Tag: Railroad History

The Statue of Liberty, Dauphin, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Some of you are saying, “Wait a minute.  Something is wrong here.  The Statue of Liberty is in New York, not Pennsylvania.”

Well, the most famous statue was erected in 1886 by New York City locals in New York Harbor and welcomed people who arrived by ship into the harbor.  Yes, it is the most famous Statue of Liberty in spite of the fact that the original Statue of Liberty is located in Paris, France.  What made the New York statue more famous?  Location.  Although the original statue is on an island on the Seine River in the middle of the city, the most famous one on an island in New York Harbor welcomed people entering into the United States of America.  When France wanted to bring the statue to New York, the United States government was opposed to it.  That is when New York City area locals stepped in to fund the bringing of the statue to New York City, and it has been a symbol of American freedom welcoming people into the Land of Freedom one of the world’s top iconic sites ever since.

Other Statue of Liberty’s were erected across the United States of America.  One of these statue was erected in the middle of the Susquehanna River in the town of Dauphin in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, a suburb of Harrisburg, the state capital.  Why the Susquehanna River?  The Susquehanna River is the longest unnavigable river in the United States of America which means that no ships pass by here.  The only traffic is that on U.S. Routes 22 and 322.  A statue was erected here in 1986 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the one in New York Harbor, but it was later destroyed.  Locals saw how significant that statue was and erected a new statue, and that statue stands today.  Now, drivers along U.S. Routes 22 and 322 can see a great icon along their journey through Pennsylvania.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  It is great that the people of France gave the Statue of Liberty to New York City, and it is great that the Statue of Liberty is a great icon not just for New York City and the United States of America, but for the entire world.  As for this one in the Susquehanna River, it is just a replica of the famous one.  Since this is just a replica of the famous one, I will not be using my liberty to see this replica statue.”

What is special about the Statue of Liberty in Dauphin, Pennsylvania?  As you drive along the highway and look out at the statue, you will notice what the statue was erected on.  What is it on?  The statue was erected on a piling of an old railroad bridge.  There was once a railroad bridge where the current statue stands.  Which railroad crossed the bridge is unknown at this point although it is upriver from the world famous Rockville Bridge, the longest stone arch bridge in the world and now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Now you can see that the Statue of Liberty in Dauphin, Pennsylvania is not just a replica of the famous statue and a symbol of American freedom, but the statue has a little bit of railroad history attached to it.

As mentioned, the original statue made with plywood and Venetian blinds was erected in 1986, but it was blown off the piling by strong winds and destroyed in 1992.  Locals later erected the current statue you see today, and it was made with steel.  The man who erected the original replica remained silent for many years until 2011.  He happened to be a local lawyer who erected the statue as a prank.  He had no idea that it would be a permanent and famous icon in the Susquehanna River Valley of Pennsylvania.

The Statue of Liberty of the Susquehanna Valley is located in the middle of the Susquehanna River west of the city of Harrisburg, and it can be seen from U.S. Routes 22 and 322.  Be advised that there is no pull-off on the highway to view the statue so you will need to be mindful as you drive on the highway.  (We do not want to see anyone getting stuck in the rear bumper while seeing the statue.)

The Statue of Liberty stands for American freedom.  Near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Statue of Liberty stands on a piece of railroad history.

The Eastern Shore Railway Museum, Parksley, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The town of Parksley in the U.S. state of Virginia, a small town on the Delmarva Peninsula is known for its Victorian architecture.  The town was built around a railroad line that was extended south from Pocomoke City in the U.S. state of Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia which sits at the southern tip of the peninsula. (The railroad line in the Virginia section of the peninsula is now abandoned.)  It you visit the town, the very first thing that you will notice is the numerous rails cars that are resting in this town.  This is the Eastern Shore Railway Museum which celebrates the railroad heritage of the town.

On the outside, you will see the Parksley Depot that was once used for passenger service.  The depot was originally the Depot of Hopetown, Virginia that was brought to the museum and sits on the site of the original Parksley Depot.  You will also see a section of the foundation of the old 1886 depot that was unearthed while clearing the land for the museum.  You can stand in the same spot where passengers stood to wait for the train.  The platform is made with bricks that were used at the train station in Ocean City, Maryland.  You will see a dining car from the Seaboard Airline Railroad.  You see an old maintenance shed and a guard house that was used before crossing gates came along.  You see an old Pennsylvania Railroad Box Car, the Fairfax River, a Pullman sleeper from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, another sleeper car, a baggage car and two cabooses: one from the Nickle Plate Road and an old Wabash caboose.  There is so much to see, and you have not even gone inside yet.

On the inside, you will see the gift shop, a small model train display, a maintenance car, a luggage carrier and artifacts from the days when regular rail service came to Parksley.

The Eastern Shore Railway Museum is located at 18468 Dunne Avenue in Parksley, Virginia, just minutes from U.S. Route 13 at the intersection of Virginia Route 176 and Virginia Route 316.  Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.  The gift shop, model train display and inside areas are open from April to November, but the grounds are accessible all year round.  A drive along Virginia’s Eastern Shore would not be complete without a visit to Parksley and to the spot that the town originated from.

