Welcome to the 2020 Discover Delaware County Scavenger Hunt!

Hop in the car and get ready to learn about many natural and historical features of Delaware County! During this scavenger hunt you will be following the clues and learning about each of the 18 townships. We recommend carefully reading each township clue before heading out on your adventure, so you are prepared. Once all the necessary information has been collected, the letters can be filled in to solve the secret phrase below. SECRET PHRASE: ______! Once you submit the completed secret phrase, you will receive discount coupons from Local Delaware County Businesses! Shhh! It’s a secret. Please don’t share and spoil the surprise for other participants!

Things to remember:

• Be respectful of each site. • Leave no trace of your visit. • Drive safely and be aware of your surroundings. • Practice recommended physical distancing and other health precautions. • Complete the Scavenger Hunt after sunrise and before sunset, as some sites have time restrictions. • Townships do not need to be completed in any particular order. • Complete by September 7, 2020, to be eligible for prizes.

Berkshire Township There are a few things in the county named after Civil War officers. One famous general hailed from the eastern part of our county. The name of this general combines the names of both a much beloved, aromatic flower and a type of berry that grows in a bog. The village in which he sits atop his mighty steed in the square is named for the glowing orb we see daily in the sky and a small fruit that grows on bushes. A two-sided sign stands tall nearby. Read the sign that faces the street and take the first letter of the general’s nickname and put it in the 14th spot in the secret phrase.

Berlin Township In 1970 the landscape of this township changed drastically. That was when the Army Corps of Engineers dammed the major waterway flowing through the area. The large creek was named for an astringent chemical compound that occurred in its shale banks. (This double sulfate compound is commonly used in pickling.) The resulting structure flooded more than 3,000 acres. Head to Berlin Township and locate this State Park and the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center on Lewis Center Road, between the beach and the dam. Once you have parked in the parking lot, look to the northeast end of the lot through the trees for the “White Tail Run” trail. Take the trail a short way into the woods and you will soon see a large gray boulder. Look to the sign describing this metamorphic rock. The first letter of the type of rock goes in the 18th spot in the secret phrase.

Brown Township In Brown Township you will find a road named for the spine of a swine, so named because it runs along the ridge overlooking Alum Creek. It runs between Howard Road and State Route 521. Once you are on this road, look for a parking lot on the west side of the road. Once parked in the lot, walk to the trail to the right (northeast) towards the lake overlook. Use caution as you approach the edge as the cliffs drop off abruptly. From this overlook, April through the middle of August, you may see a large bird of prey called an Osprey. This bird flew all the way from Central and South America where it spent the winter and may be seen on wooden structures in the middle of the water. These platforms are designed for the osprey to build their nests on and raise their young during the summer months. However, you couldn’t always see them in Ohio. DDT, a deadly pesticide, reduced their population size to zero in Ohio. After much work, they are officially off the threatened species list and doing well. Take the trail back to the parking lot and you will find a sign on the right-hand side (north) when you originally entered the lot. Take the first letter and put it in the 7th spot of the secret phrase.

Concord Township Grab a kayak or your hiking shoes and head to Concord Township. Located on the west side of Dublin Road, the 57-acre O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve is nestled in Shawnee Hills and operated by the City of Columbus. The beautiful Twin Lakes can be seen along with an abundance of flora and fauna, including life within the water. Park in the preserve parking lot and find the kiosk. There is information on fish listed. What’s your favorite fish? As you leave the preserve look for the AREA S sign. There are also numbers listed. Collect the first number and then count the letters of the alphabet up to that number and put that letter in the 16th spot of the secret phrase. Fast Fact: North of this location at BLUES CREEK PARK, north of Ostrander, you can fish without a license. Catch and release only is allowed. Fish are covered in scales and a layer of slime that helps them move through the water. This slime layer is important to the health of the fish, so remember to handle them with care when putting them back.

Delaware Township Delaware Township surrounds the county seat (the city of the same name). Every fall a certain event held on the northern edge of the city draws national attention. It is referred to as part of the “Triple Crown” of harness racing. Head to the grounds on which this occurs. Enter the main gate off of Liberty Street which is open during daylight hours and head to the grandstand. If you examine the “Wall of Fame” at the entrance to the grandstand you will find the year that they stopped referring to it as a festival. The middle initial of the name on the plaque from the first year in which they dropped the festival designation will be the 10th letter of the secret phrase.

Genoa Township Named for the village (now Italian city) in which Christopher Columbus is said to have been born, this township was officially recognized in 1816. This 29.76-acre park is operated by the township. With two separate entrances, one being off Old 3C Highway, it is a great place to exercise and have a picnic. The property also has an historic building, over 200 years old! It’s a bicentennial barn! Take the last two digits of the years listed on the township barn and collect the corresponding letter of the alphabet. Then put it in the 12th spot of the secret phrase. Fast Fact: Some historic barns, dating back before 1900, still stand today. Preservation Parks just acquired a property with the official county Ohio Bicentennial Barn. Though it won’t be open to the public for several years, it can be seen off Interstate 71 south of the Alum Creek Dam.

