History of Lehigh County, Wehr Dam

Wehr Dam figures predominately in the history of Lehigh County, particularly in South Whitehall's history. William Wehr was born in 1871 and worked at H. Leh and Company in Allentown. While there he attended the American Business College in the evenings, graduating in 1894. By 1903 he began working at Sieger Mill, and purchased it in 1905. He remodeled the operation with the most modern rolling equipment, and soon the renamed Wehr Mill was producing his famous White Rose Flour. The concrete mill dam, considered the best constructed in the area, still delights residents of Lehigh Valley, and ties them to our agricultural and milling history.

photograph by Cyber X Ref

South Whitehall's Dilemma

The photographer and her assistant were photographing the newlyweds by Wehr Dam. She told me last Sunday morning that it is her favorite backdrop. Besides myself watching her work, was an elderly couple, who visit the dam every Sunday, to relax and appreciate the beauty. Unbeknown to them, their sanctuary is being threatened. The Wildlands Conservancy has targeted Wehr for their next dam removal project. I had seen the elaborate presentation they gave Allentown City Council, about the little dam in Lehigh Parkway. They used a professionally produced power point presentation, and brought in expert witnesses. They even had Allentown's brand new park director testify, although he had yet to even explore the park himself. Dam removal is fashionable, the only problem is that it destroys history and beauty, which you can't buy in a catalog. In South Whitehall's case, the township history is essentially that of the mills, which were built along both the Jordan and Cedar Creeks. I visited the dam again this week with a committed environmentalist. Although an advocate of dam removals, he agreed to survey the dam and adjoining covered bridge. He told me that in this case, the beauty and history trumped any environmental benefit, and that this was one dam that certainly should remain.

It's Not Enough To Just Campaign

It's not enough to just campaign for an office, you must work and advocate for those things that are important for the district's future. Please sign the petition to save Wehr's Dam, in Covered Bridge Park. The petition can be found on my facebook page, thank you.

Translating Molovinsky

My WPA walk this weekend was held in conjunction with Friends of the Allentown Parks, a city affiliated organization. Although I could organize and publicize the walks without Friends, we have a mutual interest. It's director, Karen El-Chaar, appreciates my knowledge and advocacy for the WPA, and I appreciate her potential influence to move the stone structures to a higher priority in the city's budget. This year, as we moved from site to site on the tour, I was rather blunt about the city's failure to maintain or appreciate the various structures. On each occasion, Karen politely rephrased my words more diplomatically. By the end of the tour, I was referring to her as my translator.

A Rewarding Weekend

molovinsky on allentown had a rewarding weekend. Pride badge number 1 is my pleasure to announce that the young woman who was bullied, and consequently lost her chance to achieve membership in the National Junior Honor Society, is now a member. Because of the girl's tenacity, and her mother's unwavering support, they did finally prevail upon the school system to revisit her tests for that marking period. Needless to say that girl aced them, and now has her certificate, truly earned under adverse circumstances.

Several years ago on this blog I printed excerpts from a 1920 journal, on a very long shot that some details might be heard out in cyberspace, and resonate with someone. Long and behold, out of nowhere, came a reply this weekend.

On Saturday I once again had the pleasure of showing a new group the former WPA structures in Lehigh Parkway. It remains a shame that the park department doesn't recognize the treasures with which it was blessed between 1935-1937.

Special Invitation To South Whitehall Commissioners

I'd like to especially invite the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners to my WPA tour tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, it's mostly a tour and history lesson about wonderful structures which previous park directors and officials allowed to be destroyed or filled in, for someone else's agenda. Tomorrow's tour is a repeat of the tour I gave last year, minus one feature. Last summer the Wildlands Conservancy gave the exact speech to Allentown City Council, which was used again on you this past Wednesday. Although the companion dam for the Parkway's WPA bridge was only 14 inches tall, demolishing it reaped the Conservancy a sizable grant, and administrative fees used for their salaries. The tour starts at the Robin Hood Bridge Parking Lot at 1:00pm, Saturday June 7, and ends up back there, in less than an hour.

photocredit: Wehr Dam by Gregg Obst

Endangered Site's Tour

On Saturday afternoon, at 1:00pm, I will lead the endangered WPA Site's Tour. The dam shown above, will not be on the tour this year. It has joined several other previous gifts by the WPA to the City of Allentown, which have been either discarded or destroyed. The tour takes less than an hour, and is a leisurely stroll along the creek, starting and ending at the Robin Hood Bridge parking lot.