View Full Version : Anyone Know Any Cool Historical Sites Along AT?
Crunchygroovesbra
02-25-2010, 01:45
I know the trail comes close to some old civil war battlefields, but does anyone know of any other cool historical spots?
About 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail is in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The entire county is cool and so is everyone who lives here, especially our oldsters.
We provide better information about our A.T. than anyone else. No other A.T. county can boast of a thread like History as a Mystery (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35528), but you'll need to subscribe (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/profile.php?do=editusergroups) to Non-AT discussion if you want to read it. I hid it there for special occasions like your request.
Treefingers
02-25-2010, 01:59
Brown Mountain shelter, just south of Lexington/Buena Vista, Va, which is rt. 60 has an intersting area down by the creek with signs talking about the old homestead that was down by the creek. there are remains of old coal fired oven and mills and other relic of there time period. North of there you pass some stone walls that are quite incredible considering how long they are and how they go straight up and over the mountains. there are also large stone piles on the ridges that were most likely used by civil war soldiers the hide behind as troops came up the mountain to the ridge
happy trails
Treefingers
GAME '06
PCT '11
fiddlehead
02-25-2010, 02:31
Plenty of history along the trail.
Off the top of my head in and around PA:
Rausch Gap in PA: Indian village and gold mine nearby
Camp David in MD is very close to the trail.
Jim Thorpe, PA is not far from Lehigh gap on the trail. Check out the Molly Maguires and the famous jail there.
Pilger Rue or "Pilgrims rest" is near 501 in PA, an historical spot from the 1700's i believe?
I suppose every mile of the trail has some more or less interesting history associated with it. The Cheese Factory and Slaughter Gap are two early sites mentioned in the handbook, for example. Uncle Nick Grindstaff's grave, which you will encounter near Iron Mountain Shelter, has always held a morbid curiosity for me.
I wonder if anyone has attempted to compile of a history of these places?
Do a search on here for Sarver Hollow shelter. Also, when you get to Waynesboro, stop in at the museum the historical society operates there. The lady there spent about an hour discussing local history with me, and then arranged a private tour of an historic farm house they have in town.
Hikes in Rain
02-25-2010, 07:03
I wonder if anyone has attempted to compile of a history of these places?
Model T did, in Walkin' With the Ghost Whisperers. Chock full of the history along the trail, and the most interesting part is how admittedly incomplete it is due to space limitations.
Rocket Jones
02-25-2010, 07:11
As you pass through the Shenandoah NP there are several side trails that lead to old homesteads. Mostly foundations and chimneys, but at least one barn is restored and intact.
Tesnatee gap at 36.2 is where John Muir crossed on one of his journeys.
In VA, about 2 miles before Atkins, is the settlers museum (just east of the AT) a worthy stop. You can see what the house I grew up in looks like. No, I did not live here, but in a similar house in SW Ohio. Almost identical in fact! Even the lay out of the out buildings is close, & the privy is exactly where it was on my parents farm. The museum is free to hikers, I would allow a few hours to see it all, or a few days to help with chores. I helped put up a new fence a few years ago.
Snowleopard
02-25-2010, 12:17
The AT in Mass. goes by (or close) to the site of the last battle of Shay's Rebellion (monument in a corn field).
jnl82381
02-25-2010, 12:27
I agree with Hikes in Rain. You should read "walkin' with the ghost whisporers" it's a great book.
Along with all the Civil War stuff down south, there is an Audi Murphy memorial marker at mile 681 where his plane crashed into the mountain.
About 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail is in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The entire county is cool and so is everyone who lives here.
We provide better information about our A.T. than anyone else. No other A.T. county can boast of a thread like History as a Mystery (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35528), but you'll need to subscribe (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/profile.php?do=editusergroups) to Non-AT discussion if you want to read it. I hid it there for special occasions like your request.
Pennsylvania......uhmmm. . . . isn't that in Canada somewhere?
Gray Blazer
02-25-2010, 12:49
Burningtown Mountain.
Ox97GaMe
02-25-2010, 13:03
There are quite a few historical things to see in the Smokies if you are willing to hike a couple miles off the AT.
sherrill
02-25-2010, 13:20
Overmountain shelter. Not only one of the best views from any shelter, close to the Overmountain Victory Trail.
http://www.nps.gov/ovvi/planyourvisit/maps.htm
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=Overmounta
In Maryland where the MAHHA hammock hangout hangsout.
an arch dedicated to the Civil War Correspondents.
and there's a empty mausoleum there too.
several more spots in Maryland
Harper's Ferry nearby
Rockhound
02-25-2010, 13:33
There is someplace in NH that is soon to become a historic site. It will be known as the point furthest north that Matthewski made it on 20+ attempted thru-hikes.
max patch
02-25-2010, 13:38
Don't forgot the outhouse that Minnesota Smith had to sleep in so he wouldn't freeze to death when he slackpacked and didn't quite get as far as he thought he would.
