Hike #1022; Warren Railroad

Hike #1022; Warren Railroad

3/23/17 Warren Railroad with Tea Biscuit (Scott Helbing), Kralc Leahcim (Lerch), James Quinn, Jennifer Berndt, Michele Valerio, and Scott Trinkle

This hike was kind of a big thing for me. It marked twenty years since I started what would become Metrotrails. The actual regular hike I had planned was for the following Saturday, but this was my actual birthday, and the actual day it happened twenty years before. I wanted to do the hike as we did it that day. We did, sort of.

Lerch gave me this wonderful flask!

In some ways, things didn’t work out as planned, and in other ways it was greater. The underlying thing behind all of it was that because of work, I could not have the kind of event I had wanted to have initially. I planned to do the hike, and then a bit later have a huge party in Wilkes Barre/Scranton area. I suppose it’s still in the cards, but not as of the moment.

The original crew; 3/23/97

I had not done the full hike through from Portland in quite some time because of the issues with the bridge over the Delaware. The last few times we did it, it was this major undertaking to get everyone over and across Rt 46. We opted not to even try that most of the time. With the smaller group, I was ready to revisit that and do it as we had always done.
I met the group at Port Colden Mall, which consisted of only Lerch, Jen, and James at the very start. When we got to the Port Colden Mall, I figured it would be great if we could get my mom to drop us off the way she did on the very first one.

The group on 3/23/17

I gave her a call, and thankfully she was able to do it! She showed up at Port Colden Mall shortly and drove us up there.
We started by walking across the Portland Columbia footbridge where the covered bridge once was. The hike was immediately reminiscent for me. No one with me could understand what it was that I was feeling. I had a vision of doing this particular hike for a long time before we even did it. I had planned to do it in 1996, but I couldn’t get a ride to the start point. I’d wanted to do it even before that. I’d loved this historic railroad line and read over and over it’s history.

View north from the footbridge, with historic view before Lehigh and New England Bridge was removed.

There was somuch going on in the area, and I was always fascinated with the maps and the rail lines criss crossing through the area. I made it a point to get to know each one of them.

Historic image of Portland PA station

We stopped in Port Mart on the PA side. I had been going there for snacks and drinks with my grandfather since I was only little. We always got chocolate milk. At the time, Lehigh Valley Farms was the best, but since they have gone with some “healthy” thing called “Tru Moo”, and it doesn’t taste as good. Fortunately, they traded out that kind at Port Mart in favor of Clover Farms, which tastes much like Lehigh Valley used to, and is one of the best.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/139689932709543/
Here is the journal entry for Hike #1.

We turned from here to follow the tracks to the south. I wanted to try to emulate all of the photos from the first one, but I soon realized that would be too much of a chore to be enjoyable. I really just needed to relax and enjoy this.

My cousin and I on the bridge in 1996

There was a train parked on the tracks soon after we started. We were within sight of the road for a good while, but no one bothered us walking on through, past the old station which still stands, across the Jacoby Creek bridge, and then past the power plant. Just beyond, we reached the bridge over the Delaware.

The bridge from this trip

There’s a lot of history at this site, both of interest to everyone as well as to my family specifically.
The original bridge across the Delaware at this point was a wooden one of course. It lasted from 1856 until 1877 when it was replaced with an oblong through truss bridge.

Second Delaware Bridge, built 1877

The second bridge lasted only until about 1890 when it was replaced by a double track through truss of sturdier material, which looked similar to the one still standing today only with a center truss in the middle. I would assume this probably was a problem for larger trains, but I can’t be sure.

Postcard image of the Delaware bridges

The bridge lasted only until about 1907 as a rail bridge when the current one was built. At that time, a preacher by the name of Darlington purchased the old rail bridge and converted it to a vehicular toll bridge. That bridge lasted until 1950s when Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission purchased it as not to have competition for their new toll bridge.

pier

When it was still a toll bridge, my great great grandfather, Edwin Allen was driving across the bridge when he had a sudden fatal heart attack. He was barely able to pull over along the side of the road on the PA side of the bridge.
Someone from knowlton historical society confirmed that he found a death certificate with less details. I was able to fill in some of their historic blanks which was really quite cool.
We climbed down at one of the piers, as I had been doing for more years than the hikes. There are nice views of the Delaware, and I could see the base remnant of one of the piers for the older bridge just down stream a bit.
We got to the other side, and then continued walking on the other side of 46.

