Geotab has used data from the U.S. federal government’s Highway Performance Monitoring System to come up with the least-traveled road in every state. State route 571 earned the title for the loneliest road in Ohio. Renee Wilde goes on a road trip down this 50 mile stretch of asphalt that runs diagonally from the border of Indiana to just outside of New Carlisle. In the first of a two-part story we travel down the eastern end of State Route 571 from New Carlisle to Tipp City.
A brightly colored orange and red antique airplane swoops low over the early morning traffic on state route 571 as it comes in for a landing at the Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport on the edge of New Carlisle.
The little two-seater Aeronca Champ aircraft is carrying Santa who has “flown in” for the holiday parade taking place in town this morning. The aircraft taxis to a stop on the grassy area in front of a crowd of children as Santa disembarks.
Craig MacVeigh and his wife Kate are part of the Flying Angels club that owns the private airstrip. They couple moved from Seattle to New Carlisle a year and a half ago, where they bought property on 571 across from the airport to build a hanger to house his collection of Aeronca airplanes.
Aeronca’s, like the colorful one Santa arrived in today owned by fellow club member Duane Jones, were manufactured in Middletown and Cincinnati from 1928 through 1947.
The MacVeigh’s say that most of the planes at this private airport are antiques.
“The first Saturday in October we parade airplanes through downtown,” Craig said, showing pictures of the row of antique planes being tossed by tractors through the downtown area at last year's parade.
“So 571, while it’s the loneliest road in Ohio apparently, on one day in October has aparade of about 30 to 40 antique airplanes go up 571 right into town,” adds his wife Kate.
Pilot Duane Jones grew up on this section of 571 and has a house on the airport grounds.
“The first bank that John Dillinger robbed in the state of Ohio was on (SR) 235 and 571.” Duane said, retelling the historic event. “He got caught by the police here but he escaped, and he run (sic) down past my house.”
Early mornings and unexpected bustle on 571
Jones said the road in front of his house is always busy, but especially in the early morning hours.
“This is not the least traveled road,” he said emphatically. “At 2 am it’s crazy busy because Myers releases the distribution center trucks at 1:30, and about 2:00 they all come down here going to (Interstate) 675.”
“You hear them all coming down where they hit the retarders before the turn,” he said, describing the loud sounds the truck engines make when the drivers use the jake brakes to slow down for the 90 degree curve in front of his house.
Geraldine (Geri) Miller travels 571 in the early morning hours to get to her part-time job at a Ulbreck's Bakery in Tipp CIty.
“I came in at 4:00 this morning and there were cars on the road, and I thought ‘where are all these people going at 4-something in the morning,” Geri said, sorting through donuts in the glass showcase. “But, of course, there are a lot of factories going down towards Vandalia.”
As she boxed up two of the bakery's popular peanut butter filled donuts with peanut butter icing, Geri said “That is the signature one that people love. They come far and wide to get those.”
Miller just started working in Tipp City and she drives from her home in Englewood.
“571 takes you all the way to West Milton,” Geri said, describing the route she takes to work. “There’s a McDonalds and you either go right or left on 48 and 48 leads you right into Englewood.”
State route 571 appears to dead-end at the McDonalds in West Milton, but it actually winds around the fast food restaurant and continues west toward Greenville.
This news surprises Geri.
“Never did I ever think about there was a road that continued on past McDonalds,” she exclaimed laughing.
“Maybe that’s the part of 571 that’s the loneliest, because this is pretty busy,” Geri said gesturing out the window where the state route serves as the main road through town.
We’ll find out if Geri is right as we continue down 571 from West MIlton to its western terminus at the Ohio border in Union CIty, in part two of our story on the loneliest road in Ohio.
