The First of the Roller Coasters, the Last of the Covered Bridges

[Rick F.]

After an 11-week layoff from touring, courtesy of a string of 70-hour work weeks, I was anxious to get back out on the road. On April 21, I pointed the impatient Z4 3.0i toward Pennsylvania with a GPS-full of sights to see—but I wasn't expecting to find either the country's first roller coaster or New Jersey's last covered bridge.

My route started near Reading, PA and featured an unending supply of abandoned houses…



…abandoned bridges (across the Schuylkill River in Mount Carbon)…



…and even abandoned canals. This one, in Port Carbon (sensing a theme here?), used to be part of the Schuylkill Canal, which ran from Port Carbon to Philadelphia before trains made it obsolete. The transportation of rich anthracite coal from nearby mines to the cities was a major function. The canal boomed from about 1825 through the 1860s, but business tapered off quickly thereafter.



This mural shows the canal in its heyday, along with the railroad, a happy couple, and a sidesaddle mule rider. Those were the days, apparently…



Did you know that the first automobile sold in the U.S. was bought by Robert Allison of Port Carbon? His 1898 Winton would have looked like this one:



Continuing on, I soon arrived in Tamaqua (pronounced tah-mah'-quah), which was named after the Chief of the Turkey Clan among the Tuscarora Indians. I couldn't help reveling in the diversity of houses along Broad Street. Here is a small selection:




I was also taken by this angelic marble harpist.



It was an overcast day, with major rainstorms threatened for the evening, so it was tough getting good photos. Back home, in an effort to bring out the colors that were masked by the leaden skies, I occasionally got a bit carried away. But it was a striking place, honest!



The Tamaqua Railroad Station still stands proudly, although the trains no longer stop here. Eight sets of tracks used to go through town, but most are now under a parking lot for the Dollar General Store, such being Progress. The restored station features a restaurant and a couple of shops. The brightly painted switcher engine, incidentally, was steam-powered. It did not have a boiler, however, so it would be filled to a high pressure from an external source and would run about (happily, it seems) until needing a refill.






A few miles northeast from Tamaqua sits the coal-mining town of Lansford, named after Asa Lansford Foster—who, as far as I know, is not one of my ancestors. He came to Pennsylvania as a young man and soon proved very adept at a number of businesses, including merchandise, newspapers, and real estate. At one point, he looked into the operation of steamboats on the Susquehanna River. This enterprise did not end well, as the "Cadorus" exploded spectacularly on its maiden voyage. To quote from a rootsweb biographical sketch, "Mr. Foster was on board, but being a good swimmer and fortunately blown into the water with only slight injuries, narrowly escaped with his life."



Asa Lansford Foster went on to make, lose, and remake several fortunes, eventually turning to coal mining and discovering Pennsylvania's huge Black Creek Coal Basin. Mining was a prosperous business in those days, but much more so for the owners, such as Asa, and much less so for the miners themselves. These historical photos show miners shoring up the ceiling of a mine and sorting the pieces of coal by size. And, yes, those are children doing the sorting…




Since mining was so dangerous, praying for safety seemed advisable and the people of Lansford erected numerous churches. Lansford's first church was the Welsh Congregational in 1850, which still exists (although a bit perilously, as seen below). With escalating "anthracite prosperity" came larger and more ornate examples.




The earliest railroads in the U.S. used either horse-drawn railcars or gravity. The Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway was an example of the latter approach. It started operations in 1827, making it the second railroad in the country, and it carried coal from the Lansford / Summit Hill area down to the town of Mauch Chunk on the Lehigh River, a run of 9 miles. A loaded car could coast the distance downhill in about half an hour—but it took mules 4 hours to drag the car back up to the top. The ride down was so exciting, that before long the railway offered passenger service. In places, the passenger cars would reach 50 mph, and the Switchback Railway is considered to be the first "roller coaster" in the country.