Harlem Township Organized in 1810, Harlem Township bears the same name as a city in the Netherlands from which many came to the “New World” in the late 17th-century and began the first colony on the island of Manhattan. While in this township your destination is the Fire Station. The Harlem Township Division of Fire was founded in 1973. It was created by the community through fund-raising efforts and the station was built with volunteer labor. Park in the station parking lot and then look at the front of the building next to the bay doors. On the left-hand side, find the last sign and note the last number on that sign. From the end of the alphabet, collect the letter that corresponds with that number and put it in the 11th space of the secret phrase.

Kingston Township

Travel to the corner of State Route 521 and Blue Church Road where you will see a cemetery. Pull into the parking lot. The 1880 History of Delaware County notes that the residents of Kingston Township took pride in their honesty, sobriety, and hospitality. Some of those qualities may have been gained from attending services at one of the more notable churches in the township. Instead of the church being the intended white color, there was something wrong with the paint they used that gave it a bluish cast. The parishioners took a lot of teasing about their “blue” church and so the next time it needed a new coat of paint, they purposely used bright blue and embraced the name Blue Church. Although the structure is gone, the bell remains. Walk up to the bell and look at the letters. Take the 10th letter on the foundry side and put it in the 13th spot in the secret phrase.

Liberty Township For this letter, venture to historic downtown Powell. You will be midway between the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers, in southern Delaware County. Named not for just one man, this two-story frame house on Olentangy Street is named for the two families that have owned it since its construction in 1889. At that time, Albert and Mary Martin raised three daughters in the home. (Mr. Martin was a telegraph operator for the Columbus and Toledo Railroad.) In 1928, Mary and Erwin Perry bought the house. (Mr. Perry was a surveyor and engineer and served as building superintendent for the O’Shaughnessy Dam.) Find this Victorian-style house and look at the street sign in the front yard. An arrow is in front of a letter. Put that letter in the 1st spot of the secret phrase. Fun Fact: The first non-Native American settler of Liberty Township, and of Delaware County for that matter, was Nathan Carpenter. He settled in the township on May 1, 1801, after a journey of more than 2 ½ months from New York. His cabin was at the corner of Home Road and State Route 315. Marlboro Township Originally spelled “Marlborough”, this township forms part of the northern border of Delaware County. It and Troy Township are dominated by Delaware Lake. When the lake was constructed in the 1940s, this cemetery and its church (named for the township) were moved to the current location along the road that is named for the ‘footwear of an equine’ and for a bend in the Olentangy River. Pull into the Marlboro Cemetery using the drive closest to the Church. Proceed straight ahead (east) just until you have passed the church. After exiting your vehicle, look to the area behind the church where the oldest gravestones are. Some are basic slabs but many are tall steeples. Nestled among these you will find a more modern-looking, gray, granite Cole family headstone. It is decorated at the top with the symbol of the Freemasons. (hint: you will walk toward Leonardsburg Road to find this stone) The Cole family has the distinction of having a prehistoric Native American culture named for them. The history is fascinating and is tied into the creation of Delaware Lake. Look it up when you can! Now, as you look at the Cole family headstones, find the Cole who was born in 1834 and collect the first letter of the first name and put it in the 4th spot of the secret phrase. *Please note, because this cemetery was moved, you will not actually be traveling into Marlboro Township, but you will learn an important piece of the township’s history. Fast Fact: The homes of almost 300 Troy and Marlboro township families were destroyed by the construction of the dam, including the farm owned by the Rutherford B. Hayes family. Its remains now lie at the deepest part of the lake. Orange Township Right off busy US Route 23, near Lewis Center, there is an historic home sitting back from the street. Somewhat near the Delaware County Library Orange Branch, this house was built in 1827 by William Gooding. Situated perfectly between Worthington and Delaware it was the ideal place to stop and rest before continuing the journey to the desired destination. This site had a large impact on the economic development of the area. Read the sign to learn even more. Collect the 15th letter in the title on the Ohio Historical Marker and place it in the 2nd spot of the secret phrase.

Oxford Township The municipality within Oxford Township is the village of Ashley. The small library here has served the community for almost 100 years. At the corner of Central and High Streets, this loaning institution differs from most libraries in that it was created by private individuals rather than as a public entity. Built in 1928 as a memorial to Albertus Wornstaff, son of Chesley and Elsa Wornstaff, the construction of the library was funded through a generous donation. (There is also a building at Central College named for Albertus.) Some of the antique furniture within the library is from the Wornstaff home. Look to the letters carved in stone on the front of the building and put the 4th letter in the 17th spot of the secret phrase. Fast Fact: The furniture and other equipment in the library were made by the inmates of the Mansfield Reformatory. Foundation bricks bear the legend “Ohio State Brick 1927 convict-made” and may have been made at the Ohio Penitentiary.