1996 view of the old bridge

The old bridge that carried the rails over Rt 46 was demolished in September-October 1996. I made sure to take a few photos of the bridges at the time, when I was only 16, because I knew I’d want them one day.

Oct 1996, bridge almost gone.

Since that first hike, the old right of way of the New York, Susquehann, and Western, and before that Blairstown Railroad built in 1876 had it’s cut destroyed. The area continues to change, and I’m just happy I’ve recorded so much.

And present day 46 bridge site

We crossed over and continued on the old Rt 46 and bridge approach, and the old rail lines.
We walked through the rail yard, which is now just a big grassy field, where the junction between NYS&W and the Lackawanna line once was. We then passed the site of the Delaware station, and continued on past Sanico. We crossed Clarence Road, where there is one abutment remaining, and then got to Smiddy’s Deli.

Steamtown Archives photo of the DL&W and NYS&W junction looking north.

The owners of Smiddy’s have been very good to us for most of the entire time we have been doing these hikes. We have been patronizing their establishment and they’ve been gracious enough to allow us use of their restrooms for our large groups.

At Smiddy's

We continued from here along the right of way to the south. I pointed out where the house used to stand, where my great grandmother, Gladys Snyder once lived.
I have always pointed out in this area my family history, but I had found out so much more since the first time I’d done this hike.

The old ferry

I had grown up knowing that my family were lumberjacks in the town of Delaware, but I didn’t really know anything more about them beyond my great great great grandfather, Michael Cline Allen.
Somehow, I found out that I was related in some way to a Hutchinson, for which the village of Hutchinson on the Delaware River was named. From there I posted in groups and found that Jane Hutchinson, who married M. C. Allen, was a granddaughter of Henry Albertson.
Albertsons owned the ferry over the Delaware, as well as the land the Warren Railroad was built on.

Historic ferry view

This added an entire new level of history for me, and a much more personal connection. Henry Albertson, my great great great great great grandfather, sold the land necessary to build the Warren Railroad through Delaware, to John I. Blair from his death bed!

The old Albertson family home that sat atop Blair's Knob

The Albertsons can be traced back to the Dutch section of Nassau, Long Island, I believe in 1737. They moved to Hunterdon County and were wheelwrights as I’ve read, and then at some point moved to Delaware, or rather, moved directly there because what is now Warren was part of Hunterdon.
Nicholas Albertson was Henry’s father, though there might have been a son by that name too. I really don’t know a whole lot about those details as of yet.
Of interest, the Albertsons owned the ferry over the Delaware. It was at times also owned by the Aten family as well as Myers, and Hartzell.
From the Geneological Magazine of New Jersey 1949:
July 26th 1777 this Day my Boat was taken away from me By John Conley, Lieut. for General Washentons armey to Cross the River Delaware By the Command of Abrm. Labar, Colln.
Nicholas died and the property somehow turned over to Henry, and each of the many children had many children of their own. I must have a ton of descendants all over.

Map of Delaware noting Edwin Allen's home

Because Jane Hutchinson, wife of M. C. Allen, was the granddaughter of Henry Albertson, it may be how the Allens came to own as much of the lumber land as they did. I can’t be sure.
MC Allen was reportedly a tough man to work for, but strong and nimble. It was said that MC Allen could jump in the air and hit his heels together twice before hitting the ground. His workers would curse obnoxiously when Allen would approach, because he was a religious man and could not stand to hear it. It was how they got rid of him when he was coming to talk to them.

