He was buried alive in the cement when it was built. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). Rail lines were like todays interstates, he said, adding that restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff would especially benefit commuters from eastern Pennsylvania seeking an alternative to driving on Route 80. Got a story to pitch? Paulins Kill Viaduct Primary Photographer (s): Nathan Holth Bridge Documented: November 8, 2015 View Photos and Videos View Maps and Links Facility Carried / Feature Intersected Railroad (Abandoned Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad) Over Paulins Kill and Station Road Location Rural: Warren County, New Jersey: United States Structure Type Paulinskill Viaduct. The Paulinskill Viaduct, which was completed in 1910, was once the world's largest reinforced concrete structure. Mathez recalled boarding the train in Blairstown, but never actually rode across the viaduct. [24][25][failed verification] The German cultural impact of this community can still be seen in local architecturemost notably in barns and in stone housesand in cemeteries containing intricately carved gravestones often bearing archaic German text and funerary symbols. Its a landmark of historical significance. Aerial view of the 109-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. The passenger train known as the "Phoebe Snow" is seen heading west on April 8, 1951, with the Paulinskill Viaduct in the background.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. [28], Chiefly a pastoral river in a largely undeveloped area of New Jersey, the Paulins Kill has remained generally unaffected by industrial pollution. NJ Transit did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for comment. However, very few records are extant detailing Bernhardt's family. Columbia, a hamlet near the mouth of the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, was known for a large glass manufacturing factory. WallyFromColumbia/Wikipedia The name Tockhockonetcong (or Tockhockonetcunk) roughly translates to "stream that comes from Tok-Hok-Nok"Tok-hok-nok being an Indian village believed to have been within the boundaries of present-day Newton, New Jersey,[18] near which the eastern (main) branch of the Paulins Kill begins, and the Lenape roots hannek meaning "stream" and the suffix -ong denoting "place". Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society, News never stops. Variously known as the Paulinskill Viaduct, or the Hainesburg Viaduct, the bridge still sits there, casting its broad shadow across a river frequented by fly casters and kayakers. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. It was on September 4, 1977, that an aspiring young music major was brutally murdered while practicing piano in an empty auditorium at The College of New Jersey (then known as Trenton State College). Paulinskill Viaduct, Columbia New Jersey (Knowlton Township)Exploring one of the past wonders of the world, Paulinskill Viaduct AKA Hainesburg Trestle. An eastbound freight train crossing the Paulinskill Viaduct en route to Hoboken in March 1952.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. Other mammals include eastern chipmunk, porcupine, black bear, striped skunk, river otter, and bobcat. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. We would tell people that, aside from it being illegal to go back there, its not deemed a safe area to hike, Flynn said. Schaeffer, Casper M.D. Our main issue is the township of Knowlton does not own the (viaduct). Youre not supposed to go up there, but people do it all the time, said Rene Mathez, whose home is about a quarter-mile from the 109-year-old span. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. The state, working together with agricultural development boards in Sussex and Warren Counties, and with the Ridge and Valley Conservancy, a local nonprofit land trust, share land acquisition costs to enter tracts of real estate into the program. Paulinskill Viaduct - Columbia, NJ 07832, USA. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Knowlton Mayor Adele Starrs said she would prefer seeing the viaduct incorporated into the regions extensive rails-to-trails network. The 1,100-foot-long, 115-foot-tall seven arch span was built by the. The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. [57] Likewise, Warren County has preserved 100 farm properties, comprising over 12,200 acres (4,900ha). and Johnson, William M. Viet, Richard F. "John Solomon Teetzel and the Anglo-German Gravestone Carving Tradition of 18th century Northwestern New Jersey" in, "Branchville Sewer Plant May Still Be Built" by Jamie Goldenbaum in. And its also worth mentioning the VIA Rail Service for our northern neighbors in Alberta, Canada to their scenic Banff ski areas. Neighborhood fight stopped it. Today the viaduct is owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which has to restore freight and passenger rail service between New York and Scranton, PA over the trestle. Identifiers. Over the years, Ive always wondered why one of the most premier ski and recreation destinations in the Northeast - the Pocono Mountains - does not have passenger rail service. Paulinskill Viaduct. Newark hoped to use the bed for a water pipeline connecting to the