Hiking Furnace Run in Big Creek at Liberty Hollow: A Historic Underground Railroad Site

5 hours ago

6 min read

One of the best hikes in Lake County, Ohio, for history lovers is the Furnace Hollow Trail at Big Creek at Liberty Hollow, a hidden gem in the Lake Metroparks system near Painesville. The short but scenic hiking trail winds through a beautiful wooded ravine toward Big Creek, offering peaceful forest scenery and a fascinating glimpse into Northeast Ohio's past. During the 1800s, the valley was home to an iron furnace, water-powered mills, and an important Underground Railroad station that helped enslaved people escape north toward freedom. Combining beautiful natural scenery, early Ohio industrial history, and connections to the Underground Railroad, Big Creek at Liberty Hollow is one of the most historically interesting hikes in the Painesville area.

Trail Info

Length 1 miles

Elevation gain 35 feet

Route Out & back

Permit required No

Dogs allowed On leash

Trailhead elevation 669'

Water Filterable from Big Creek

Don't miss the waterfall from atop the ridge near the start of the hike

Hiking Furnace Run

The Furnace Hollow Trail at Big Creek at Liberty Hollow begins at a small parking area along Fay Road in Concord Township, just outside Painesville, Ohio.

From the trailhead, the path asscends up to a beautiful wooded ridge toward Big Creek, passing through a landscape that looks remarkably different from the one that existed here nearly 200 years ago.

Today, the 63-acre Lake Metroparks property is a quiet escape filled with mature hardwoods, towering hemlocks, and the sounds of flowing water, but during the 19th century, this secluded valley was home to an iron furnace, several water-powered mills, and an important stop along the Underground Railroad. The natural-surface Furnace Hollow Trail is approximately half a mile one way, making it one of the shorter hikes in the Lake Metroparks system.

As the path winds through the forest, the surrounding hillsides become increasingly steep, creating a peaceful, sheltered environment that feels surprisingly remote considering its proximity to Painesville and the surrounding communities.

Eventually, the trail approaches Big Creek, a tributary of the Grand River that has played an important role in shaping both the natural and human history of this area. Originating in the highlands near Chardon, Big Creek flows through a series of wooded ravines before joining the Grand River near Painesville. Over thousands of years, flowing water has helped carve the valley, exposing rocky creekbeds and creating the steep slopes that characterize the landscape today. During the 1800s, however, the creek was valued for something entirely different: its ability to power machinery.

Long before this property became a public park, the Big Creek Valley was a surprisingly busy industrial center. During the 1820s, local entrepreneurs established the Concord Furnace, an early iron-producing operation that took advantage of the area's natural resources.

The furnace relied on bog iron ore transported from surrounding communities, including Madison, Perry, and Mentor townships. Charcoal, produced by burning timber in a low-oxygen environment, supplied the intense heat necessary to smelt the ore. This process required enormous quantities of wood, making the surrounding forests an important resource for the operation. At a time when northeastern Ohio was still developing, the furnace represented an ambitious attempt to establish local manufacturing and reduce dependence on iron imported from other regions.

Unfortunately, the operation was relatively short-lived. The furnace reportedly burned in May 1835, ending an early chapter in the valley's industrial history. Although the furnace itself disappeared long ago, its legacy survives in the name of the Furnace Hollow Trail.

Furnace Run Liberty Hollow newspaper article

One of the most fascinating chapters in Liberty Hollow's history began with the arrival of Eber Dudley Howe, a prominent newspaper editor, businessman, and abolitionist who had already established himself as an important figure in Northeast Ohio's early newspaper industry. In 1819, Howe partnered with fellow printer Ziba Willes to establish the Cleveland Herald, the city's second newspaper, which published its first edition on October 19 of that year. During its early years, Howe personally delivered newspapers on horseback, making a two-day journey between Cleveland and Painesville each week with copies carried in a satchel. After leaving the newspaper in 1821, Howe moved to Painesville, where he founded the Painesville Telegraph on July 16, 1822, becoming one of the region's pioneering newspaper publishers.

Howe's growing involvement in the local community eventually led him to the Big Creek Valley in 1838, where he began establishing a woolen mill. Around 1839, he partnered with Frank Rogers of Vermont, and together they operated the Howe & Rogers woolen mill, a substantial three-story manufacturing operation equipped with machinery used to process wool into finished materials. Along with a sawmill and other nearby businesses, the mill helped transform the secluded hollow into a small industrial community.

However, Howe's influence extended far beyond manufacturing. During the decades leading up to the Civil War, he became involved in the abolitionist movement, and his property served as a station along the Underground Railroad. This secretive network of safe houses, sympathetic individuals, and established routes helped enslaved people escape bondage in the South and travel toward freedom in northern states and Canada.

The Big Creek Valley offered several advantages to those seeking refuge. Its wooded hillsides and secluded location provided a degree of concealment, while its proximity to Painesville and Lake Erie made it a useful stopping point for people continuing north. Freedom seekers could receive shelter and assistance before traveling toward Lake Erie and potentially crossing into Canada, where slavery had been abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834.

The valley's association with the Underground Railroad eventually gave rise to the name Liberty Hollow, a reference to the freedom sought by those who passed through the area. Over the years, the valley was also known as Howe Hollow and Drake Hollow, reflecting the families who owned and operated businesses along the creek.

The property's antislavery connections continued into the 1850s when the Drake family acquired the mill property and supported the abolitionist cause. A historical account written by A. G. Smith in 1908 described the hollow as a recognized Underground Railroad station during the 1840s and 1850s, illustrating how deeply the area had become associated with the movement.

Interestingly, the valley's reputation was apparently well known throughout the surrounding community. Smith's account describes the hostility directed toward its abolitionist residents by opponents of the movement, demonstrating that helping freedom seekers was not without controversy or personal risk.

Although Liberty Hollow remained an important industrial location for several decades, its manufacturing activity gradually declined during the mid-1800s. The Concord Furnace had already disappeared by the 1830s, and the sawmill eventually ceased operating as well.

The most significant blow came in 1865, when the woolen mill was destroyed by fire. Coincidentally, this occurred during the same year the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished throughout the United States with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.

Without its major industries, the small community gradually faded away. Buildings disappeared, machinery was removed or deteriorated, and the surrounding forests slowly reclaimed land that had once been cleared for industrial use. By the early 20th century, the once-busy valley had become a quiet landscape, with little remaining to suggest the activity that had taken place there generations earlier.

Today, hikers following the Furnace Hollow Trail are walking through a place that has experienced a remarkable transformation. What was once an industrial center filled with the sounds of machinery, workers, and manufacturing is now a protected natural area where flowing water dominates the surroundings.

Beyond its fascinating history, Big Creek at Liberty Hollow is an attractive spot for hikers who appreciate the quieter, less-developed corners of Lake County. The valley's steep wooded slopes provide a sheltered environment, while the creek adds a scenic element to the short hike.

Although the Furnace Hollow Trail is relatively short, its combination of rugged ravine scenery, mature forest, and historical significance makes it an interesting destination for anyone who enjoys discovering the stories behind the landscapes they explore. The hike is particularly appealing for those interested in Ohio's early industrial history and the Underground Railroad.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Liberty Hollow is how little evidence of its past is immediately apparent. Without knowing its history, most visitors would see little more than a pleasant woodland trail descending toward a scenic creek. Yet nearly two centuries ago, this same valley was home to an iron furnace, a bustling woolen mill, and courageous individuals who helped people escaping slavery make their way toward freedom. That history makes Big Creek at Liberty Hollow one of the more intriguing hidden gems in the Lake Metroparks system.