Old Lackawanna main in Delaware

MC Allen’s father was named Edwin, and I’ve not been able to trace the Allens back much further from there. MC named his son Edwin as well, who carried on the lumber trade. His homes are still standing adjacent to the railroad bed on the south side of Columbia. First, a large house, and later a Cape Cod style he constructed himself. The sawmill sat next to the original residence on a creek.
Directly across the street was the brick Evans residence, a former Baptist church rehabilitated to a home, and demolished several years ago after it’s last tenant, Mr. Hartzell passed away. My great grandmother, Gladys Evans, lived here as a border with the Snyders. Mr. Snyder was the “tunnel keeper” for Manunka Chunk Tunnel just to the south.
As the story goes, Gladys Snyder’s mother ran off to California, leaving her father, and she was sent to live with the Evans family. For whatever reason, this made her some sort of outcast, and so when she began seeing my great grandfather, George Prall Allen, his father Edwin did not approve. When GP Allen and Gladys Evans were married, an eloping tha took place in Elkton, Maryland, Edwin disowned his son.
They moved to Hampton NJ (on the same rail line) where more family lived, and GP Allen went to Barber school. He opened a shop there and was very successful. He became very well known. Gladys passed away of Cancer when my grandfather was only five, and GP’s sister, Ada Osmun moved in to help care for the children. Cousins were raised as brothers and sisters, and GP Allen started taking the group for Sunday hikes. This became the tradition that passed down to my grandfather, to his daughters/my aunts, then to all of his grandchildren.
The connection I feel to this area today has grown so much stronger knowing my personal connection to it.

Conrad on the access road along the rail bed, 3/1997

We continued on the rail bed past “The A Rock” where my family played as kids, just after their former homestead, and came to where the access road was created to the cell tower above. It was put in in the mid 1990s, at which time it looked so much different.

Lerch along the rail bed, 3/2017

I got a photo of Lerch at the same spot I took the one of Conrad on the first hike in 1997. Perhaps here more than most other places I can really see the passage of time on the path.
Of course, without the large group we had to stop and do “The Shrub of Might”. We’d been doing this since hike #2, running up the shale slope to reach a mountain laurel bush and two trees. We always tested ourselves to see how quickly we could do it.
I seem to recall my best time was about 12 or 14 seconds. Lerch I recall did it in like 16 this time, which was better than me. I think this time it took me 23 seconds to get to the top.
It still made me feel very alive. I’m still doing the same crazy thing I’ve been doing since I was 17, TWENTY YEARS LATER, and feeling great about it.

Blockage wall

We continued down across the road at Ramseyburg and up the other side to follow the clear right of way toward Manunka Chunk. We were making pretty good time with the few of us, so we climbed up onto the blockade wall intended to keep debris off of the tracks.
As we approached the tunnel, the waters of Catherine’s Run flowed out over the rail bed to a bad washout that had not been there years ago. I pointed out places like where I broke my ankle in 1991, which put me through a year of physical therapy, and where I used to clear out the drainage pipes every time we’d go by to keep the rail bed from washing out.

I pointed out where the old Belvidere-Delaware Railroad used to make it’s junction with the Lackawanna, and how the tracks were washed out in 1955, leading to it’s abandonment. The ties are still suspended over the side, and with the lack of vegetation and some snow on the ground, we could see the railroad rails still down in the washout below.
We approached the mouth of Manunka Chunk Tunnel, which was first built in 1856, a place that has fascinated me since I first went there around the age of eight. I’d walked through it probably hundreds of times since my grandfather first brought me.

F Unit coming out of Manunka Chunk Tunnel after the first track was abandoned

We didn’t hang out too long, and entered the portal to the right, to pass through the mountain in Vass Gap. On the other side, we trudged through the muck to get to Catherine’s Run, and made our way up to the fields of the wildlife management area.

Manunka Chunk Tunnel today

We stopped at the fields for a nice break. It was a really beautiful day, we couldn’t ask for better. We just layed down in the field and talked for a bit. We had been making such good time that it didn’t seem to matter.

Manunka Chunk

We probably took longer than we should have, but it was alright. We continued walking through the farm lane areas, and then back to the rail bed heading south. The nice and clear section went by pretty quickly as I recall, and we soon reached the old Bridgeville station.
The station had sadly burnt recently. The main structure of the stone station still stood, but was in poor shape. It could probably be saved, and should be since it’s the only remaining old main line station in NJ, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they demolished it. We had a look around and could see the masonry construction quite well.
From here, we crossed the sand quarry area, then made our way down to Hot Dog Johnny’s where we were joined by Tea Biscuit, Michele, and Scott T.

