Thank you for this massive PL effort! I truly feel that IUP must've provided at least half the degrees of Pennsylvania residents - you couldn't throw a rock out there without hitting a graduate. I've also heard that Jimmy Stewart's voice is the one that says "walk" on the traffic crossings but I haven't seen that myself. I was also pretty surprised that DuBois wasn't mentioned! I assume she says it like Duboys and not like the way you're probably *actually* supposed to pronounce it . . .
Will get to the PL fixes soon. Working from a new computer and want to do those fixes on my old one so they sound consistent. I will be fixing Ole Bull in deference to that being how his name was supposed to be said. Not a lot of Scandinavians out this way so we are all just blindly sounding it out!
[COMPLETE] A Guide Book of Art, Architecture, and Historic Interests in Pennsylvania, by A. Margaretta Archambault - dc
No rest for the wicked - more uploads! Like I said, no pressure.
51) Schuylkill County - so odd that we pronounce this word as Skookle, which I'm sure is not correct, but has become correct over many generations. I was 1,000% sure I had never been here until I realized Ashland is in the area. That is one of the most unnerving places I've ever driven through. It has an aura. Not sure how to describe it. I've also driven through Tamaqua, and they have some gorgeous trees out there. Really nice looking place. Also the home of Yuengling, a beer that feels like getting a warm hug from your hometown. Also, every time I order it in Ohio, someone always says, "You must be from Pennsylvania."
52) Lehigh County - genuinely thought there would be more since Allentown is so big now. Went there for a concert once, they have some interesting houses. Thought it was funny that they mention Dorney's Park, which is now Dorney Park, your generic overpriced Cedar Fair amusement park. Had my senior class trip to Dorney Park and blacked out on my favorite rollercoaster. They have since removed it. That plus living near Cedar Point has kind of killed my enthusiasm for going there.
53) Lebanon County - just realized when reading this that Anneville is indistinguishable, when read, from Anvil. Lebanon Valley College is really cute. I seem to remember, a few summers ago, driving through it not once but TWICE in the span of a few weeks, but I have no idea why I was out there.
54) Union County - love Bucknell. Great school, VERY expensive. Locally has the reputation for being where wealthy kids who couldn't get into Ivy League schools go. Great campus. For some reason, the gas in Lewisburg is always like 20 cents cheaper than anywhere else. They have a carriage museum in Mifflinburg as they used to build them there - I haven't been but I have heard it's very ok. This chapter confirmed my suspicion that the Indian path mentioned in the Lycoming County chapter is in fact US 15.
Reader's note: I pronounced Buffalo X Road as Buffalo Cross road as I know there are roads in the same area of valleys that are pronounced that way but spelled with an X to save space on the sign.
51) Schuylkill County - so odd that we pronounce this word as Skookle, which I'm sure is not correct, but has become correct over many generations. I was 1,000% sure I had never been here until I realized Ashland is in the area. That is one of the most unnerving places I've ever driven through. It has an aura. Not sure how to describe it. I've also driven through Tamaqua, and they have some gorgeous trees out there. Really nice looking place. Also the home of Yuengling, a beer that feels like getting a warm hug from your hometown. Also, every time I order it in Ohio, someone always says, "You must be from Pennsylvania."
52) Lehigh County - genuinely thought there would be more since Allentown is so big now. Went there for a concert once, they have some interesting houses. Thought it was funny that they mention Dorney's Park, which is now Dorney Park, your generic overpriced Cedar Fair amusement park. Had my senior class trip to Dorney Park and blacked out on my favorite rollercoaster. They have since removed it. That plus living near Cedar Point has kind of killed my enthusiasm for going there.
53) Lebanon County - just realized when reading this that Anneville is indistinguishable, when read, from Anvil. Lebanon Valley College is really cute. I seem to remember, a few summers ago, driving through it not once but TWICE in the span of a few weeks, but I have no idea why I was out there.
54) Union County - love Bucknell. Great school, VERY expensive. Locally has the reputation for being where wealthy kids who couldn't get into Ivy League schools go. Great campus. For some reason, the gas in Lewisburg is always like 20 cents cheaper than anywhere else. They have a carriage museum in Mifflinburg as they used to build them there - I haven't been but I have heard it's very ok. This chapter confirmed my suspicion that the Indian path mentioned in the Lycoming County chapter is in fact US 15.