Porter Township There were over 64 of these structures in Delaware County before 1900. The Great Flood of 1913 destroyed most, and the rest fell into disrepair. Covered in graffiti and a little neglected, this is the only one of its kind that remains in the county. Spanning over the Big Walnut Creek, the wood still remains strong enough to support a vehicle. Drive out to Chambers Road (Township Road 63) and find your destination between East Liberty North Road and Lott Road. Take the first number on the yellow sign and starting from the end of the alphabet count back that many letters. The letter will go in the 6th space of the secret phrase.

Radnor Township Settled by Welsh immigrants, Radnor Township was founded prior to 1800. The Village of Radnor maintains a relationship with a “sister village” of the same name in Wales. When you reach the village, look for the Radnor Heritage Museum. The ‘directional digits’ on the corner of this brick building have been setting travelers on the right course for nearly 200 years. Look for the number of miles it takes to travel to the village named for the act of looking for something precious, like gold. Start counting from the end of the alphabet and collect the letter that corresponds to the number and put it in the 3rd space of the secret phrase. Fast Fact: Radnor suffered tragedy and loss along with Thompson, Troy and Oxford Townships late on Palm Sunday evening, 1965, when a tornado touched down at the Union County line and ripped through the northern part of Delaware County. Four people died here. Many such storms ravaged the Midwest that night. Fifty-five died around the state and a total of 256 perished throughout Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

Scioto Township Named for the largest river running through the middle of the state, this park, located west of the city of Delaware is operated by the township of the same name. Head west on US Route 36 out of Delaware toward Ostrander and find the park on your left (south) before you cross the river. Pull in and park near the playground area. After exiting your vehicle, you will see a one-mile trail that follows the perimeter of the park. Located at intervals along the trail are large cut stones. These huge slabs were quarried nearby many decades ago and tell highlights of local history. As you stand near the playground area of the park and look toward the road (northeast), you will see one of these large cut stones at the curve of the trail. Look at the engraving for the first number listed. From the beginning of the alphabet, use that number to find the letter that matches it. Put that letter in the 15th spot of the secret phrase. Fast Fact: Before this park was created the quarried stones were displayed on the property located at the northwest corner of US Route 36 and Section Line Road. This was the site of the McClure-Warren Tavern. It was built in the 19th-century by freemen of color. As an abolitionist stronghold, Delaware County attracted many African Americans and played a significant role in the Underground Railroad.

Thompson Township This portion of your adventure will take you to the northwest corner of our county. State Route 257 was once an “Indian trail” and follows the Scioto River from Marion County south into Franklin County. You should follow this route north. When you see the Shoup Cemetery (aka Thompson Township Cemetery) on your right (east), you will need to immediately turn left (west) onto the road named for what results from a fire. When you meet the road named for the glowing orb seen in the night sky, you will see the Thompson Township Hall on your left (south). Built in 1915, it served as the meeting place for township officials and hosted both local and federal elections until the current township hall was built. Look to the road name signs at the intersection for the clue that you seek. There are 3 of the same letter on the signs, take that letter and put it in the 8th space in the secret phrase.

Trenton Township Mostly farmland, the car ride down these country roads is very enjoyable. Head to Delaware County Road 605 between US Route 36 and State Route 37. Pay close attention to all the signs that line the road. Several of them mention a certain animal, even though you can’t find this animal in Delaware County! Two out of the three venomous species in Ohio are called this because of the “buttons” on the end of their tail. They can move it to make a noise, which is used as a warning to all. Take the first letter of that animal and put it in the 5th spot of the secret phrase.

Troy Township The largest feature of this township is manmade. It was begun in 1947 as a result of the Flood Control Act of 1938. The Delaware Dam holds back the waters of the Olentangy River in the northern part of the county. Head to the state park that surrounds this lake. Enter the park through the state park main entrance, north of the dam entrance, off of US Route 23. Continue along the park road following the signs toward the marina. Before reaching the marina, you will see an area on your right (east) named for a deciduous tree that is recognized by the combination of its 5-pointed, star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits. In the last line on the sign take the 9th letter and put it in the 9th spot of the secret phrase.

Fast Fact: The resulting lake, like our county, was named after a tribe of Native Americans who called themselves the Lenni Lenape which means “The People”. They were given the name Delaware because they lived along the Delaware River. The bay, the river, the state and consequently the Native-Americans who lived there were named after Lord De La Warr, an English Baron and politician, who was governor of the Jamestown Colony.