AUhiker90
02-25-2010, 16:31
I think Gettysburg is near the trail.
Pennsylvania......uhmmm. . . . isn't that in Canada somewhere?
No, it's not anywhere near as cold, but we thought Maine might need a break from the snow so we took theirs this time around.
I think Gettysburg is near the trail.
http://www.nps.gov/GETT/index.htm (http://www.nps.gov/GETT/index.htm)
Sure is! I have another post to add to History as a Mystery as soon as I can get to it about some original letters sent home by Union soldiers.
Rockhound
02-25-2010, 17:43
Long Trail Ale brewery, Yeungling brewery, Doyles, the Ice House saloon, Dots, I also heard that Rutland VT has more bars per capita than any city in the country. Lots of historic sites along the A.T.. It's just ashame they closed the Paddlers Pub.
A large book could be written about all the historical sites within 20 miles of the AT. 50 miles - a collection of books. Within shorter walking distance. it could easily take several thru-hikes to see just a % of it.
Just MD alone, you could spend an additional wk walking from and back to the AT to all the historical sites near the AT. Shame more thru-hikers don't take more advantage of more of the opportunities. The AT is rich in history and nearby historical sites and museums.
Blissful
02-25-2010, 22:57
Shays Rebellion monument in MA
Iron Master's Mansion in Caledonia State Park, PA. Ask Ray, the caretaker, to take you on the underground railroad tour. He might let you crawl into the hiding space under the floor, or go up to the attic to look out the windows where candles were set to signal the ok for runaways to approach.
bobgessner57
02-26-2010, 00:05
The Hot Springs Hotel was a major resort in the 1800's, hosting presidents and other people of infamy. The hotel grounds were the site of a WW 1 prisoner of war camp for German sailors that were taken prisoner when we declared war and impounded the ships and crews that were caught in our ports. The prisoners built an elaborate rustic style camp complete with chapel, bandstand for public concerts and other structures, some roofed with flattened tobacco cans.
A major drover's road went from the Tennessee Valley down the French Broad River all the way down into South Carolina. Huge flocks of geese, turkeys, etc, and herds of cattle, sheep and hogs were driven along the river to Asheville, then on down towards Charleston to feed the coastal population. Boarding houses with large barns and pen areas were built every few miles to provide for the drovers. It was kind of like the AT and hostels.
There is a thread somewhere on whiteblaze about old railroads along the AT. There is certainly a lot of interesting rockwork and grading, cuts, etc in many states that show both logging rr and mainline routes.
The tower on Bear Mtn., NY has some display boards giving the history of the park and the efforts to preserve the area.
Maryland's Washington Monument and the little museum there. Also the museum at Pen-Mar.
Many of the AT guidebooks give a lot of historical background and natural history about the trail lands and vicinity, something we give up when relying on the much lighter guides.
http://www.hallowedground.org/
This recently designated National Scenic Byway connects Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and Gettysburg. An exception was made to include Harpers Ferry as a designated site outside the corrdor.
Many of these locations are not far from the A.T. and would be especially suitable for inclusion in one's A.T. section-hike plans.
I seem to remember that the "Green mountain Boys" used the road through Greasy Creek gap (& past the G C Friendly) during the civil war.
The AT follows quite a lot of old railroad beds. There are a few places along RR beds in the higher elevations with pipes sticking out of the ground: My guess is that was how they got water up to the steam engines. Of course they could be for something completely different.
LIhikers
02-28-2010, 19:47
In New York the trail is an easy walk from the remains of revolutionary war fort Fort Montgumery. The fort is north, on route 9w, of the Bear Mountain Bridge. I'm going to guess it's about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile.
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 10:04
In New York the trail is an easy walk from the remains of revolutionary war fort Fort Montgumery. The fort is north, on route 9w, of the Bear Mountain Bridge. I'm going to guess it's about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile.
North of Graymore you pass between two stone foundations that were smallpox inoculation centers during the war. Continuing north of there you will get onto an old narrow rail bed this was a mule pulled rail line to take iron ore from the mines down to the Hudson to be made into a gun used in the Civil War.