proposed dam and reservoir project on the Delaware River. The eerily majestic Paulinskill Viaduct (aka Hainesburg Viaduct) used to be part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad system, which threaded a scenic route from Lake Hopatcong to Pennsylvania and was abandoned sometime during the early . The river sits in the Ridge and Valley geophysical province. A rogue entrepreneur set up a horizontal pulley system, someone managed to get a car onto the viaduct, and was charging $75 per jump, he said. Finally, in Warren County its waters enter the Delaware River just south of the Delaware Water Gap at the hamlet of Columbia in Knowlton Township. Why should a weekend getaway to our area, or a commute from our area to New York City/North Jersey come with the side effects of being jammed inside rush hour traffic on Interstate 80 in New Jersey or even local congestion here in the Poconos. When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Home United States Pennsylvania Monroe County Tourist attraction Paulinskill Viaduct. Thank you! Our main issue is the township of Knowlton does not own the (viaduct). reviews. [55], New Jersey's Green Acres program has targeted the Paulins Kill and its surrounding valley as an excellent natural resources for open space and farmland preservation and recreational opportunities. It is also the definition of an attractive nuisance. However, the Green Mountains and the Catskills are the ones getting the infrastructure improvements with rail investments on the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Services through Amtrak. There are a bunch of Satanic symbols all over it. Kill is a Dutch word for "stream". Our fire and rescue has responded multiple times to people who got stuck up there, Starrs said. Vtg 1943 Wayland, New York RR Railroad Accident photo Train Wreck Lackawanna: $225.00. Hikers, ATV riders, climbers, graffiti artists even bungee-jumpers have been spotted over the years. Jeff Flynn said in 2019 that troopers respond both to complaints and do periodic checks of unattended cars in the area. With a long-term median flow rate of 76cubic feet of water per second (2.15m/s), it is New Jersey's third-largest contributor to the Delaware River, behind the Musconetcong River and Maurice River. William Armstrong, a local settler, built the first grist mill there along the river in 1768, and the village took root. No one seems to know what, if anything, the future might hold for the viaduct, which for a time was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. This allows the explorer to actually travel through the inside of the structure. Neither do we. With a road running underneath and near several hiking trails, its easy enough to find but we do not encourage illegal activity. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Abandoned for years, much of the viaduct is hollow, allowing explorers to traverse the interior. Mathez said efforts have been made, to varying degrees of success, to limit access to the viaduct from the woods on either side, or at least minimize the potential harm. At the time of its completion in 1910, the Paulinskill Viaduct held the title of the largest reinforced concrete structure on the planet. It is authorized to succeed to Andover, New Jersey for Phase 1, and it is projected to be in service by 2025. Paulinskill Viaduct was one of the largest reinforced concrete structures in the world at its time and is also known as the Hinesburg viaduct. The Paulinskill Viaduct has been a bridge to nowhere since 1978, when the last train rumbled across this majestic crossing 115 feet above the river. Islander lasted a few years before closing up; it was left abandoned and is now home to some trailers and the reminants of the park . After the New York, Susquehanna and Western decommissioned the route in 1962, the right-of-way along this corridor was purchased by the City of Newark the following year. The 1,100-foot-long, 115-foot-tall seven arch span was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1910. Contents 1 History 2 Notes 3 References 4 External links History [ edit] [62], The Paulinskill Valley Traila network of rail trails along abandoned railroad beds of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroadhave been transformed and maintained for hiking, horseback riding, and other recreational uses, stretches for 27 miles (43km) from Sparta Junction in Sussex County to Columbia in Warren County, roughly following the entire length of the river. Mostly its kids with motor bikes, he said when asked what he typically sees up there. In 1979, the train line went out of service and by 1985, the property was entirely abandoned. Local tradition does place an Indian village named Pahaquarra near the mouth of the Paulins Kill which is immediately south of the Delaware Water Gap. The people who live around the Viaduct as well as the town of Blairstown are annoyed about the drinking, graffiti anddrug use that has happened there. They were jumping off the middle of the bridge on the south side, Walsh said. Very few passable, large roads were built in this section of New Jersey, then largely a sparsely populated wilderness, before the creation of turnpike companies in the early decades of the Nineteenth Century. After thirty minutes of watching them, we heard a splash. Jeff Flynn said that troopers respond both to complaints and do periodic checks of unattended cars in the area. Aerial view of the 111-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. 