Valley man strides for Guinness Book of Records

Since he was 70 and retired, Art Dunn of Lordstown and formerly of Newton Falls, has put his legs to work walking around the state of Ohio, around Lake Erie, from Cincinnati to Newton Falls and other adventures.

Now 88, Dunn is hoping to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for his long walking adventures that began in 2009.

He has walked on long treks in 2009 and 2012 through 2015.

Dunn said his wife, Doris, had died, so he wanted to focus his life on finding something to do, so he decided to walk. He took a bus from Newton Falls to Cincinnati and then walked the 335 miles from Cincinnati back to Newton Falls.

"With a backpack on me, I walked back home in 22 days," he said. "Prior to that I have been a runner since age 40. I had never done any long walks or any camping. I was a novice for long walks and learned to sleep on cement at 9 p.m. at night. By 3 a.m. the cement becomes cold."

Afterward, he wrote a book called "Footsteps from Cincinnati Ohio."

When he walked in April and May, a class of fourth graders in Rob Bauman's class at Newton Falls Elementary School would follow his journey.

"It was a learning experience being my first long walk," he said.

In 2012, Dunn took his second long journey, walking from Newton Falls to Washington D.C. to remember those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"On that walk I got into a snowstorm in Connorsville, Pa.," Dunn said. "I had people telling me I had better find a place to stay like a hotel with the snowstorm coming. It was April, and I had to stay there for two days because of the snow. It would have been two difficult for me to walk. I was fortunate that churches and police departments found me places to stay at night."

He said he remembers one day it was raining, so he went to a library and they contacted the police department to find out where Dunn could stay the night.

"Everywhere I went, newspapers would interview me about what I was doing," he said. "People were curious and would talk to me and ask what I was doing."

During the Cincinnati trip he had a backpack, but during the others, he pushed a small red, white and blue cart.

In 2013, Dunn walked the perimeter of Ohio -- 1,150 miles, his longest trek ever. He started in Newton Falls and headed toward Hubbard, then stayed along the state border.

"I walked along the border of Ohio with Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia," Dunn said. "I learned a lot on the history of Ohio. I saw a memorial for presidents Grant and Harrison, which is close to Cincinnati.

"There is a Buckeye Trail that goes around the entire state that is about 25 miles in from the state border. I decided not to do that but instead do the walk along the Ohio border."

Dunn said in 2014 he walked the Emerald Loop of the Buckeye Trail starting in West Branch. He said this was his shortest trek at 280 miles, going to Cleveland. The trek took him through Cuyahoga parks and Akron, Hartville and Brimfield.

In 2015, Dunn, at age 77, took his final walking journey around the border of Lake Erie which took him from Ohio into Pennsylvania, New York and Niagara Falls into Canada.

"The Canadian people were so helpful asking me what they could do for me," he said. "The Canadians were very interested in what I was doing. I had to walk across the Peace Bridge. Everyone wanted to know what I was doing and how they could help me."

Dunn said he always knew the Canadian police were watching and stopped twice to see how he was doing.

"I think they kept an eye on me since I arrived in Canada. I think it was more for suspicion than my safety in walking," he said.

One 3-mile long bridge over a river did not allow pedestrians or bikes, so he had to take a taxi, which cost him $37.50.

"I had to pay the taxi driver up front. I think the $7.50 was the cost and the $30 his tip," Dunn said.

He said the Edison Bridge, near Cedar Point, also did not allow pedestrians to walk across. A woman in her car saw him and told Dunn when he got to the bridge she would drive him across.

"When I got to the bridge there were people there in a large van who took me and my cart across the bridge," he said.

BOXES OF TRIPS

To remember these trips, Dunn kept a daily journal of what happened each day, including weather, interesting things he saw or that happened, and where he traveled from.

Each journal along with newspaper articles and other souvenirs are kept in boxes. He also received proclamations from the Trumbull County Commissioners.

Dunn said each evening he would record his data for the day in the journal.

He said each day's walk would begin around 6:30 or 7 a.m., averaging 20 to 30 miles each day.

He said he remembers the winds being so strong one night, he had to hold down his tent he slept inside.

Dunn said to keep the fourth graders in Newton Falls aware of where he was, he would call the elementary school secretary by cellphone.

"I would maybe be two minutes on the phone with her and tell her what city I was in, the weather and what I saw," Dunn recalled. "The fourth graders would plot my trip in Mr. Bauman's class. There were some days where there was no cellphone service."

When he came back from the walks he would go to the school and talk to the students. He also shared his trips with the Warren Chamber of Commerce.

GUINNESS BOOK

Dunn said he plans to contact and submit his information to the Guinness Book of World Records for the more than 3,000 miles of walking.

"I think they will be interested in someone who walked around the state of Ohio, from Ohio to Washington D.C. and around Lake Erie," he said.

Dunn said because he retired at age 58 from Republic Steel after 37 years, he was able to take the long trips.

"These trips have changed my life in so many ways; I have met so many people," he said.