Illustrated
History of
Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
by
Donald R. Serfass
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-92269
@ 1995, 2010 Donald R. Serfass Tamaqua, PA
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in whole, or in part, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
prior written permission of the author.
Excerpts from
the Revised Second Edition
Philadelphia & Reading Shops of the Little Schuylkill
Railroad Company
Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad
Early Industry – The Tamaqua
Iron Works
Another
storied foundry with a history of name changes was
the sprawling Tamaqua Iron Works,
begun in 1846 at the comer of South Railroad and
Spruce Streets, then called Railroad Avenue and
Foundry Street. (Click
here for street map.) Founder John K Smith started
a small shop that changed owners and name: about
ten times in its first 25 years. Then, as word spread,
this foundry, later called "Allen Machine Shops,"
became the largest foundry in Pennsylvania and filled
the entire block.
Unfortunately, an
arson fire destroyed the works in 1872, but through perseverance and
determination, the foundry rose from ashes and once again produced machine and
iron works shipped all across the young country. At it prime, the industry
employed several hundred workers. It eventually was sold to Vulcan Iron Works,
Wilkes-Barre before it suspended operations. In 1961, the entire complex: was
gutted by fire, after which the town used the site, adjacent to the present
Tamaqua Public Library, as a municipal parking lot. In the 1960s, the lot
purposely was flooded and frozen to provide for a safe ice skating fink enjoyed
as winter time recreation.
Today, the name of
Tamaqua Iron Works and Allen of Tamaqua can still be found stamped on old-time
heavy duty machinery and ornamental iron. Many of the ornate spires that top
the domes of TamaquaÕs tum-of-the-century Victorian houses were hand-crafted at
these historic early foundries.
Philadelphia &
Reading Shops of the Little Schuylkill Railroad Company
Just
1 block south of the Rolling Mill stood another sprawling complex, the Philadelphia & Reading Shops of the Little
Schuylkill Railroad Company, 1848, and the magnificent
engineering marvel "the Round House," 1857 large enough to hold 21
steam locomotives. The Shop employed 90 men who mostly repaired engines, and
the Roundhouse, one of two that stood at the site, was highly acclaimed by the
scientific community, who hailed it as an engineering triumph with its large,
circular, teepee-type roof with no center ground supports. In 1860, the
railroad company, then known as The Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad and
Coal Company, sold to the Philadelphia an Reading (P&R) Company,
responsible for the appearance of two very early steam engines, the Tuscarora, 1842, and the Tamaqua, 1854.
The Tamaqua Roundhouse
Unfortunately, in 1896, the
P&R Company destroyed the original Roundhouse and erected a different
building. It served the same purpose; that structure stood for an additional 60
odd years, when, it, too, was razed. Today, this site is small shopping plaza
and parking lot.
To
realize what happened in Tamaqua in 1850, one must first understand that the
town had just completed a major project that altered nature -- changing the
course of the Little Schuylkill River from its natural path through downtown to
a new location about 2 blocks east. The natural riverbed was in the heart of
the downtown, about where the railroad tracks divide the town today. The reason
for this undertaking is unclear, perhaps the river's natural course interfered
with the laying of the railroad tracks. Or maybe the river occupied prime real
estate in the burgeoning downtown business area. Whatever the reason, the
river's path was intercepted north of town and diverted eastward in a large
crescent shape to the southern tip of town, where it was allowed to return to
its natural path. (Today, the river still follows this man-made path through
town.)
It
began as a gentle rain in Tamaqua on Sunday evening, September 1, 1850, and
gradually turned into a nonstop downpour, By daylight, the trestles leading
into the mines at Newkirk, just beyond the west end of town, became clogged
with dirt and debris that built up so high that a massive natural dam formed on
the Wabash Creek. After several hours, the dam gave way and water rushed into
the valley toward Tamaqua, combining with yet another flood racing down from
the north mountains as the swollen Little Schuylkill River, over its banks,
roared toward town determined to return to its natural course, its path of
least resistance. Two floods converged on Tamaqua in one horrific crash,
destroying much of what had been built on the flatlands. For a brief time, the Little
Schuylkill River had indeed returned to its natural path, and in doing so,
bitterly destroyed almost everything man had erected along the way. The water's
depth was beyond imagination.
One
of the historical sketches indicates, "The generally accepted theory is
that the flood was caused by a great water spout which burst over the valleys.
In the gorge on Burning Mountain a tree 60 feet up the side marks the height of
the sudden flood-everything on the flats was swept away. Dwellings, foundations
and workshops were taken away by the waters. A double frame house in which 22
persons had taken shelter, was torn asunder and all were drowned The Rev.