2 stars. According to some, numerous suicides and murders occurred around the evil arbor. In 1.1 miles the trail arrives at the massive Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Trestle. The preceding article is an excerpt from Weird NJ magazine, Your Travel Guide to New Jerseys Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, which is available on newsstands throughout the state and on the web at www.WeirdNJ.com. Knowlton, N.J. Oct. 27, 2019.Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. 1 reference. Paulinskill Viaduct Photograph by Jerry Fornarotto - Fine Art America Need your order in time for Christmas? The headwaters start near Route 622 in Fredon Township. The cutoff also opens up opportunities for people to access the area for a ski getaway, especially in snow-rich seasons like 2021, or other recreational activities like hiking, kayaking or white-water rafting. It's a landmark. No one seems to know what, if anything, the future might hold for the viaduct, which for a time was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Cookie Notice The Paulins Kill drains an area of 177 square miles (460km, This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties, Labelled "Tockhockonetkunk or Pawlings Kill" on an untitled map of Jonathan Hampton (1758) in the collection of the New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, New Jersey; also. 4 5. New Jersey Transit is working to restore commuter service along the Cut-Off, with the 7.3-mile (11.7km) section from Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, to Andover, New Jersey, currently under construction and slated to open in 2025. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Love New Jersey? The tracks were removed in 1982 and the Viaduct abandoned. Rail lines were like todays interstates, he said, adding that restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff would especially benefit commuters from eastern Pennsylvania seeking an alternative to driving on Route 80. The Poconos are not only a weekend getaway destination, but also a major commuter area of New York City/North Jersey. Apr 2, 2022 18 Dislike Share Scout Productions 98 subscribers Sister to the nearby Delaware River Viaduct , the Paulinskill Viaduct towers 115 feet above the Paulins Kill. The train itself remains a distant memory, even if the Paulinskill Viaduct aside from the graffiti looks much as it did from more than a century ago. The Viaduct, or Hainesburg Trestle, is a long abandoned railroad bridge over the Paulinskill River near Blairstown. Chuck Walsh, also of Knowlton, recalled spotting bungee jumpers as far back as the 1980s. Common game birds include ring-necked pheasant, eastern wild turkey, American crow, and Canada goose. Police Release Additional Photos Of "Person Of Interest" In Rt 1 Christmas Death In . [58], In addition, four Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are in the Paulins Kill valley area: Bear Swamp WMA, Trout Brook WMA, White Lake WMA, and Columbia Lake WMA. The Paulinskill Viaduct has been a bridge to nowhere since 1978, when the last train rumbled across this majestic crossing 115 feet above the river. Bristol Qian, of Tobyhanna Township, is a member of Lackawanna Cutoff Historical Committee, a moderator of the American Rail Club and a Northampton Community College alumni. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Paulinskill Viaduct Creepy, Decaying, Abandoned, Haunted Weird NJ, Stree. Youre not supposed to go up there, but people do it all the time, said Rene Mathez, whose home is about a quarter-mile from the 110-year-old span. For some of my training we used the Viaduct for rope rescue training and just for fun, rappelled off the side of it. Amongst non-railfans, the Paulinskill Viaduct is known for its internal chambers (used to inspect the structural integrity of the bridge), which are popular among those who enjoy urban exploration. English Wikipedia. It has seven arches reaching 115 feet high and stretching 1,100 feet wide, and was the world'slargest reinforced concrete structure when it was built. The benefit doesnt stop just for commuters in the area. Nicholas Dnistran. Photos of the interior are not included in this article as it was difficult to find graffiti without vulgarity. As a kid, I used to go there a lot. Shafer, with his father-in-law, Johan Peter Bernhardt (?1748), and his brother-in-law Johann Georg Windemuth (or John George Wintermute) (17111782), settled at Stillwater in 1742. It is also the definition of an attractive. 