I think this is what's left of one of the stops—perhaps the same one pictured in the first historical photo below (courtesy of the National Registry of Historic Places; other historic photos are from the excellent website The Switchback Gravity Railroad). The tracks and almost all of the buildings are long gone now, although hikers and mountain bikers can follow the route. But in its day, the Switchback Railway proved to be a very popular tourist attraction, and the likes of President Ulysses S. Grant and Thomas Edison are known to have enjoyed the ride.






As I drove along the aptly named Hill Road into Mauch Chunk, I stopped to get a photo looking down from the mountain onto the town. As so often happens, when I went back to my car I discovered something even more interesting behind it! These ruins are what's left of the "Erwin Castle," which had been the stone residence of Dr. Bertine S. Erwin, starting in the late 1800s. He was the physician for the powerful Packer family in Mauch Chunk, but his castle began to crumble around him even while he still lived there. The current owner of the property is planning to build a new cottage on this site, using the ruins as part of the structure.




Before touring Mauch Chunk, I detoured over to the Lehigh Gorge State Park, in search of the elusive Turn Hole Tunnel. In 1866, the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad built tracks across the river and tunneled straight through the cliff on the far side. (Why they dug the tunnel, rather than routing the tracks a couple of hundred feet farther north, is a mystery to me.) The tunnel was used until being condemned in 1910, but the bridge and tunnel still served as a siding thereafter until being abandoned in about 1950. I had no idea exactly where the tunnel was located, but I drove to the end of the park road, walked to the river, and there it was.



Upon noticing people in the mouth of the tunnel, I became determined to get there myself. A long walk along the river, across the bridge, and around the outside of the cliff brought me to the other end. Prospective tourists, please note the following: If you want to go through the tunnel, like I did, think about bringing a flashlight! And maybe a hard hat. Inside the tunnel, there were many railroad ties, pot holes, and a large number of rocks that have fallen from the ceiling. (I guess it was condemned for a good reason…)



Anyway, the view from the mouth of the tunnel over the Leheigh River was well worth the journey. Despite the threatening skies, lots of folks were sightseeing, hiking, or fishing.





I know trees need water, but I never knew they would bend over and drink directly from a river.



Backtracking across the Lehigh, it was time to explore Mauch Chunk, now known as Jim Thorpe, PA, named after the famous sports hero. The town was founded in 1818, and its original name means "Bear Mountain" in the language of the Lenape Indians. It's often called "the Switzerland of Pennsylvania," and artists at the time portrayed it rather more Alpine and vertical than the real thing—compare this print with the historical photo, for example:




Given its coal-mining background, Mauch Chunk / Jim Thorpe also has its share of churches. This striking old chapel is no longer used, however.




Okay, I got a little carried away again with the post-processing on this photo. But it really was a strikingly purple house!



Most people have heard of the "Molly Maguires," a secret labor organization of Irish coal miners. Remember the photo of the kids sorting coal? The Molly Maguires protested working conditions, low pay, "company store" abuses, and other inequities, often resorting to beating or even murdering mine owners and supervisors, and the police who tried to maintain order. They operated this "anarchic, martial law" for more than 20 years before a Pinkerton Detective Co. agent infiltrated the society, learned their secrets, and gathered evidence on 50 murders, at which point the law stepped in. Four of the Molly Maguires were tried, sentenced, and hanged at the Old Jail in Mauch Chunk in 1877. In all, approximately 20 members of the organization were hanged, some convicted by juries with non-English-speaking members.




Were the Molly Maguires a domestic terrorist organization? Or a dedicated band of laborers trying to address horrific abuses? You can decide for yourself, but an interesting pair of contrasting opinions can be found at UFCW: A Brief History of the Molly Maguires and The Molly Maguires.


On a cheerier note, here's a vintage painting of downtown Mauch Chunk, showing the Hotel Switzerland sandwiched in-between the Armbruster House and the Central Hotel (originally the Electric Light Building. The Switzerland survived, the others not so much.




The 1861 mansion of railroad baron and Lehigh University founder Asa Packer sits on top of the hill and was left to the town by his daughter, Mary Packer Cummings. It sat vacant and neglected from 1912-1956, but was renovated and is now open for tours.




