trail spans the state vertically from the Ohio River and Cincinnati in the south to Lake Erie and Cleveland in the north.
Rails-to-Trails isn’t necessarily a bad idea and I gotta say the corn-filled pastures of Wayne County, OH are picturesque. Recently, this week I asked myself often, "Why does it take non-profits to provide public services?” Not to say I’m complaining about the trail, I LOVE HIKING! More to ask, “What systems allowed this rail to become a trail in the first place?”
The rail being replaced was the Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus (CA&C) Railroad. A route that ran through Marshallville on its Cleveland-Columbus route; connecting residents of far flung towns and villages with national connections until 1950. Time tables from back in 1883 showed the express service took just over 2.5 hours to traverse from Cleveland to Marshallville and just over 4 hours to finish the route from Marshallville to Columbus. A city which, in fact, currently doesn’t even have an Amtrak connection. Furthermore, the route 140 years ago had local stops; notably in Akron and Orrville.
Walking on the trail this week, despite the heat, it was beautiful. However, walking the quiet country made me realize this is supposed to be a train route and was planned as such. Little remnants of what was can even be found in a few telegraph poles along the trail. To me, the Heartland Trail falls far short of Amsterdam-quality utilitarian use. Furthermore, the trail also falls far short of the accessibility of the rails running the route more than 100 years prior. There’s a restless beauty in the Heartland Trail. A quiet sameness with every breeze. A silent disconnect under good intent.
My thoughts aside, it’s a great project that will expand Ohio’s bike system. The current phase of the project to connect Orrville with the rest of the system is till $45,000 short of the total project fund goal.
Online fund donations can be made here //
Mail donations can be sent here //
Rails to Trails of Wayne County
For: The Heartland Trail
P.O. Box 1566
Wooster, Ohio 44691
Thank you! 💜
