BELLAIRE — Union Square Park in Bellaire was the place to be on April 27, when it proved to be the most popular stop on the Belmont County Heritage Trail Rubberneck Tour.

The entire event was deemed a success by Jackee Pugh, executive director of the Belmont County Tourism Council. She said more than 120 people visited each of the seven designated stops on the self-guided driving tour. This year’s trip focused on the eastern part of Belmont County, traveling to communities such as Bellaire, Bridgeport and Martins Ferry, all situated along the Ohio River.

“The Belmont County Heritage Trail is not only an opportunity for our visitors to learn about the important history and heritage in Belmont County, but it also allows our residents to become tourists in their own backyard,” Pugh pointed out. “I overheard many locals say they had never been to some of the stops along this year’s route.”

For the second year in a row, the tour featured a “passport” that participants could carry with them from stop to stop. Anyone who received a stamp on their passport at each location and turned it in at the end off their trip was eligible for a prize drawing.

Pugh reported that from the data collected on the passports, the sign-in log at the Imperial Glass Museum and the people counters at each stop, the council was able to determine the following:

Attendees came from:

Four states — Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky

19 counties

40 cities, villages and towns, 26 of which are outside of Belmont County

Attendance per stop:

Union Square Park, Bellaire — 310

Imperial Glass Museum, Bellaire — 168

Great Stone Viaduct, Bellaire — 157

Walnut Grove Cemetery, Martins Ferry — 153

Willow Grove Mine Memorial, Neffs — 138

Blaine Hill S Bridge, Blaine/Bridgeport — 135

Sedgwick House Museum, Martins Ferry – 121

Pugh added that 84 completed passports were turned in.

“I heard lots of positive and kind feedback from attendees as well as volunteers,” said Pugh, who spent the day “bouncing around from one stop to another” while tourism council employees were stationed at the Blaine Bridge, Walnut Grove Cemetery and at Sedgwick House Museum.

“Events like this are successful due to the support and help from our community partners,” she added. “The volunteers that assisted in welcoming attendees and sharing history about our county, were instrumental in making the event run smoothly and creating a memorable experience for all that attended.”