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Ohio’s 2003 Bicentennial Wagon Train

June 21 - July 14, 2003

Ohio’s 200th birthday was celebrated in many ways, but none more exciting to National Road enthusiasts than the “Bicentennial Wagon Train: The Path to Statehood”, the signature event of the 2003 Ohio Bicentennial Commission. The wagon train traveled primarily on the historic National Road (U.S. 40) through the counties of Belmont, Guernsey, Muskingum, Licking, Franklin, Madison, Clark, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble, as it symbolically recreated the route followed by the pioneers of the early 19th century. More than 1500 people signed up for this once-in-200-years-experience, and participated on foot, horseback and in wagons. The eastern phase of the train departed Martins Ferry (Ohio’s oldest organized settlement) on June 21st, and arrived in Worthington on July 5th to help that City celebrate its own bicentennial. The western phase traveled toward the Indiana border, ending in Preble County’s New Paris on July 14th. The wagon train was an all-encompassing experience for all who participated, combining history, education and fun as it captured the pioneering spirit of the early settlement of Ohio.