South of Bear mountain you have more old mine pits. the ore from some of these mines was used to make the Chain that was stretched across the river near where the bridge is today to keep the British from sailing up the river to attack the capitol at that time which was in Kingston NY.
As others have said tons and tons of history. a lot of it can also be found in the guide books the ATC offers. you know the small ones that cover sections or a state or two in each one and you can also get the maps to go with them.
jersey joe
03-01-2010, 10:06
I agree with Hikes in Rain. You should read "walkin' with the ghost whisporers" it's a great book.
Along with all the Civil War stuff down south, there is an Audi Murphy memorial marker at mile 681 where his plane crashed into the mountain.
The Audi Murphy memorial sticks out in my mind for some reason. I didn't know anything about the man before coming up on this memorial in the middle of nowhere on the trail.
Tennessee Viking
03-01-2010, 10:22
In the South, the trail goes by a lot of small historical spots or that has legend/myth appeal to it. But very few remains exist for somethings.
-Old town of Fontana, now under Fontana Lake.
-Smokies (ex. Cades Cove)
-Just outside of Hot Springs is the ruins of the old Runion settlment.
-On Coldspring Mtn are the graves of the Sheltons, Union soliders who were captured and massacred by a Confederate squad.
-On top of Big Bald lived a wild crazy hermit named Greer.
-On the opposite side of Flattop Mountain (south of Erwin) is ruins of the old Love Cove settlement. Where a group of families decided to relocate to the Nolichucky Gorge to get away from the Civil War.
-In Erwin there was Battle of Red Banks (only markers today)
-Roan Mountain is the site of the old Cloudland Hotel.
-Old town of Butler. Now under Watauga Lake.
-The grave of Nick Grindstaff on Iron Mtn
-Saltville VA. Mining disaster, natural history museum, and a key turning point in the Civil War.
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 12:31
It's not the same bridge that is there now but the spot where the Covered bridge is in Bulls Bridge Ct is where Washington was crossing over one night on his way to the tavern on the opposite bank when both he and his horse fell in. Now I was always told that it was on the way to the Tavern but it sounds like it may have been a case of BRWI (Horseback Riding While Intoxicated).
WILLIAM HAYES
03-09-2010, 20:31
The trail companion lists some--there is also a small book about appalachian trail mountain and gap names that gives a little history behind the names will try to dig it out of my library and give you a citation
Cookerhiker
03-09-2010, 21:16
...there are historical remains of 200+ year-old iron mines and one can also hike to Claudius Smith's Den (http://nynjctbotany.org/whudson/nyclauds.html)- he was a Revolutionary-era bandid who hid in what is now the Park. I remember hiking there as a young teenager - Harriman was the first place where I saw the AT.
I'm surprised that no one's mentioned the state by state A.T. guides (not the thru-hiking guides like the Data Book and Companion, but the squat thick books) - they often mention a good bit about the history of what one passes by.
Hikerhead
03-09-2010, 22:21
The Audi Murphy memorial sticks out in my mind for some reason. I didn't know anything about the man before coming up on this memorial in the middle of nowhere on the trail.
In a week or so I'm going to take a friend of my dad's up to view the monument, they both worked at the Flight Service Center in Roanoke when this happened but wasn't directly involved with this accident. He's about 80 and has never been there. I talked to him today and he's real excited about going.
CrumbSnatcher
03-09-2010, 22:28
the yuengling brewery isn't too far away from the trail in PA, do they give tours? to me that would be cool:cool:
NEEL GAP is one of my favorite historical sites on/near the trail.
hope the snow melts for you hikerhead. overnighted near the audie murphy memorial 2 weeks ago it looked like this.
D.G. Yuengling & Son isn't too far away from the trail in PA. Do they give tours?
Of course they do!
http://www.yuengling.com/tour.htm
Migrating Bird
03-10-2010, 09:04
Here is a link to Berkshire Natural Resource Council. http://www.bnrc.net/map.html On the back of each map is a detailed history of the Berkshires from geology to present. For example, it explains why the southwest corner of MA is cut off - Boston Corners, a lawless territory which MA and NY each claimed but due to the rugged terrain it had a very colorful past. The iron industry - charcoal pits - where charcoal was produced to supply fuel for the iron furnaces in MA, NY and CT Once you find one site (near Bear Mt for example), you constantly look for other sites. These maps, IMHO, are worth the investment.
