History Lesson on the Road

     I love back roads. This morning on a little country road approaching the historic little village of Alburtis (south of Allentown, Pennsylvania), I saw an unassuming sign "???? Furnace Park". Unassuming things always get my attention, so I turned around and entered the woodsy little driveway. What is a furnace park, I asked myself? What I saw eventually made me more curious. It all resembled Greek ruins.

     Initially I couldn't figure what it was all about. But it looked ancient and purposeful at one time in the past.

This sign below explained a lot. I could imagine hundreds of local citizens working here at the Lock Ridge Furnace (click for fascinating story of its history).

And while it may have been dangerous to work here with hot molten iron (poured as pig iron), the "perks" were good.

This sign shows all the buildings, engines and stacks that were once here, and those that remain are "white-filled".

Surrounding this wonderful ancient complex is a loop trail.

It was a reverent meaningful walk through history. As I walked back to La Lair, a train tooted its horn.