Reader's note: I pronounced Buffalo X Road as Buffalo Cross road as I know there are roads in the same area of valleys that are pronounced that way but spelled with an X to save space on the sign.
Last edited by tac107 on January 25th, 2022, 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If she's passin' back this way
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
-
vviera
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Sue had never heard that. It sounds apocryphal, doesn't it.
Of course. I mean, we don't say Lohs AHnheylace, do we?
Incredibly glad for you about the new computer!
Waiting for a clever signature line to occur to me.
Cheers, VERLA
Cheers, VERLA
I did not expect to be doing seven sections today, but when I saw I was within striking distance of Clinton County, where I grew up, I had to keep going.
55) Columbia County - they mention Centralia, which is the site of a mine fire that is still burning 60 years later and is expected to burn for 200 more years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire/. I have been here five or six times, and I have never actually seen smoke coming out of the ground like you see in pictures. There used to be a graffiti highway here, which was the portion of PA 61 that had to be rerouted as it buckled and broke from the heat underneath. It was all covered with dirt because private property blah blah blah I'm glad I got to see it before it was ruined. My mom told me that her mother would take her shopping in Reading, PA, and they would go down that highway (before it was broken), and that there were metal chimneys venting the smoke from underground on both sides of the road. Very interesting to read about - one Centralia resident literally had their backyard open up and swallow them (they survived and were pulled out).
Also the site of my favorite amusement park in the world, Knoebels (https://uncoveringpa.com/knoebels-amusement-park) to which I have been making a yearly pilgrimage since before i could walk. Everyone in the area has been here. They have, according to the Golden Ticket Awards, the best amusement park food in the nation. They also have the only wooden toboggan sled type roller coaster in the world, which is called the Flying Turns, and took seven years to build.
56) Pike County - never been here! I thought it was funny that they have a Milford, because neighboring Susquehanna County has a New Milford. Wonder what happened.
57) Perry County - never been here either! Much closer to me than many of the others but the geography of the mountains makes it hard to get there and honestly I have never had anything in that area catch my attention.
58) Juniata County - same story as Perry above, just not very accessible. I see they have added Mifflin and Mifflintown to our already-confusing group of places including Mifflin County and Mifflinburg.
59) Monroe County - stopped at a Wawa here once on the way to NYC. It was raining.
60) Clarion County - absolutely as beautiful as they say in the chapter. You should look up the courthouse, it is a beautiful building. One of my regular Sheetz stops when traveling across the state is in Clarion. I got stuck in traffic for forty minutes in Clarion County after getting routed off 80 and I didn't even mind.
61) Clinton County - the motherland! They do not do clay here anymore and some of the clay towns, like Queen's Run, are now nonexistent. If you look around the area you will find clay blocks that say Queen's Run, Farrandsville, Lock Haven, etc. that were made a few miles away. The chemical plants are gone now and were cleaned up as Superfund sites, like this one (https://www.homefacts.com/environmentalhazards/Pennsylvania/Clinton-County/Lock-Haven/Superfund-Drake-Chemical-Pad003058047.html). Nothing is built on that spot anymore, thankfully. Our big thing now is paper; we had a paper mill but it got torn down and now we have a more modern paper factory that makes diapers and wet wipes and stuff like that. There is no civic center at Monument Place.
I used to attend the church of the Immaculate Conception when I was in school. It was merged with another Catholic church in town and is now called Holy Spirit Parish. There is a hell of a lot of controversy going on in historian circles about whether Fort Reed was actually where the city says it was, but I haven't heard any resolution of that. Someone has stolen the Fort Horn historical marker, adding insult to injury. Ross Library was my childhood library and I spent many happy days there. The Fallon Hotel is a mess and has fallen into total disrepair, we're talking 10 foot holes in the floor. It has been declared unsafe for human habitation, which is a shame because it's a gorgeous building and they've spent 5 years ping ponging back and forth about whether they're going to renovate it or not.
55) Columbia County - they mention Centralia, which is the site of a mine fire that is still burning 60 years later and is expected to burn for 200 more years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire/. I have been here five or six times, and I have never actually seen smoke coming out of the ground like you see in pictures. There used to be a graffiti highway here, which was the portion of PA 61 that had to be rerouted as it buckled and broke from the heat underneath. It was all covered with dirt because private property blah blah blah I'm glad I got to see it before it was ruined. My mom told me that her mother would take her shopping in Reading, PA, and they would go down that highway (before it was broken), and that there were metal chimneys venting the smoke from underground on both sides of the road. Very interesting to read about - one Centralia resident literally had their backyard open up and swallow them (they survived and were pulled out).