Slightly further up Packer Hill is the mansion of Harry Packer, Asa's son, for whom it was built in 1874 as a wedding present. In 1983, the mansion was in danger of collapsing, but the incredible efforts of Robert and Patricia Handwerk resulted in a sound structure and a model bed and breakfast. Somewhere along the way, this building served as the inspiration for the Haunted House at Disney World.



Did I mention that Jim Thorpe never actually set foot in the town that bears his name? He was a native of Oklahoma and went to college in Carlisle, PA. After his death, his widow petitioned the State to put up a statue in his honor—but Oklahoma refused. Patricia Thorpe cut a deal with Mauch Chunk, which was looking to build upon its tourist trade, and ol' Jim is now buried here with two statues in his honor! Jim Thorpe was born in 1887 and was a direct descendant of Chief Black Hawk of the Sac and Fox Indian Tribes. In the 1912 World Olympics in Stockholm, he won gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon, setting records that were not broken until decades later. The King of Sweden told him, "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world!" He subsequently played both professional baseball and football and was named ABC's "Sports Athlete of the Century."



I mean, what was Oklahoma thinking??

Continuing my tour of the town named in his honor, I found the old train station and discovered that Jim Thorpe was celebrating Earth Day. There were crowds of people, and I counted at least three live bands playing.





Actually, make that four live bands, if you count the numerous kids who were wailing away on an eclectic set of drum-like percussion instruments set up for their enjoyment!



Jim Thorpe, PA is definitely on my list of places to return to. But on this day, it was almost 3:00 PM, and I still had half of my tour to go. I drove along the Lehigh River, kicking myself constantly for not stopping to take more photos, and before long I headed cross country for the town of Bath. I got a quick picture of the 1804 Daniel Steckel House (now a bed and breakfast) while waiting at a stop light.



Then it was on to Nazareth, PA. Of course, people all over the world make pilgrimages to Nazareth in Israel. In Pennsylvania, Nazareth is a place for pilgrimages by car racing enthusiasts. Why? Well, here is one reason. Think who might have an incredible mansion, hidden behind rows of trees, with a 6-car garage?



And while you're thinking, here's what Nazareth Speedway looked like in its prime. It started life as a dirt oval in 1920 and went on to feature Indy Car and NASCAR races.




Today, it is deserted, having run its last race in 2004. Most of the buildings and grandstands have been torn down, and eventually it will probably become another faceless shopping center, full of Dollar Generals. (Okay, in fairness, Dollar General is sponsoring Sarah Fisher's Indy Car racing team, so I shouldn't pick on them just because they paved over much of Tamaqua's historic railroad district!) This photo, incidentally, is courtesy of "Paul8." I couldn't get close enough to the track for any sort of decent picture.



Okay, but what about the mansion? Let's see a show of hands: How many of you said, "Hey, that's Mario Andretti's home"? Yep, that's right. Mario, who is arguably America's greatest and most-versatile racing driver of all time, immigrated here from Italy with his family in 1955, after having lived in a refugee camp in Lucca, Italy for 7 years following World War II. They arrived with $125 and not a word of English among them. Like all Italians, Mario loved motor racing, and he was soon proving his worth at Nazareth Speedway.



In a true rags-to-riches story, Mario went on to win nearly every major race and racing championship there is, including the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, and the Formula One World Championship. I only met him once, years ago at Mid-Ohio, but he was genuinely nice and very friendly with this oddball racing fan. Here he is with his son Michael and grandson Marco, both of whom were or are outstanding racing drivers in their own right, and both of whom also live in Nazareth.



Now, those of you who didn't get the right answer above were probably thinking of Nazareth as the home of Martin Guitars. Yeah, it's that, too. Here's the headquarters. Hmmm, as a guitar player myself, I should have recognized this answer as an equally compelling choice... Okay, either answer gets full credit!




From Nazareth, it was a short hop over to Easton where the Lehigh joins the Delaware River.



