Lackawanna River Heritage Trail
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The O&W interchanged with four railroads at the Winton Rail Junction. Remnants of a busy past are seen in the Erie Railroad trestle, signal bases, mile markers and ties, and at the former O&W [freight station]
The New York, Ontario, & Western Railway prospered as an important tourist carrier to resort hotels in the Lower Catskills. The railroad also hauled milk and dairy products. The addition of the 55-mile Scranton Division - the Ontario, Carbondale & Scranton (OCS) - allowed the railroad to carry anthracite coal. This link between mining and shipping created the line's most profitable endeavor.
The O&W interchanged with four railroads at the Winton Rail Junction. Remnants of a busy past are seen in the Erie Railroad trestle, signal bases, mile markers and ties, and at the former O&W freight station. Today, the restored railroad building houses a plumbing supply company in Peckville.
To handle the coal traffic, the O&W built a distribution yard in Mayfield. A roundhouse, turntable, powerhouse, coal trestle, and other facilities for servicing engines and rolling stock were built in 1892 and 1893. The O&W declared bankruptcy in 1937, and closed on March 29, 1957.
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Lackawanna Heritage Valley
A National and State Heritage Area
The
Lackawanna Valley's anthracite coal, railroads, and iron works fueled the nation's industrial expansion. These and other industries in the valley waged some of the great battles between capitalism and social responsibility. Its people-the thousands of immigrants who came here to build a new life-ended up building a new nation.
In 1991, Governor Robert P. Casey recognized the significant history, culture, and natural resources in the Lackawanna River watershed with the creation of Pennsylvania's first State Heritage Park. Today, it is one of 12 heritage areas across the Commonwealth, each of which represents the events, industries, and traditions that have shaped Pennsylvania. In 2000, the U.S. Congress designated the Lackawanna Heritage Valley as a National Heritage Area, recognizing the region's important contributions to our national story.
Today, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley (LHV) is entrusted with fostering partnerships that conserve and promote the region's heritage and natural resources and improve its economic vitality. The LHV supports the work of local communities, organizations, and historical attractions, and it brings together a wide variety of public and private entities in pursuit of a collaborative regional vision.
LHV receives major funding to carry on its initiatives from the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources.
[Photo captions, from top to bottom, read]
· Volunteers regularly participate in clean-ups and tree plantings along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.
· The Lackawanna River is a popular site for fishing in the Heritage Area.
· Christmas in a Small Town: The Santa Train is a beloved holiday tradition in the Lackawanna Heritage Valley.
· Community volunteers helped build the Nay Aug Avenue Natural Play Area in the Green Ridge section of Scranton.
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