Also the site of my favorite amusement park in the world, Knoebels (https://uncoveringpa.com/knoebels-amusement-park) to which I have been making a yearly pilgrimage since before i could walk. Everyone in the area has been here. They have, according to the Golden Ticket Awards, the best amusement park food in the nation. They also have the only wooden toboggan sled type roller coaster in the world, which is called the Flying Turns, and took seven years to build.
56) Pike County - never been here! I thought it was funny that they have a Milford, because neighboring Susquehanna County has a New Milford. Wonder what happened.
57) Perry County - never been here either! Much closer to me than many of the others but the geography of the mountains makes it hard to get there and honestly I have never had anything in that area catch my attention.
58) Juniata County - same story as Perry above, just not very accessible. I see they have added Mifflin and Mifflintown to our already-confusing group of places including Mifflin County and Mifflinburg.
59) Monroe County - stopped at a Wawa here once on the way to NYC. It was raining.
60) Clarion County - absolutely as beautiful as they say in the chapter. You should look up the courthouse, it is a beautiful building. One of my regular Sheetz stops when traveling across the state is in Clarion. I got stuck in traffic for forty minutes in Clarion County after getting routed off 80 and I didn't even mind.
61) Clinton County - the motherland! They do not do clay here anymore and some of the clay towns, like Queen's Run, are now nonexistent. If you look around the area you will find clay blocks that say Queen's Run, Farrandsville, Lock Haven, etc. that were made a few miles away. The chemical plants are gone now and were cleaned up as Superfund sites, like this one (https://www.homefacts.com/environmentalhazards/Pennsylvania/Clinton-County/Lock-Haven/Superfund-Drake-Chemical-Pad003058047.html). Nothing is built on that spot anymore, thankfully. Our big thing now is paper; we had a paper mill but it got torn down and now we have a more modern paper factory that makes diapers and wet wipes and stuff like that. There is no civic center at Monument Place.
I used to attend the church of the Immaculate Conception when I was in school. It was merged with another Catholic church in town and is now called Holy Spirit Parish. There is a hell of a lot of controversy going on in historian circles about whether Fort Reed was actually where the city says it was, but I haven't heard any resolution of that. Someone has stolen the Fort Horn historical marker, adding insult to injury. Ross Library was my childhood library and I spent many happy days there. The Fallon Hotel is a mess and has fallen into total disrepair, we're talking 10 foot holes in the floor. It has been declared unsafe for human habitation, which is a shame because it's a gorgeous building and they've spent 5 years ping ponging back and forth about whether they're going to renovate it or not.
Last edited by tac107 on January 25th, 2022, 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If she's passin' back this way
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I've had some other stuff come in. You're currently last in line. 
62) Wyoming County - the Tunkhannock Viaduct is still in use today and is pretty neat. You used to be able to take a steam engine excursion across it (pictured here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunkhannock_Viaduct) but Steamtown no longer uses that route.
63) Carbon County - whether or not the Molly Maguires were ever actually in Pennsylvania is a very hot topic in the area. It has never been proven that the men executed were actually Molly Maguires, but it is a powerful folktale for the coal mining region nonetheless. Supposedly, there is a handprint in the jail (https://anomalien.com/handprint-on-jail-cell-wall-ghostly-sign-of-innocence/) where these men were executed, as one of them put his hand on the wall and said it would remain there forever as proof that they had executed an innocent man. I have not actually been there to see it, but I have driven I-81 over Nescopeck Mtn and I can say the Indians must have been cardio champs to get over that mountain.
64) Elk County - the elk are back, thankfully! I have never been up there to see the elk (I saw some in neighboring Cameron County last year, though) but people come from across the state to Benezette to watch the herd migrate. Really bugging me that they mention the old Bellefonte Pike as I absolutely cannot figure out what road this would be. Judging by the map, a likely answer seems to be PA 255, but as your wife would know, that goes through DuBois. I also thought it might be PA 144, as that goes north/south through Bellefonte, but it doesn't come anywhere near Elk County. A mystery. As for the Milesburg and Clermont Pike also mentioned . . . forget it, I have no idea.