I walked out onto the Northampton Street Bridge to get a photo of the river and the Easton-Phillipsburg toll bridge. On the way back, I saw a plaque that referred to the Flood of 1955. The second shot is the Northampton Street Bridge during that flood, which was caused by Hurricane Diane and saw waters that were 44 feet above normal levels. It was badly damaged but subsequently renovated—sort of; the bridge still sags in the middle.




From Easton, the drive south along the Delaware River was worth its weight in gold. One stunning view after another, with dozens (maybe hundreds) of interesting historic places along the way. Highly recommended. The Delaware Canal also borders the river on the Pennsylvania side for most of this distance. This canal was quite prosperous before the railroads came along, and there are still many of the original locks in evidence. Here are historical and current photos of the canal:




I had to hustle along, given the late hour, but I couldn't resist stopping at this abandoned building.



And there, naturally, I ran into Bill Goffi and his photographer assistant, who were out for a spin on Bill's Kawasaki Ninja 250 and his vintage Kawasaki K200. That's the bridge leading to Frenchtown, NJ in the background.



Have you ever driven along and caught sight of something out of the corner of your eye, but you passed too quickly to recognize it, yet something told you that it was noteworthy? Well, at least one time in a hundred, that inner voice is correct! In this case, it was the Erwinna Covered Bridge. It crosses Swamp Creek and was built sometime between 1832 (based on county records) and 1871 (based on the National Registry of Historic Places).



This mansion, while not as large as Mario's and wholly lacking a 6-car garage, was stately and impressive nonetheless. And it sits right across River Road from this old mill.




Now, my long-suffering colleagues, Cathy and Kim, who are staunch Baptists, have been after me to get out of the office more often and to make more Z4 trips—and especially to try to find more historic Baptist churches. I spotted the Point Pleasant Baptist Church out of the (other) corner of my eye. It required a slight detour but was well worth it. Here's an historical photo of the church, plus another of one of their old-time baptisms, along with my own photo. It hasn't changed a bit.





With the sun rapidly setting—and my trip far from over—it was time to really press on. After only a few miles, however, I just had to stop near Paunnacussing Creek and Lumberville to get a final Delaware River picture. A handy pedestrian bridge offered a good vantage point.



The two little dots in the distance were fishermen, suggesting a choice of pursuits at this late hour: Either fishing…



…or, in the opposite direction, dining at the Black Bass Hotel, which dates back to 1745. The attractive diner is of a much more recent vintage, obviously!



Back on the road, for fun I decided to cross over the Delaware into New Jersey, to see what Stockton was like. It turned out to be a beautiful little town, with many happy tourists milling about. That was when I caught sight of a sign, prompting me to venture deeper into the State. Along the way, I saw a number of handsome farms in the dwindling light.



And eventually, after several tries, I located Green Sergeant's Covered Bridge over Wickecheoke Creek. Back in the day, Maryland had at least 50 to 60 covered bridges. Pennsylvania had hundreds—and still has a great many. New Jersey, like its neighbors, had about 75 such bridges. Named after a local farmer, Green Sergeant's bridge was built in 1872 on pilings that dated back to 1750, but it was dismantled in 1960 to be replaced, like so many others, with a modern bridge. Fortunately, an "aroused group of citizens" rallied to save the bridge, and it was reconstructed from its original pieces. But it is the only remaining covered bridge in the whole State.



The daylight was now gone, but I continued on toward Doylestown in the hopes of getting a nighttime photo of the historic Font Hill mansion. I figured it might be lit by floodlights, and hope springs eternal. I managed to find the park where it's located, and in the darkness I saw the outline of a gigantic building of some sort. By moonlight and floodlight, I managed to get this hand-held HDR photo—of what turned out to be the 1898 Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. It's now a history museum, and tiles are still made here using the original molds and materials.