Oberfeld was caught by the water while in the act of rescuing a child and was
drowned."
Accounts
reveal that 62 people lost their lives during the disaster. The tracks of the
Little Schuylkill Railroad were completely obliterated and the town was
isolated from the outside world for six days. On September 2 and 3, everybody
turned out to retrieve the dead. One procession brought in 11 bodies at one
time. Mourners simply wandered the streets in disbelief, as it seemed that
death had claimed a life in every home.
Many
businesses never reopened and approximately 40 homes were completely swept away
by the flood waters. Bridges and
roads ceased to exist. People were rescued from trees. One story even tells of
a gallant man galloping his horse by the water's edge trying to save struggling
victims, only to be swept away himself by the erratic current.
As
for the minister who died rescuing a child, there remains a stark, solemn
monument in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery on Patterson Street in Tamaqua. The
tallest white, thin grave marker in the cemetery's old section at one time
provided an account of the rescue in English on the markers east side and in
the German language on the west. Today, the inscription on the English side has
surrendered to nature, but on the German side, you still can discern the words
of the heroic attempt of "Rev. Peter Z. Oberfelter" (the German spelling),
who gave his life to save a drowning child. The tombstone, six feet high, rests
high and dry on Dutch Hill, overlooking the valley.
Sadly,
the Great Flood of 1850 remains TamaquaÕs most historic single event and most
noted tragedy.
The Nation's First
Commercial Railroad
Hauling Anthracite with a Steam Engine,
1831
The
story of the first commercial railroad is printed here through the assistance
of William Melchoir and Dale Freudenberger, railroad enthusiasts and Tamaqua
historians, whose dedication and expertise on the subject deserve the utmost
praise.
By
1817, coal had been discovered both east and west of Tamaqua. Through the
years, the shiny black rocks began to prove their value as fuel for both home
and industry, and small coal mines cropped up on the landscape. The first coal
produced by these mines was hauled to market by horse and wagon. This method
quickly proved too slow on the narrow, treacherous and muddy roads. The demand
for coal was increasing and a quicker means of transportation was needed.
It
was soon decided that the use of the many rivers that flowed through the area
would provide a better method of transportation. Small barges were built and an
attempt was made to float the coal to Philadelphia. However, early coal shippers
soon learned that the use of rivers presented many obstacles to overcome. The
rivers ran wild in springtime, smashing the barges on the rocks, while the same
rivers turned to small streams during summer droughts. This led to the creation
of dams to provide slack water navigation.
On
August 3, 1815, the state legislators granted a charter for the incorporation
of the Schuylkill Navigation Company "to make a timber and agricultural
outlet to bring stone coal to Philadelphia."
Canals
were soon being dug to provide waterways where rivers did not exist or proved
impossible to tame. Tire first great canal in the United States was the
Schuylkill Canal, running 108 miles from Mt. Carbon near Pottsville, to
Philadelphia. It opened in May, 1825.
On
February 26, 1826, a company was formed to comply with the 1815 charter and
work began on a lock canal connecting Tamaqua with the Schuylkill Canal at Port
Clinton.
The
company soon found, however, that it would be very difficult to build the canal
due to the landscape. They reasoned that a new form of transportation, a
railroad, would be better suited to the twisting terrain. A few far-sighted
individuals immediately realized the value of railroads. On April 23, 1829, a
supplemental charter was granted to the Schuylkill Navigation Company to
develop the Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad (LSNRR) between Tamaqua and
Port Clinton. Plans were underway the same year for 5 other local railroads,
but the one between Tamaqua and Port Clinton, a distance of 20 miles, was by
far the largest undertaking.
On
November 18, 1831, the horse-drawn railroad officially opened. In two
horse-drawn coaches built by Richard Imlay of Baltimore, Maryland, a group of
dignitaries left Port Clinton for Tamaqua at 10 a.m. Upon their arrival I p.m.,
they were greeted by 15 gaily decorated coal cars surrounded by cheering
Tamaqua miners. Six days later on the 23rd, the irst coal car was transported
over the railroad to Port Clinton. Weighing three tons each, these first cars were
driven by George Shoemaker and Henry Ray. Isaac Hinkley drove the first
passenger coaches. Upon arrival at Port Clinton, the coal and passengers were
transferred to barges for the trip to Philadelphia.
