Vinton County landmarks to be highlighted on tour

A free tour of Vinton County's Raccoon Creek Watershed will take place Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m, according to a news release.

The tour includes Hope Furnace, Hope School, Eakin Bridge and Alice's House, home of the Vinton County Historical Society.

The tour will teach the history of these sites, their importance and how local residents, organizations and Ohio University are helping restoration projects.

OU's Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development and the Raccoon Creek Improvement Committee are co-sponsoring the tour and will address the importance of cleaning up waterways and preserving historic sites within the watershed, which incorporates parts of six southeast Ohio counties.

ILGARD has been educating Ohio's Appalachian communities for 20 years through applied research and technical assistance. RCIC, a citizen-led organization, works to improve the health of Raccoon Creek, its tributaries and its watershed.

— Morgan Dixon