Roche de Bout and the Interurban Bridge surviving history

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Many places in the Toledo area have a significant historical impact that has been nearly forgotten over the years.  However, some cities and villages such as Waterville, Ohio are striving to keep their heritage alive.  In September, Waterville will be celebrating the Roche de Boeuf festival, so named for historical island (located just south of the Bowling Green Fault Line) and an early French settlement on the Maumee that once resembled a buffalo running upstream.

Roche de Boeuf (translation: Rock of Beef) is more commonly excepted by scholars as Roche de Bout (translation: Rock of the River) since it was recorded as such in the late 1700’s by Lieutenant Boyer in his diary during the Battle of Fallen Timbers.  Roche de Bout was used before the Battle of Fallen Timbers as well as other notable battles as a rendezvous for the local Native Americans.

Another claim of historical importance is a legend told by the Native Americans that Roche de Bout is the final resting place of nearly 200 of an early tribe.  The legend states that an Indian boy fell off the rock into the river, and as an act of revenge, the boy’s father pushed her off the rock to look for the boy’s lost soul. In consequence, the woman’s family took revenge on her husband in the same way.  It was said that this continued in a like manner until two-thirds of the tribe had perished in river below the rock.

Roche de Bout has always been a spot of not only historical interests but of geological beauty as well.  Many locals use this as a favorite hiking and fishing area, which is why in 1907 when the Lima and Toledo Traction Company Interurban Bridge was built destroying approximately on-third of the island many locals were furious. However, today the bridge itself is seen as part of the history of Roche de Bout.  The Interurban Bridge was once the world’s largest earth filled, concrete reinforced bridge.

Today, Roche de Bout and the Interurban Bridge can be explored by the unimproved trails on the River Road in Waterville, or viewed near the Roche de Bout shelter house in Farnsworth Metropark on State Route 24 in Waterville.

Resources:
http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/farnsworth/
http://nie.sidneydailynews.com/past/111108.pdf
http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=0012122.html&StartPage=26&EndPage=127&volume=12&newtitle=Volume%2012%20Page%2026
http://www.watervillechamber.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107&Itemid=194