65) Blair County - spent a lot of my childhood here at the Horseshoe Curve (https://www.railroadcity.org/curve.html). The Nazis had a plan to blow it up during WW2, but their agents were caught off the coast of New Jersey. They have an amazing Pennsylvania Railroad museum too. I was shocked that the book didn't mention the cathedral in Altoona, but then I found out it actually wasn't built until the 1920s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_the_Blessed_Sacrament_(Altoona,_Pennsylvania)). They make Mallow Cups and Clark Bars in Altoona, and you can visit the factory and buy the candies that came out weird at greatly reduced prices. There are great limestone caves in Hollidaysburg and I went there for more than one school field trip.
66) Sullivan County - the only thing I will say about the people here is that they have one high school, and when we played them in basketball, they (adults, players, students) would yell at our black players to "go back to Africa". On a lighter note, it's spelled Eaglesmere in this book but is written as Eagles Mere now. I was not surprised to see that civilization only reached Sullivan County in the early 1900s. It is bleak out there. Dushore, on the map, prides themselves on having one traffic light (https://www.dushore.com/ if you look here their literal slogan is "One stop, endless possibilities" and the single traffic light is on their town logo. They will not shut up about this traffic light).
63) Carbon County - whether or not the Molly Maguires were ever actually in Pennsylvania is a very hot topic in the area. It has never been proven that the men executed were actually Molly Maguires, but it is a powerful folktale for the coal mining region nonetheless. Supposedly, there is a handprint in the jail (https://anomalien.com/handprint-on-jail-cell-wall-ghostly-sign-of-innocence/) where these men were executed, as one of them put his hand on the wall and said it would remain there forever as proof that they had executed an innocent man. I have not actually been there to see it, but I have driven I-81 over Nescopeck Mtn and I can say the Indians must have been cardio champs to get over that mountain.
64) Elk County - the elk are back, thankfully! I have never been up there to see the elk (I saw some in neighboring Cameron County last year, though) but people come from across the state to Benezette to watch the herd migrate. Really bugging me that they mention the old Bellefonte Pike as I absolutely cannot figure out what road this would be. Judging by the map, a likely answer seems to be PA 255, but as your wife would know, that goes through DuBois. I also thought it might be PA 144, as that goes north/south through Bellefonte, but it doesn't come anywhere near Elk County. A mystery. As for the Milesburg and Clermont Pike also mentioned . . . forget it, I have no idea.
65) Blair County - spent a lot of my childhood here at the Horseshoe Curve (https://www.railroadcity.org/curve.html). The Nazis had a plan to blow it up during WW2, but their agents were caught off the coast of New Jersey. They have an amazing Pennsylvania Railroad museum too. I was shocked that the book didn't mention the cathedral in Altoona, but then I found out it actually wasn't built until the 1920s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_the_Blessed_Sacrament_(Altoona,_Pennsylvania)). They make Mallow Cups and Clark Bars in Altoona, and you can visit the factory and buy the candies that came out weird at greatly reduced prices. There are great limestone caves in Hollidaysburg and I went there for more than one school field trip.
66) Sullivan County - the only thing I will say about the people here is that they have one high school, and when we played them in basketball, they (adults, players, students) would yell at our black players to "go back to Africa". On a lighter note, it's spelled Eaglesmere in this book but is written as Eagles Mere now. I was not surprised to see that civilization only reached Sullivan County in the early 1900s. It is bleak out there. Dushore, on the map, prides themselves on having one traffic light (https://www.dushore.com/ if you look here their literal slogan is "One stop, endless possibilities" and the single traffic light is on their town logo. They will not shut up about this traffic light).
If she's passin' back this way
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
Thank you so much for participating! It was nice getting to know you.
If she's passin' back this way
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
As I have traversed Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I feel competent to serve as your DPL. (Wink.)
Actually, I spent a week one night in Philadelphia.
My LibriVox: https://librivox.org/sections/readers/13278
Thanks! I would be glad to have you. And I apologize that you had to drive on the turnpike, an experience both miserable and expensive.
If she's passin' back this way
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
I'm not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time
Tatiana
Back then it wasn't so bad. I liked the tunnels, though that might have been New Jersey by then.tac107 wrote: ↑January 30th, 2022, 12:18 pmThanks! I would be glad to have you. And I apologize that you had to drive on the turnpike, an experience both miserable and expensive.
The truth is that I had a very nice visit to Philadelphia some years ago before attending a conference at Princeton. I planned my trip around Liberty Hall and cheese steak.
My LibriVox: https://librivox.org/sections/readers/13278