Allentown Archeology

When it comes to the history of industrial Allentown, the railroad buffs are among the current experts. Our heavy manufacturing base moved it's materials on the tracks of several railroads. The Front Street area was crisscrossed with tracks and sidings. The West End Branch ran along Sumner Avenue, crossed Tilghman Street, looped around 17th Street and ended near 12th and Liberty. The Barber Quarry Branch ran along the Little Lehigh until it then followed Cedar Creek. It crossed Hamilton Street near the current Hamilton Family Restaurant and ended at what is now the Park Department Building. The rail buffs are current day archeologists, looking for remnants of those glory days. Shown above is a portion of the Barber Quarry pier and track. This is at the bottom of Lehigh Street hill, near the former bank call center, near the former Acorn Hotel, in a former city still called Allentown.
photo courtesy of Mike Huber, Coplay

above reprinted from March of 2011 

ADDENDUM AUGUST 22, 2023:The bridge has just been rebuilt, and the portion of the earlier railroad bridge show above was removed.

Bad Rap For Mayor Tuerk

Mayor Tuerk learned early that there's no winning with me. Before his time, even when I was at the mercy of the city operating a licensed/ inspected business, I spoke and wrote my mind. I have been critical of Tuerk's missions to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. I have accused him of being preoccupied with diversity and inclusion.

Despite that preoccupation, members of the local NAACP have again accused his administration of tolerating racism. With such a large workforce, there might well be some bigoted people employed. However, in my thirty years of scrutinizing City Hall, I have never seen a more concerted effort against discrimination.

Although the top leadership of the chapter distanced themselves from the allegations, the issue seems to remain a contention within that organization.  While these accusations* might be click bait for the local media, even a seasoned critic such as myself thinks that Tuerk is getting a bum rap.

* The resigned or terminated** HR director has amplified discrimination allegations.

     ** He claims terminated, Tuerk states that the director resigned.

UPDATE 5:00 PM: The terminated/resigned HR now claims that his departure has to do with his religion and skin color.  I suspect that Tuerk was aware of both those characteristics when he made the hire two months ago. Perhaps Tuerk was too quick to hire him because of those things!?!

Rittersville To Be Renamed Reillyville

When I was a kid growing up, the area of the State Hospital was called Rittersville.  Ritter had been a large landowner, and towns named after such were plentiful in Pennsylvania.

Paul Muschick, columnist for the Morning Call, has an article in the paper that the State Hospital won't be forgotten, because they're erecting a plaque about it. Paul must take those plaques much more seriously than the rest of us. 

What they should do is rename that area Reillyville, and erect a plaque about how J.B. Reilly got the parcel for a fraction of its value, in a swan song move by Pat Browne.

above reprinted from December of 2022

ADDENDUM AUGUST 18, 2023:J.B. Reilly has requested that Allentown rezone the parcel from institutional to mixed use to accommodate his plans.  That request seems reasonable to me. My question is does Reilly plan to use the NIZ benefit through a land swap with the downtown map? While such a swap would greatly benefit Reilly, it wouldn't benefit Allentown or its taxpayers.

Fairgrounds Farmers Market

If you grew up in or near Allentown, chances are that you been to the Farmers Market. The market has been in operation since 1953, all year except during Fair Week.  

While those visiting downtown Allentown will recognize very little from the past, the Farmers Market is frozen in time. Some of the purveyors have been there for near 60 years. 

When I was a boy, my father operated a meat concession at the market for a year or so. He gave it up because he recognized so many of the customers from his market on Union Street, and realized that he had  doubled his overhead to serve the same clients.

For those of us who find change not always for the best, the Market remains a comfort.

Weigh In On 1948

1948 was a good year for Allentown and the Lehigh Valley. Mack Trucks, Lehigh Structural Steel, General Electric and almost all factories were going full steam. President Truman stopped by to give a speech. The Allentown Cardinals played the first game in their new ballpark, Breadon Field. The baby boom was going full tilt:



The school district unveiled Lehigh Parkway and Midway Manor Elementary Schools and the new professional style football stadium. Donald Hock was Mayor, and although the last beer was being brewed on Lawrence Street at Daeufer Brewery, the Paddock joined many new restaurants opening that year. Photo's from Dorney Park in 1948.

reprinted from July 2009

Endless Excuses For Allentown Schools

State Representative Josh Seigel and his fellow elected peers think that students shouldn't be expected to learn in old school buildings. Apparently the students at Oxford and Harvard didn't get Josh's message, and are still studying. 

Our local team of elected state reps joined superintendent Birks in blaming state funding for Allentown's lack of educational performance.  In recent years we were told the problem was that the top administrators were too white. It appears that since white is no longer the issue, it's now the lack of green.

Maybe Josh, Mike, Peter and Nick have to prioritize their pandering.  Pennsylvania has plenty of money,  and if they really think that's the school district's reason for failure, maybe a few less connected developers need less subsidizes. Maybe the state could do with a few less commissions, and their plum no-show job appointments. 

As one gets older and reads the same nonsense year after year, decade after decade, I wonder how our elected officials keep a straight face when making such proclamations.

shown above Massachusetts Hall, Harvard University, built 1720