Fort James Jackson, Savannah, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia is a city that has much history.  Fort Jackson, located on the Savannah River east of the historic downtown area is a big part of that history.  It was the second defense from an attack from the Savannah River after Fort Pulaski, and the fort played a role in the War of 1812.  The fort is named after, of course, James Jackson, a British born officer who served in the American Revolutionary war and was later the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia.  It is the oldest standing brick fort in the state of Georgia and one of the oldest on the East Coast of the United States.  If you are ever visiting Savannah, you will want to make some time to visit this National Historic Landmark.

Now some of you are saying, “You know.  I am amazed to hear about Fort Jackson.  You see the history of the fort as a fortification for battle, and I see how it helped defend the ships going in and out of Savannah, but I am wondering where the railroads are at this fort.”

Fort Jackson was a fort built to defend Savannah from a sea attack.  It has much history as a fort itself, but you will not find any railroad history here at all.  In matter of fact, the fort itself has no history with the railroad at all.

Why visit Fort James Jackson if it has no history with the railroad?  You will see the answer to the question as soon as you arrive.

The first thing you will see when you arrive at Fort Jackson is the Visitor Center.  What is so special about the Visitor Center?  Many historic sites have visitor centers that show the history of the particular site.  What is special about the Fort Jackson Visitor Center?  The answer is that before it was the Fort Jackson Visitor Center, the structure was called the Tybee Depot.  Yes, it was located in downtown Savannah.  (This train depot was separate from the main train station that is now the Savannah Visitor Center.)  The Central of Georgia Railroad ran passenger trains from downtown Savannah to Tybee Island, an island on the Atlantic Ocean that was a resort town.  When the railroad no longer served Tybee Island, the depot was preserved and eventually brought to Fort Jackson to become the visitor center.

You now have a reason to visit Fort Jackson.  Once you see the visitor center, you will want to see the fort as well.  The fort is located at 1 Fort Jackson Road just minutes from the historic district.  It is a place worth seeing.

Airlie Gardens, Wilmington, North Carolina

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Do enjoy time in the garden?  You enjoy the peace and serenity.  You enjoy the flowers in bloom.  You enjoy the trees over your head.  This is what you will feel as you stroll through Airlie Gardens in the city of Wilmington in the U.S. state of North Carolina.  Built around a mansion that sadly is not open to the public, Airlie Gardens is a refreshing place to enjoy.  The ponds, the groves, and even the views of Bradley Creek, Airlie Gardens is truly an oasis in a very busy beach city.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  I love gardens.  They are so beautiful.  However, there is a very big problem.  You see.  These are gardens, and these gardens have no railroads.  Therefore, I will not be taking a stroll through here.”

You do have a point.  There is no railroad here, and no railroad has ever run through these gardens.  So, what does the railroad have to do with Airlie Gardens?

The history of Airlie Gardens begin long before the United States of America was established, but in 1835, a man named Thomas Henry Wright built Mount Lebanon Chapel on the property, and the church remains on the property today.  Who is Thomas Henry Wright?  He was a physician, a bank president, a merchant, an Episcopal minister, and he was also a railroad director of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.

However, this is just a tiny piece of a bigger story.

Then comes Henry Walters.  Who is Henry Walters?  He is famous for being an art collector and a philanthropist.  He was the son of William Thompson Walters.  Who is William Thompson Walters?  He was the president of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad of which the headquarters was moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 1884. When William died in 1894, Henry took over the railroad.  While here, Henry started other railroads.  Among them was the Atlantic Beach Car.  What is the Atlantic Beach Car?  It began in 1902 at the Wilmington Seacoast Railroad using steam locomotives to pull passenger cars from Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach, but it was later converted to an electric railroad using trolleys, and the ‘Beach Car’ was born.  Among the stops along the line was a stop at Airlie.

Henry was a frequent guest of Pembroke and Sarah Jones, the owners of the Airlie Mansion of which Airlie Gardens was built around.  Pembroke was also a director on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.  Among the guests were Stuyvesant Fish, owner of the Illinois Central Railroad, members of the Vanderbilt family, tycoon Henry Flagler, and socialite Henry Lehr.  Henry had a sister named Jennie who Married Warren Delano III, the uncle of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  When Pembroke died, Henry married Sarah, and they lived at a home in Manhattan in New York City, New York.  His other accomplishments include the establishment of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland where he made few visits.  Henry remained the president of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until his death in 1931.  Sarah transforms the gardens and eventually opens the gardens to the public.

The Airlie Gardens is a great treasure to see.  Regardless of what time of the year, Airlie Gardens is a great place to take a stroll.

Airlie Gardens is located at 300 Airlie Road in Wilmington, North Carolina just off of U.S. Route 17.  It is open year round from 9:00am to 5:00pm.  The great part is that is it mostly wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on admission and read more into the history of the gardens at https://airliegardens.org/.

No, you will not see the railroad here, but you can take a stroll through a place that has a connection to the railroad.  Visit Airlie Gardens.  Pembroke and Sarah Jones and Henry Walters will be glad that you did.