If you’ve ever driven through northern Geauga County or taken a road trip through more than a dozen other connecting states, chances are you’ve driven historic U.S. Route 6.
If you’ve ever driven through northern Geauga County or taken a road trip through more than a dozen other connecting states, chances are you’ve driven historic U.S. Route 6.
Gary Hunter, executive director of Ohio U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association, is taking his stories about the road on the road.
He spoke to a group of more than 80 people April 3 inside Hambden Township Town Hall on Route 6 about the 3,652 miles of adventure stretching from the waterfront in Long Beach, Calif., through 14 states to the waterfront at Provincetown, Mass., on the tip of Cape Cod.
The nonprofit association he represents is dedicated to cultural preservation and the economic development of inner cities, small towns and rural communities located along the historic highway, which runs for 248 miles through Ohio, serving cities like Sandusky, Lorain and Cleveland and traversing through 10 Ohio counties.
In Geauga County, Route 6 passes through the city of Chardon, where it has a brief overlap with state Route 44 — in Chardon, the road turns northeast through Hambden and Montville townships before crossing into Ashtabula County.
The highway is also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring Union forces of the U.S. Civil War, with its alternate name designated in 1953.
Hunter is a lifelong resident of Route 6, with over 80% of his 65 years spent living along the highway.
“I lived on Route 6 from age 4 to 10, in Hambden, then moved away. (I) moved back at age 13 and lived on Route 6, in Chardon, until age 22, then moved away, then moved back at 26 and have been on Route 6 in Rome Township ever since,” Hunter said.
His involvement in promoting the highway began when extreme endurance runner Aprylle Gilbert ran from Long Beach, Calif., to Provincetown, Mass., in 2015 to raise funds for a youth center in her area that was going to be shut down.
She ran on average more than a marathon a day as she made her way across the country, passing through its highest point, at Loveland Pass near Vail, Colo., which was on the county line of Summit and Clear Creek counties and has an elevation of 11,900 feet.
“There was not much news coverage, so I contacted the association asking why it was not better promoted and the response was, ‘There is no one in Ohio who would promote Historic Route 6,’ So, here I am,” Hunter said. “As a 28-year trustee in Rome, Ohio, I have been promoting Route 6 and the surrounding communities for years.”
Event organizer Hambden Township Trustee Pam Carson called Hunter highly knowledgeable and entertaining, with his slides and stories helping to make Route 6 come alive.
“The audience was engaged and a few commented afterward that they were inspired to plan a couple Route 6 road trip adventures,” Carson said. “I hope to do more of this type of programming — it helps to deepen our pride in where we live and amplifies the power of a place.”
Hunter said the highway and any major road have many stories to tell.
“The community history, the stories of life on a particular road or area, there is always something, for Route 6 — the largest in the world, the sixth darkest sky in the U.S., a mass murderer, the longest road in the U.S., state capitals which are on the highway … the history and stories go on and on …,” he said.
He and his wife, Pat, visited both the east and west coast ends of Route 6 and Hunter speaks to townships, villages, chamber of commerce, rotary, church groups, senior centers, libraries, etc.
He said he is available to share the PowerPoint presentation with any group who may be interested and because they are a nonprofit organization, there is no fee for the presentation. There are also signs and hats for sale, and the presentation can be adjusted for time, depending on the framework of the organization.
Hunter hopes to be at the Geauga County Maple Festival this year helping in the Chardon Chamber of Commerce booth and having his presentation running.
“I look forward to talking about the goals of the U.S. Route 6 Association and the role individuals, businesses and government can play in making our mission a success,” Hunter said. “I also want to learn about the primary concerns communities have regarding economic development and cultural preservation and how we can best serve their needs.”
