Middletown Junction, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Hamilton Township, Warren County, Ohio
Hamilton Township, one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, is in the south central portion of the county. The 2000 census found 9,630 people there, up significantly from the 5,900 in 1990. 8,645 of the total in 2000 lived in the unincorporated portions of the township...
, Warren County
Warren County, Ohio
Warren County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 212,693 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Lebanon. Warren County was erected May 1, 1803, from Hamilton County, and named for Dr...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the eastern bank of the Little Miami River
Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
where the Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad
Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad
The Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Ohio.It connected Middletown, Butler County with Middletown Junction, Warren County, a distance of 14 miles....
joined with the Little Miami Railroad
Little Miami Railroad
The Little Miami Railroad, now defunct, was a railway of southwestern Ohio, running from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. By merging with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad it created the first through rail route from the important manufacturing city of Cincinnati to the state...
about midway between Kings Mills
Kings Mills, Ohio
Kings Mills is an unincorporated community in the northeastern corner of Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States, on the western shore of the Little Miami River...
and South Lebanon
South Lebanon, Ohio
South Lebanon is a village located in Union and Hamilton Townships in central Warren County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,538, down from 2,696 in 1990...
. The Little Miami Scenic Trail runs through here today.
The Lebanon Countryside Trail
Lebanon Countryside Trail
The Lebanon Countryside Trail is a rail trail in Ohio.Largely used as a bicycle trail, it links the city of Lebanon, Ohio on the north to the Little Miami Scenic Trail at Middletown Junction on the south. The trail is about long...
was constructed to link the town of Lebanon, Ohio
Lebanon, Ohio
The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile...
with the Little Miami Scenic Trail using the abandoned railroad bridge near the junction to cross the Little Miami. It opened in the fall of 2005.
Map Links
Middletown Junction is where the Lebanon Countryside TrailLebanon Countryside Trail
The Lebanon Countryside Trail is a rail trail in Ohio.Largely used as a bicycle trail, it links the city of Lebanon, Ohio on the north to the Little Miami Scenic Trail at Middletown Junction on the south. The trail is about long...
begins at the Little Miami Scenic Trail today. The trail heads west and crosses the old railroad bridge across the Little Miami River
Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
. As of 2006, the satellite photos pre-date the recent trail construction, but the bridge is clearly visible. The railroad right-of-way is visually distinct from surrounding land and easy to trace on the satellite photos.
The original railroad junction had a triangular shape, to allow trains to switch to or from either direction on the Little Miami Railroad
Little Miami Railroad
The Little Miami Railroad, now defunct, was a railway of southwestern Ohio, running from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. By merging with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad it created the first through rail route from the important manufacturing city of Cincinnati to the state...
. However, only the northern branch has been paved for use as bike trail. The southern branch is being reclaimed by forest, but is still visible on satellite and aerial photos as a slight clearing.
External links
- http://www.miamivalleytrails.org/lebanon_countryside_trail.htm shows photos of the Lebanon Countryside Trail, the railroad bridge, and the old Middletown Junction railroad marker.