About
this time, the history of the railroad becomes somewhat cloudy. It has been a
widely accepted fact that the Catawissa and the Comet
were the first steam engines used on the line. Yet, other research indicates
that there were possibly two steam engines used earlier, with very limited
success at first - the engines known as the Tamaqua and Tuscarora.
Built
in England, the Tamaqua
and Tuscarora were
accompanied by two English engineers, George Mann and a Mr. Merrick. For
whatever reasons, these early steam engines had difficulty running on the flat
iron and wood rails. They jumped the track so often that they were stored away.
It would not be until T-rails were used that these two engines were dusted off
and put back in service. Some time later, Peter Marks and John Smith replaced
engineers Mann and Merrick, historical articles note.
On
March 9, 1833, two more steam engines, the Catawissa and Comet, purchased from an English builder, were
placed in service. The Catawissa cost $5,000 and was the workhorse of the new
pair. It ran two trips per day between Tamaqua and Port Clinton. However, just
two years later, disaster struck when the Catawissa spread the rails and ran
into the river. It was towed to Tamaqua by a team of horses where it was
repaired. Later, when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad leased the line,
the Catawissa was sent to Harrisburg. One report has it being damaged in a
collision and never repaired, while another claims it was rebuilt as a special
inspection car and finally retired in 1865 and scrapped in 1870. At least two
photographs of the Catawissa survive today and may be seen at the Tamaqua
Historical Society Museum, West Broad Street.
The
1881 History of Schuylkill County reports: "On Monday, March 11, a novel
and interesting spectacle was presented on the road. A trial trip was made by
locomotive engine, running from Port Clinton to Tamaqua. It excited
considerable interest, as it was the first locomotive introduced in Schuylkill
County .. It is said that the engine was shipped from Liverpool to
Philadelphia, where it was loaded on a wagon used for hauling marble, and with
16 horses hauled to Schuylkill County. "
Despite
the early setbacks in track and engine design, it was all too obvious that
railroads and steam engines were here to stay. Apparently, the state
legislature agreed, and on April 4, 1833, issued a charter for construction of
a railroad between Philadelphia and Reading. On December 5, 1839, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad officially
opened. Later,
the railroad was extended to Mt. Carbon and on January 1, 1842, the first train
ran the entire track from Mt. Carbon to Philadelphia.
The
Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad continued to prosper with its connection
to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. As of February 2, 1850, the fare from
Tamaqua to Port Clinton was 75 cents and from Tamaqua to Philadelphia, $3.50.
The
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad realized the importance of the Little
Schuylkill Navigation Railroad and in April, 1863, (also reported July 7, 1868)
the Philadelphia and Reading leased the LSNRR for 93 years. The Philadelphia
and Reading continued to expand through construction and acquisition of other
small lines. It probably reached its peak in the post W.W.11 period. On June
26, 1946, the Reading Railroad had 3,438 miles of track, 593 locomotives,
35,000 freight and passenger cars and 20,000 employees. At the time, it was the
fifth largest freight carrier in the nation and AmericaÕs largest anthracite
hauler.
After
this peak period, the railroad started to decline. First, the passenger train
became part of history as people were traveling more in cars and buses. But
even the elimination of passenger trains and its red ink could not stop the
decline. Coal, the single factor which caused the birth of the railroad, was
now causing its death. When oil took over as the new fuel of the future, coal
mining started to decline. With the Reading Railroad geared toward coal mining
and transportation, it could not recover from its downward slide. In April,
1976, the Reading Railroad finally succumbed and, along with other bankrupt
northeast railroads, became the government-owned Conrail. This ownership would
continue until December 15, 1990, when the Reading and Northern Railroad would
take over as owners of the original Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad and
all other Conrail-owned lines in Schuylkill County.
Although
this could have been the end of the story, the Reading Railroad did have one
more part in railroad history. Generally, folks believe the diesel locomotive
was a product of the 1940s, finally overtaking the steam engines in the 1950s.
This is partially true, but the diesel was being tested long before the 1940s.
In
1925, Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia built its first diesel
locomotive, No. 58501. After trial runs on the BLW test track, the 12 cylinder,
1,000 horsepower locomotive ventured out onto the Reading Railroad. During that
summer and fall, the 58501 worked between Reading and Tamaqua pulling 1,000
tons out of Reading at speeds up to 16 miles per hour on the .7% grades and 2,000
ton trains out of Tamaqua.
And
what remains of the old Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad? Mostly photos,
some memories, collectibles and memorabilia. And, oh yes, something most
important.
Today,
the original Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad line is still in use,
following the same route as when surveyed in 1830.
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