The iron industry - charcoal pits - where charcoal was produced to supply fuel for the iron furnaces in MA, NY and CT
Also fairly common in PA at least, as one example the nice campsite just Trail-south of Alec Kennedy Shelter is a charcoal "pit", between Pine Grove Furnace (yes, an iron furnace stack remains beside the trail) and Boiling Springs (furnace stack beside the trail there too). Ore diggings are visible too from the Trail hereabouts, some parts of the Trail in this vicinity were wagon roads leading from the pits to the furnaces.
CrumbSnatcher
03-10-2010, 11:02
Of course they do!
http://www.yuengling.com/tour.htm
you say that like everyone should know that!:D
Red River Falls
03-10-2010, 21:16
Audie Murphy monument interesting because it is on the trail and in a rather remote location. It is more intriguing when one realizes the significance of his life.
Of course, there are the unfortunate notable criminal acts on or near the trail, but I don't think that quite what the original poster had in mind.
You say that like everyone should know it!:D
Well, they should, but not wishing to show any favortism whatsoever, I'll simply state there are other Pennsylvania brewery tours to consider too if you must choose only one and getting there and back requires transportation.
sasquatch2014
03-10-2010, 22:48
The trail passes right by the Shay Rebellion monument in Ma. It crosses the Hudson River just south of two forts which kept the British from sailing up the Hudson during the Revolution near where a chain was stretched across the river. You walk along an old narrow gage rail bed near Fahnstock park which was used to haul iron ore to the foundry down along the Hudson to make the Parrot guns during the Civil War.
The list can go on and on. Get the State by state guide that is sold through the ATC even if you don't take it with you on the hike you can brush up on some of it before the hike.
CrumbSnatcher
03-10-2010, 22:55
Well, they should, but not wishing to show any favortism whatsoever, I'll simply state there are other Pennsylvania brewery tours to consider too if you must choose only one and getting there and back requires transportation.
It helps to have friends in the right places, but don't PM me. It's not something I'd be interested in doing more than maybe once a season and I am particular about the company I keep. Besides, driving to Pottsville doesn't involve free beer for me.
There may be public transportation, but I haven't thoroughly researched it. ----------------------------------------
Comment no longer required.
CrumbSnatcher
03-10-2010, 23:37
sorry if i misunderstood you Emerald
Chaco Taco
03-11-2010, 14:35
Comment no longer required.
Yea chill out there buddy. Just cuz some of us arent privy to how things are done in the great state of PA doesnt mean you have to be a turd.:rolleyes:
sasquatch2014
03-11-2010, 14:46
Yea chill out there buddy. Just cuz some of us arent privy to how things are done in the great state of PA doesnt mean you have to be a turd.:rolleyes:
Back on to Breweries the two breweries in Harrisburg are not that far from Duncannon and are only a few blocks from one another. A group of us went and did this during the last Winter Warmer. I don't know how historical but a lot of fun.
Chaco Taco
03-11-2010, 16:49
Back on to Breweries the two breweries in Harrisburg are not that far from Duncannon and are only a few blocks from one another. A group of us went and did this during the last Winter Warmer. I don't know how historical but a lot of fun.
Asheville has a bunch as well.
Tent-N-Kent
06-15-2010, 13:37
Stop in Harpers Ferry sometime and look up Ric Garland across from the Secret Six Tavern , take his " Oh , Be Joyful Tour "
You will be amazed by what has happened in this area in 200 plus years. !!!
Tent-N-Kent
06-15-2010, 13:51
Pine Grove Furnace State Park is one of the Jewels in the Crown , not just of PA parks but also the AT. Two or so miles from the exact 1/2 way point of the AT , the trail meanders through a former industrial complex dating all the way back to just prior to the Revolutionary War. Our museum is now open in the oldest building in the Park , it is next to the Camp Store where Thu-hikers attempt the Half Gallon Ice Cream Challenge. The Central PA Historical Conservancy has taken on the challenge of refurbishing the IronMasters Mansion , hoping to reopen it to the Public in 2011. This building was a first stop north of Mason/Dixon line on the Underground Railroad.
To learn more about the cool things you can see at the first ever Hikers museum visit the website www.atmuseum.org You'll be glad you did !!
FritztheCat
06-15-2010, 19:14
Thread is a little old but the OP should check out J.R. "Model T" Tate's book Walkin' with the Ghost Whisperers: Lore and Legends of the Appalachian Trail. Excellent book about the historical sites along the AT.
Hikes in Rain
06-15-2010, 19:44
1+ on that book. It's terrific!