I have no idea where the mansion is, but I'll be back! After all, I had to forgo the last fourth of my planned trip due to darkness. On the way home, incidentally, with the outside temperature at about 65 degrees, it began to rain. At times it just poured down, and I began to see odd white droplets in the glare of the headlights. Eventually, I realized that it was snowing! It even landed on the pavement and swirled around for a while before melting. That night and the following day, parts of Pennsylvania and the northeast were blanketed by snow.

But my day of driving and touring was great, with a roundtrip of about 450 miles, roughly half of which was getting to Reading and back from Doylestown. The faithful Z4 ran perfectly and was content both to putter around slowly when I was searching for photo op's and to wind out to redline and corner on rails when the road demanded adventure.

Rick F.

[jckent]

These posts of yours are one of the reasons I put so many miles on my Z4, looking for gems of history or beauty in my own area... thanks for taking the time to do it.

[Blind32]

Looks like an awesome trip. Great photos. You should really take all these trips and compile them into a book.

[zubydafa]

this is just great.

i'm from the lehigh valley and have seen some of of the tamaqua/jim thrope/easton/nazareth/bath sights. i'll often gas up and set out with no destination in mind on a nice saturday morning just to cruise. this can end up taking an hour, or more often than not, the better part of the morning into afternoon. my goal is usually to find the best backroads around here with nice twisties and some sights along the way.

i wish i had the camera skills to capture my adventures! keep them coming, they're enjoyable to follow.

hope you don't mind - some iphone photos of a recent outing:

[Walkurie]

Another great post, Rick. Keep them coming!

Especially liked the references to the Molly Maguires. I recall the movie that was made on location on the subject in the 1960's. Starring Sean Connery. It was one of his firsts after he became famous in the original James Bond movies, and served to broaden his suitability for other great parts that were to come his way. While filming, he visited a golf course where I worked and played a round. A great thrill for a youngster to see who would eventually become their all-time favorite actor.

[EenyBear]

I truly appreciate your travelogues.
Thanks for the photos and historical commentary.
Best regards.

[Doctor Jeff]

Awesome travelogue. Anyone who wonders why there are roadsters should see this, and they would instantly understand.

[3798j]

Definitely agree with everyone's positive view of your wonderful work. How very enjoyable. This one though had even more meaning. As I viewed the photo of the train station in Jim Thorpe (the first photo following the postage stamp of Jim), I quickly realized that the family walking, is our son, daughter-in-law and their girls (our granddaughters). They went to Earth Day on a whim and according to them, enjoyed the town and celebration very much.

[cervasa]

looks like a fun trip you should check out the abandoned tunnels up in pa

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by jckent

These posts of yours are one of the reasons I put so many miles on my Z4, looking for gems of history or beauty in my own area... thanks for taking the time to do it.

jc,

The Z4 is a great car for this sort of thing. It seems perfectly at home either blasting through fun corners or plunking along in search of an obscure historical site.

Sometime when you have the chance, post a few pictures of the gems you've found!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Blind32

Looks like an awesome trip. Great photos. You should really take all these trips and compile them into a book.

Blind32,

Glad you enjoyed the write-up! And one of these days, I'll take a shot at that book...

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by zubydafa

this is just great.

i'm from the lehigh valley and have seen some of of the tamaqua/jim thrope/easton/nazareth/bath sights. i'll often gas up and set out with no destination in mind on a nice saturday morning just to cruise. this can end up taking an hour, or more often than not, the better part of the morning into afternoon. my goal is usually to find the best backroads around here with nice twisties and some sights along the way.

i wish i had the camera skills to capture my adventures! keep them coming, they're enjoyable to follow.

hope you don't mind - some iphone photos of a recent outing:

zubydafa,

I was quite impressed with the entertaining roads in this area plus the wealth of interesting things to see. I'm not surprised that your ad hoc trips frequently stretch into multiple hours.

As for camera skills, I'd say you've done a great job with the examples you showed. I've got to remember that trick of getting down close to the pavement for dramatic shots. And I've got to acknowledge that your coupe is downright beautiful!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by tbalutis

Another great post, Rick. Keep them coming!

