Revelton Ghost Town (Clinton County)

 

    

Revelton Iron Furnace
Author's Photo

    Hidden behind a curtain of hemlock and pine lies a portal to the past, a time when Central Pennsylvania’s vast industrial potential was being realized. During that era, much of the region was still relatively untamed. Extracting these sought after resources would require the determination and expertise of a unique breed of men. In the wilds of Clinton County, a short broad gentleman known as “The General” would exhibit all of those qualities, along with many more colorful ones, while taming this rugged country.

The Wreck of the Red Arrow (Blair County)

 

The jumbled wreckage of the Red Arrow
Image Retrieved From: https://www.gendisasters.com/

Seventy-eight years ago today, the Red Arrow, a premier passenger train of the Pennsylvania Railroad, crested the summit of the Allegheny Mountains at Gallitzin, Cambria County on its sprint to New York. From here, the entire 12 miles to Altoona would pit the train against gravity. Engineer Billig leaned out the cab window into the foggy night. Behind his engine were fourteen cars full of  passengers, many of whom had been lulled into slumber by the gentle rocking of the train. Ahead was Bennington Curve, the first of many that snaked the tracks down the mountain. Engineer Billig had taken many a train around this curve, so it was to his surprise when he felt the engine begin to heel over, followed by the earsplitting sound of the train being ripped apart. 

Howard Brick Works (Centre County)

    It's remarkable how something so unassuming like an old worn brick could tell such a fascinating story. Many of these bricks show a great deal of character, much like the community that is stamped upon them.