Posted January 30, 200817 yr This is the sixth and final part of my Road Trip 2000 series. Quabbin Reservoir, Massachusetts Quabbin Reservoir was created in 1938 and covers more than 380 square miles in central Massachusetts. It is a drinking water reservoir and is closed to recreational activites except for limited fishing in designated areas. Access is by gated roads in a limited number of locations. Norman Rockwell Studio & Museum - Stockbridge, MA The Normal Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was the site of the third Rockwell Kent exhibit on my itinerary. The scenic property overlooks the Housatonic River. The permanent gallery exhibits of Normal Rockwell's work gave me a fuller appreciation of that artist's craftsmanship. Hanford Mills, East Meredith, New York At a steam threshers' show at Crown Point, Indiana, I told my friend, Jack Corson, of my plans. Jack grew up rural New York State, and I thought he might know of other interesting attractions in the area. He told me about the Hanford Mills Museum, a still-operating water-powered lumber mill and grist mill near Oneonta. Using water from Kortright Creek, Hanford Mills started in 1846 as a water-powered up-and-down sawmill. Over the years the owners upgraded to a circular sawmill and added other businesses. Hanford's creamery also used water power, and they added a grist mill and machinery to the lumber mill for making butter tub covers, milk bottle crates and wooden handles. After the Delaware and Ulster Railroad built a line into East Meredith, Hanford Mills had a way to ship products to the outside world. The railroad also brought competing products into the community, and soon the Hanfords opened a farm supply store where they sold feed, seed, coal and other necessities. Hanford Mills operated until 1967, when it shut down and was sold at auction. A local man bought the land and buildings and as much of the equipment as he could, in order to keep it together. The following year he opened it as a museum. The preservation group that operates it now acquired it in 1986 and has been working steadily to restore everything to the highest possible degree of authenticity. They are now searching for a 30-horsepower Oneida steam engine like the last steam engine that was installed in the mill. Lackawanna Anthracite Mine Museum The Lackawanna anthracite mine,near Scranton, was opened in 1860. Guided tours go 300 feet underground, where the temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The adjacent Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum houses related artifacts and history displays in an attractive, inviting facility. Steamtown National Historic Site - Scranton, PA I got so absorbed in the Lackawanna Mine and the Anthracite Heritage Museum that my time at Steamtown got cut short and I missed my chance to take a train ride behind a steam locomotive. Steamtown National Historic Site ranks high among rail history attractions in North America. I might go so far as to say that if you're going to visit only one, and want a comprehensive educational experience, this is the one. Beautifully restored static displays, multimedia presentations, working locomotives, train rides, and a working locomotive repair shop, all well-designed and completely accessible, make the experience pretty all-encompassing. Electric City Trolley Museum - Scranton, PA Electric City Trolley Museum was in its fledgling stage when I visited in 2000, and even then I was impressed with the quality of the building and displays. Since then they've added activities and a significant trolley ride. After visiting their web site, I realize that I need another trip to Scranton, maybe on a sunny day this time! The trolley museum is adjacent to the Steamtown National Historic Site. Brookville, Pennsylvania On the way home, I stopped by historic Brookville to see if a seldom-seen friend might be around. He wasn't there, so I snapped a few photos under threat of impending rain before hitting the road. For a more comprehensive 2006 photo set from Brookville, click here.
January 31, 200817 yr Michael would still be salesman in 2000, I assume. When he said Steamtown, I was expecting the mall! Great set; Brookville especially caught my eye!
January 31, 200817 yr Nice! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 31, 200817 yr Did you stop by Dunder Mifflin when you were in Scranton? I'm really out of the loop when it comes to popular culture! In the past two years or so, the only time I've watched TV was when I was cooped up in a motel because of bad weather. I had to resort to Google to find out what Dunder Mifflin is. :-D
January 31, 200817 yr Quabbin. I remember flying over that on a buisness trip to Boston. And lo and behold an engineer I was working with had a map of Quabbin and the various tunnels and aqueducts to Boston on his wall. He told me that Quabbin was an Indian word for "water". The Pennsylvania pix are..just really foreign somehow. There is something about that place that seems sort of calm, yet melancholy. Maybe its the weather. Steamtown..I didn't know they had a Big Boy there. Looks pretty impressive.
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