Especially liked the references to the Molly Maguires. I recall the movie that was made on location on the subject in the 1960's. Starring Sean Connery. It was one of his firsts after he became famous in the original James Bond movies, and served to broaden his suitability for other great parts that were to come his way. While filming, he visited a golf course where I worked and played a round. A great thrill for a youngster to see who would eventually become their all-time favorite actor.

tbalutis,

Thanks! I'm a big fan of Sean Connery, too--and I've now added the Molly Maguires to my must-see movie list. It's great that you got to see him in real life.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by EenyBear

I truly appreciate your travelogues.
Thanks for the photos and historical commentary.
Best regards.

EB,

My pleasure--I'm really glad you enjoy them!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

Awesome travelogue. Anyone who wonders why there are roadsters should see this, and they would instantly understand.

Dr. Jeff,

Thanks--and I have to agree regarding the roadster. When you're out driving and looking for interesting, scenic, rustic, historic, whatever sites, it's great not to have a roof in your way!

I was touring in Virginia and West Virginia this past weekend, and it rained most of Saturday. With the top up, I kept wondering what I might be missing on the passenger side of the car.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by 3798j

Definitely agree with everyone's positive view of your wonderful work. How very enjoyable. This one though had even more meaning. As I viewed the photo of the train station in Jim Thorpe (the first photo following the postage stamp of Jim), I quickly realized that the family walking, is our son, daughter-in-law and their girls (our granddaughters). They went to Earth Day on a whim and according to them, enjoyed the town and celebration very much.

Jay,

Wow, now there's a coincidence! I'm impressed that you spotted them, since the photo I posted is an HDR shot made up of three separate exposures--which means that your son and his family were moving and in different positions in each photo. Good eye!

Actually, it reminds me of a comment that my Chinese interpreter made when I was in Dalian, China in 1988. We were walking next to a bicycle parking lot, with easily 5,000 of the identical "Flying Pigeon" bicycles that everyone rode to work back then. I asked my interpreter how anyone would ever find their specific bike. He responded, "Every mother knows her child."

Here's a non-HDR shot of your son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters, zoomed in from the third of the exposures I took:


Thanks for posting!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by cervasa

looks like a fun trip you should check out the abandoned tunnels up in pa

cervasa,

Definitely a fun trip, although a little ambitious for one day. I've heard that there is at least one abandoned tunnel that used to be part of the PA Turnpike, but I've never seen it.

Actually, I take that back: I probably saw it by driving through it, before it was abandoned!

Got any recommendations for other tunnels?

Rick

[3798j]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

Jay,Wow, now there's a coincidence! I'm impressed that you spotted them....

That's almost verbatim the comment my daughter-in-law made . But yep, that's them.

[cervasa]

i found the rays hill before heres some links u have to walk or bike that one most likely want to bike it its a long walk
http://www.pahighways.com/toll/abandonedturnpike.html
http://www.offroaders.com/album/cent..._Turnpike.html
http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm

there is always centrailia to

[RS22b]

i grew up here in Northern NJ and have travelled much in and around these areas, but i had no idea there was so much cool stuff around!

Thanks for sharing! def enjoyable to read and see all the pics...

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by cervasa

i found the rays hill before heres some links u have to walk or bike that one most likely want to bike it its a long walk
http://www.pahighways.com/toll/abandonedturnpike.html
http://www.offroaders.com/album/cent..._Turnpike.html
http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm

there is always centrailia to

cervasa,

Many thanks--these are great references. I'd heard of Centralia before (from the "Ghost Towns of Pennsylvania" book, but I've not been there. And finding some of the older, abandoned sections of the PA Turnpike would be a lot of fun, too.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by RS22b

i grew up here in Northern NJ and have travelled much in and around these areas, but i had no idea there was so much cool stuff around!

Thanks for sharing! def enjoyable to read and see all the pics...

RS22b,

In the Mid-Atlantic area, it's pretty hard not to find interesting things, even if you're not looking! I'm glad you enjoyed the write-up.

Rick