1. When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. A fantastic 7x9 inch vintage photo from 1943 depicting Locomotives of a Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadINVESTIGATION OPENS TODAY INTO CAUSE OF RAILROAD WRECK.BODIES IDENTIFIED.Wayland (AP) -- Twenty-two of the 27 persons who lost their lives in the wreck of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western\'s . Many had trekked north through the valley of the Delaware and settled along the Musconetcong, Pequest and Paulins Kill valleys in New Jersey and along the Lehigh River valley in Pennsylvania. Add Review. [45] This site is commonly visited by adventure-seeking individuals. [50], The Paulins Kill valley contains many protected areas. Paulinskill Valley Rail Trail Easy 4.3 (119) Newton, New Jersey Photos (466) Directions Print/PDF map Length 25.4 miElevation gain 990 ftRoute type Point to point Experience this 25.4-mile point-to-point trail near Newton, New Jersey. Newark sold their claim to the corridor in 1992 to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for $600,000, and the Paulinskill Valley Trail was created. In addition, Phase 2 would run from Andover, New Jersey to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the Roseville Tunnel, Paulinskill Viaduct and Delaware River Viaduct would be put into use. Upon Ruth's death in 1940, the castle sat empty . The first words out of his mouth were, Do I get a refund? I recall The Star-Ledger or Herald News stating that he sustained a couple broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a ruptured spleen. DOT spokesperson Mairin Bellack, in an email, reiterated that public access is strictly prohibited.. In addition, the address is not included as trespassing is illegal. An eastbound freight train crossing the Paulinskill Viaduct en route to Hoboken in March 1952.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. The Paulins Kill (also known as Paulinskill River) is a 41.6-mile (66.9km)[1] tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. Deciding to live for now, I climb back up the slanty rungs and head back east off the bridge, back to the top of the page to . It was abandoned by Conrail in the late 1970's. Today New Jersey Transit is conducting studies to restore the cutoff and restore passenger trains between Hoboken, Newark, Stroudsburg, the Poconos, and Scranton. [52], Birdwatchers have sighted a variety of common and endangered species of birds that inhabit New Jersey. The tracks were removed in 1982 and the Viaduct abandoned. Show the world your Jersey pride some of our Jersey-centric goodies. I was talking to a state trooper that is stationed around there and he said that they were arresting 15 to 20 people a month there. Completed in 1911, it was part of the Lackawanna Cutoff before being abandoned in the 1960s. [63] The Appalachian Trail follows the top of Kittatinny Ridge at the northern edge of the valley. If you park your car on the side of the road and walk up a steep hill you can climb into the bridge. About four or five years ago, some enormous concrete blocks, about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide, were installed to block ATVs and other vehicles. There was always this feeling that someone else was in there, watching us. An abandoned railroad bridge which spans the Paulins Kill in Hainesburg, NJ. 0 references. All of my search term words; Any of my search term words; Find results in. No matter how wide Interstate 80 in New Jersey is, even up to the Interstate 95 interchange in Bergen County, theres clearly demand for additional commuter and traveler capacity even if taking into account COVID-19s impact on future workflows. All contents Weird NJ and may not be reproduced by any means without permission. Abandoned Railroad Bridge full of GraffitiDelaware Lackawanna \u0026 Western Railroad Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulinskill_ViaductWeird NJ: https://weirdnj.com/stories/paulinskill-viaduct/Bridgehunter: https://bridgehunter.com/nj/warren/bh45687Connect with us on:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dabbleintravelnj/Facebook:www.facebook.com/dabbleintravel Now on foot, photos pan left to right from the north side just off Station Road. There are no doubts about it. Read More Unknown New Jersey stories like this: Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. The 1,100-foot-long, 115-foot-tall seven arch span was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1910. The second and most likely etymological origin is that the Native American name given to the mountain on the valley's western flank, Pahaqualong (also spelled Pahaqualin, Pohoqualin and Pahaquarra) may have been corrupted and anglicized to a spelling such as "Paulins" by early white settlers or surveyors. Touch device users, explore by touch or with . Aband. Search. Today, the lake is a private, year-round residential community with over 500 homes. It just passes our land. Mostly its kids with motor bikes, he said when asked what he typically sees up there. Unfortunately the Paulinskill Viaduct is now closed to the public. Wikimedia import URL. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [9] The upper northwestern area is drained by the Big Flatbrook River to the Delaware River watershed in the south. Today, it is owned by New Jersey Department of Transportation. Chuck Walsh, also of Knowlton, recalled spotting bungee jumpers as far back as the 1980s. [1] When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. We packed our equipment up and left. The Paulins Kill was a conduit for the emigration of Palatine Germans who settled in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period and the American Revolution. Internal Chambers once used for bridge inspection and maitnence. About four or five years ago, some enormous concrete blocks, about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide, were installed to block ATVs and other vehicles. Both dangerous an illegal, many have failed to heed the law and the structure is filled with graffiti. The graffiti-filled chambers have been featured on Weird NJ. Areas along the Paulins Kill generally were not settled until the 1740s and 1750s. Once on the trail, after about a mile from the Brugler Road trailhead, you will pass under the Paulinskill Viaduct, which was built by the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1910. Shop Create Sell Wall Art All Wall Art Framed Prints Canvas Prints Art Prints Posters Metal Prints Acrylic Prints Wood Prints Tapestries Paintings Photographs Illustrations Digital Art Mixed Media The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. During the American Revolution, Hessian soldiers captured at the Battle of Trenton and other skirmishes within New Jersey were held as prisoners of war in the Stillwater area. It was the largest trestle of its type in the world for years, until a larger one was built in Pennsylvania. I dont remember if we found the spot or not but the guy is supposed to walk the tracks on top of the trestle. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, "This N.J. rail bridge is beloved by many, but nobody knows what to do with it", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paulinskill_Viaduct&oldid=1105528919, Still extant (railroad tracks removed in 1984), This page was last edited on 20 August 2022, at 17:36. Located just outside of Blairstown there is a bridge back in the woods. In 1910, the Lackawanna RR finished this route using the Netcong cutoff to connect Binghamton, NY to Hoboken, NJ Without a single grade crossing. "In those days, there was no fast way to get ahold of anyone. It was situated in Knowlton Township, New Jersey, United States. Both Shafer and Windemuth were married to Bernhardt's daughters. More common species include: American robin, barn swallow, field sparrow, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, northern cardinal, red-winged blackbird and the American goldfinch. [1] Other spellings (Pawlins Kill or Paulinskill) have remained in common use. "[16][17] This translation is thought to refer either to the valley of the Paulins Kill itself, or to the Delaware Water Gap. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. His property covers 50 acres on both sides of the Paulins Kill River (the river uses a different spelling than the viaduct). Do not enter or you're trespassing. paulinskill-viaduct- references. The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. There used to be rail service here, but a general lack of attention and investments in railroads nationwide in the 1970s and 1980s brought it to an end the culminated with the unfortunate removal of trackage by Conrail in 1984. Murdered Music Major Haunts College of NJ (Trenton State) It was on September 4, 1977, that an aspiring young music major was brutally murdered while practicing piano in an empty auditorium at The College of New Jersey (then known as Trenton State College). So why do the Pocono Mountains, a premier ski and recreation destination that also serves as a super-commuter suburb of New York City and North Jersey, lack a passenger rail corridor? In recent decades, the dams have been breached or no longer impede the flow of the river. Tim, I lived in the Blairstown area for 20 years and belonged to the Local Rescue Squad and have climbed through the maze of tunnels and caverns in the Paulinskill Viaduct. [23][failed verification] Often villages established and settled by German emigrants remained culturally German well into the Nineteenth Century, with German Lutheran and Reformed churches (often as "Union" churches) established shortly after the first settlements (as was the case in Knowlton and in Stillwater). That is lost revenue, lost income and more negative carbon emissions in North Jersey and Northeastern Pennsylvania for a purpose that could easily be fulfilled by a commuter/intercity rail to Scranton. [7] High Point, near the northeastern end of the ridge, is the highest peak in New Jersey, reaching an elevation of 1,800 feet (550m). [10] The Wallkill River drains the northeastern portion of the valley, flowing north to the Hudson River watershed. At the time of its construction, the bridge was the largest reinforced concrete railroad bridge ever built. Aerial view of the 109-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society, News never stops. However, this projectcontroversial from the start because of environmental concerns and the federal government's abuse of eminent domainwas canceled during the 1970s. Mathez recalled boarding the train in Blairstown, but never actually rode across the viaduct. This is a treasure and it needs to be kept up, not left to fall into disrepair, Starrs said. Knowlton Mayor Adele Starrs said she would prefer seeing the viaduct incorporated into the regions extensive rails-to-trails network. Not because of the train itself. Its time to reinvigorate our wonderful region, and have a stronger, solid, and better transportation infrastructure network for Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northwestern New Jersey.