Bacona, Greenville, Meacham, Mountaindale, Five Oaks, Philips, Lenox. Chances are, unless you’ve lived there, you’re a local history buff, or you’re a cyclist who likes to get off the beaten path, you’ve probably never heard of these oft-forgotten communities sprinkled throughout Washington County.
For Hillsboro resident Matt Traverso, these historic communities are the inspiration for what he calls the “Grand Cycling Tour of Washington County.” He’s on a mission to ride to all 150 (or so) small communities in the county — including abandoned logging camps and farming outposts that survive only as mysterious names on maps or on dilapidated wooden signs on the side of a dirt road.
Traverso is a PhD with a day job as a technical writer in the STEM field who also publishes articles on Medium about a wide range of topics from energy efficiency to gardening. He moved to Washington County in 2011 and says, “I won’t move again.” The county is Traverso’s “forever home,” and being a transplant has given him the curiosity to learn more about the area. Being a cyclist has given him the perfect vehicle to do it. Turns out that pedaling and pondering history pair perfectly.
On the website where he documents each ride (26 so far) with photographs and illuminating details about history, flora and fauna; Traverso says his goals for the Grand Tour are twofold: He wants to showcase Washington County as a top locale for cycling, and he wants more people to slow down and appreciate their surroundings.
“This is an exploration of our home,” Traverso writes on his website. “We tend to reduce our local environment to a few important places (work, home, shop, etc.). We ignore everything else as the junk we drive past. This is a community-driven journey to expand our perception of our surroundings. On each trip, I seek out the significant touchstones in each community to learn and share.”
He began this quest in September and far he’s about half-way done. He keeps a detailed record of which communities he’s explored on a map (see above) and his ride reports are excellent. If you are looking for inspiration or just need intel for fun cycling routes in Washington County, bookmark Traverso’s website and follow his adventures on Bluesky and/or Facebook.
