Hike #365; Whitehall/Ironton

 Hike #365 8/23/8

Old dam along Ironton Trail

8/23/8 Whitehall/Ironton Trail with Cathy Fisher

Coplay Cement Works, original furnace towers

Trolley line historic marker and abutment

Old trolley track, Whitehall area

Old rail car along Ironton Trail

Abandoned building, ironton trail

Abandoned building, Ironton Trail

Abandoned building, Ironton Trail

Abandoned building, Ironton Trail

Abandoned building, ironton Trail

Old industry, now a bird blind along Ironton Trail

Former industry converted to a bird blind along the Ironton Rail Trail

Abandoned along Ironton Trail

Abandoned along Ironton Trail

No litters?

Old rail spur

Homage to the cement industry

Abandoned concrete plant

Cement towers near Ironton

Cement plant

Old dam along Ironton Trail

Abandoned row houses near Ironton

Abandoned row house

Abandoned row house

Abandoned row house

Abandoned row house

Abandoned row house

Abandoned row house

Abandoned concrete tower

Old quarry lake

Old quarry lake

I lost this one's original journal entry as well. If I find it I'll post it.

 

This one's a little odd for me to look back on. It was an excellent day for Cathy and I, our 9th anniversery and one that was going pretty well. We started somewhere down by Whitehall, and then walked up onto the Ironton Rail Trail. We followed it northbound to the former Coplay Cement works. I can't remember if we went into the abandoned Thomas iron works site on this one or not.

When we got to Coplay, there was an annual event going on and we wandered up through that, got a little food, and listened to a band play a bit. We then continued along the trail heading west. I'd never bothered going onto the trail toward Ironton itself, and so this time we continued from where I'd last left off. Immediately there was an abandoned passenger car set on blocks, followed by an abandoned building on the right. We of course had to go in. We walked the length of the inside of this structure with holes in the tin roof, then across directly into another one.  Just past this in teh Whitehall Parkway was another old structure's frame turned into a bird blind. I was impressed with this area.

Frames of buildings and old roads seemed to be everywhere as well as quarries barely within sight. We found spur track areas, and even a grave yard of defunct old gasoline pumps! A building nearby it was converted to more modern uses which I was impressed with.

We wandered off the trail briefly to check out a memorial to the cement workers of the area, then returned and headed west. We soon saw a giant abandoned concrete building to the left which we paralleled on the trail for some time. I was itching to get in. There was an abandoned dam site on the right with the middle section missing. It was far, but I was able to jump that missing gap and get over to the fence. I could barely squeeze through, but I was'nt about to leave Cathy on our anniversery just sitting along the trail alone so I did'nt bother going in.

We continued on, and as we reached the next road on the way toward Ironton we came across a line of abandoned row houses! I could'nt resist these ones. I assume they were housing for the workers at the quarries, but now that they're abandoned so are the homes. The front door was open on two of them and so I went in. I liberated a few antique books and I can't even remember what else, but it was a great time. The place was fuill of stuff as if the people were made to just leave. It was amazing.

 

Cathy and I continued on to the official end of the trail. I could see that beyond it would be h ikeable, but we needed to turn back. While I did'nt like really covering the same ground twice, Cathy actually liked it so it was okay. We made a turn to the right when we got to the split in the trail and headed more directly back toward Whitehall to finish out the day.