This holiday season, as people drive over Schreibers stone arch bridge to get in line for Lights in the Parkway, few will be aware of the industrial past surrounding them. The Barber Quarry railroad branch line crossed the road, just beyond the bridge. On the left was the Union Carbine's Linde plant, the concrete loading dock is still visible. Although the last train ran in the early 1980's, the wooden railroad trestle is still there, to the west and south of the bridge. The area is now used as part of the disc golf course. The photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in 1976, and is part of the Mark Rabenold Collection.
above reprinted from December 3, 2010
ADDENDUM JANUARY 8, 2025: Although the former Union Carbine loading dock was visible for many decades, it now has been replaced by new apartment buildings on the parcel. Also different is the intersection just uphill from the bridge, the long standing triangle island is no longer there.
A few stops on a train ride to decline.
ReplyDeleteMy goal this summer is to walk across the Little Lehigh using the trestle bridge.
ReplyDeleteMy recollection from the last time I did it a few years ago was that there were a few missing ties that made crossing a little bit visually daunting (but still doable).
I don’t think it’s been removed, so I’ll get to see how much it’s deteriorated since.
I administer the Facebook group Allentown Chronicles. A photo of the trestle was placed there this morning....it is in bad condition over the creek from the 2021 storm. Further research this morning revealed how much of the former fertilizer plant is actually in Salisbury. Pawlowski purchasing that parcel was a bigger shenanigan than I realized at the time.
DeleteMM - Way off topic, but I wanted to let you know about something that I saw yesterday. I happened to be traveling north on 4th Street in Allentown, and the block between Turner and Chew is appalling.
ReplyDeleteThe street trees that line the street are beautiful, but apparently they are home to a large number of birds, as evidenced by their droppings that are everywhere - street, sidewalk, cars. Everywhere. I'm not talking just a little bit of "bird dirt", I'm talking about covered!
I can't imagine having to deal with that as a resident, and I would imagine that is the top issue that affects the quality of life on that block. Central Catholic High School is at 4th and Chew, and I would imagine that at least some of their students walk that block each day.
In addition to being unsightly for those living or traveling through there, it's also certainly a health issue, especially in light of the spread of bird flu.
I don't know if the birds (and their droppings) are a new issue there or one that's existed for decades, but I do know that the block in question is only a short distance from Allentown City Hall. I would think SOMEONE in city government has at least noticed it, so I have to wonder why it still looks the way it does.
I don't know what the answer is, but I would think that it is in the best interest of the city to help find a solution. Certainly, I would think that the Health Department should be monitoring the area, and maybe the Parks Department could even find novel ways to keep the birds from setting up in the trees on that block.
I realize some might say that it's not the city's problem, but this same issue could strike any block in the city and likely exists in other city neighborhoods as well. Will it take a spread of bird flu from that area to make City Hall take notice and do something?
I'd like to think not, but noticing problems before they mushroom doesn't seem like a strong point of this administration.
I agree that at this time with bird flu, the topic deserves some thought. I'll go further...we don't even need so many trees in center city, although the environmentalists will go insane at such a suggestion. The tree roots raise up the sidewalk slabs, creating tripping hazards and replacement expense for the homeowners.
Delete..... And after the city comes along and forces us to remove trees/repair sidewalks, some other genius decides we need to replace the trees once again....OR.... as has been done on 7th and some other streets, remove perfectly good trees and replace them with other trees... I must be an idiot, but why do we go thru this expense over and over??? Leave the trees there or remove them... forget this insane R&R poppycock malarkey, particularly when the city is broke!!!! Sign me, A. Dumass
ReplyDeleteI don’t know that removing trees solves the problem. The birds will move, and likely regroup in another neighborhood. You can’t cut down every tree in the city, nor would you want to.
ReplyDeleteThe city does need to find a solution. This is a health hazard that’s been going on for at least a few months and likely goes beyond the single block that was mentioned. The situation should not continue.
Maybe decoys of predators would move the birds; maybe the police department could fire a blank round at regular intervals until the birds move; maybe there’s a way to lure them into the nearby Jordan Parkway to get them away from the residential areas. I can’t believe this is the first neighborhood in the country to ever have this problem, and I’m sure there are other, better ideas as well.
But whatever the solution, it has to be something that can be replicated across the city. Just moving the problem to another neighborhood isn’t enough.
The Allentown Health Department should be on top of this no matter what. There is no good that can come from people being in contact with that much bird excrement on a daily basis, and bird flu is one of many bad results that will come from ignoring the problem.
The bigger issue is how is this not already noticed and being addressed? The area is close to City Hall. The police patrol the city on a daily basis. How is something like this not reported immediately and dealt with quickly?
That’s a great photo of the train on the trestle.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it might not be too long before the trestle only exists in the photo.