Hot Dog Johnny's

Michele’s husband Scott had been really a part of the group a while, as he always cooks us awesome meals and we hang out at his bar at he and Michele’s house, but it was unheard of to get him out on a hike.
After eating, he surprised us by joining on up the hill onto the railroad bed.
We made our way out to cross Green Pond Road by the cemetery, and Lerch ran to climb up the nearby silo he had done on previous hikes. I think Tea Biscuit went with him for that craziness, but I wasn’t into doing that. We went ahead on the rail bed out to Buttsville where we crossed over Route 46.

Pequest WMA

The next section through Pequest Wildlife Management Area is always particularly beautiful. No one expected Scott to continue with us this far, but he was doing really good, laughing and carrying on.
We continued on through Pequest Cut, and I walked closely in front of Tea Biscuit and Lerch. There was a lot of horse play going on, and I turned to see Lerch riding on Tea Biscuit’s back. I wish I could remember exactly what was said, but I remember Tea Biscuit yelling “I GIVE BETTER QUALITY HUGS THAN YOU, I GIVE BETTER QUALITY HUGS THAN YOU” or something over and over loudly, followed by a loud yell from Lerch and a crashing sound, and Tea Biscuit’s voice yelling “This is all your fault! Can I pee here?”. They were laying in the snow bank.

Silliness

We soon reached Pequest Road and turned the brief right, then left to get on the paved trail section. We took a brief break at the park bench there, and Scott discussed whether he was going to try to Uber out or continue. It wasn’t much further to Oxford, so he opted to continue a bit more.
We got through the wooded section and came out on Lower Denmark Road. I think he was hollering about something as we got out to the end and on the road. By the time we got to where the road and railroad bed were one, at the old Oxford Station site, he hollered more loudly about something and I think some of the group started walking off to the highway (Rt 31). It was getting darker and colder, but I was still totally ready to go through Oxford Tunnel.

On the trail section

Just as we reached the intersection and ball field off of Lower Denmark, a cop car pulled up to us and asked what we were up to. I told him about the hike, and it being the twenty year anniversary. We gave him our IDs, and he asked if I was related to Alex Helbing. I told him I don’t always admit to such things, but that yes, he was my brother. The cop replied “Yeah, I gave him a DUI a few years ago...” and didn’t elaborate more. Well, the situation with my brother’s DUI was such a long drawn out nightmare I think he probably didn’t want to have much to do with me!
He asked if we had been drinking, to which I responded, “OH YEAH, definitely, we were drinking the entire time we were at Hot Dog Johnny’s!”. I hadn’t had much after that anyway as we were moving along at a pretty good pace. He said “Well...I don’t really care as long as you’re not driving.”.
Lerch sat on his bumper and asked in a snarky tone if we could go, because it was getting cold. The cop told him basically to sit there and wait. It turned out he lost his phone or something, and after waiting a bit more, he asked again if he could go. When the cop said okay, he took off running into the night without further response. In a second, the cop asked “Where’d he go? Is he gone already?”. We laughed. Yup, he was.
We had been sitting there for so long, we were all really cold. At this point, we had done over 15 miles and I was ready to say screw going through the Oxford Tunnel now. The wait was too much.
Michele and Scott came back to pick some of us up shortly, and at this point we were all ready to get somewhere warm for some food. We’d do the rest of the hike on the upcoming regular anniversary hike on Saturday. We all went to the Draught House in Washington (though we shouldn't have since they wanted to charge us over $700 for having our group there for the end of the hike) to have some dinner to close out the night.
We didn’t make it too Washington, but we made it far enough to be a usual substantial hike, and had really fun experiences to add to the ever growing list. Again before the end of the year, I’ll try to do the hike again, the entire way including both tunnels in the way I did it the first time, maybe in celebration of the anniversary of hike #2.