heritage trail walk, part one, the monocacy

Today Lydia and I started the Heritage Trail walk at #19. The Dye House. Pretty much smack dab it the Industrial Quarter, or officially The Monocacy Valley (#20). This is where industry began in our fair city.

We proceeded north following the Monocacy creek and the railroad tracks to Burnside Plantation. Before reaching the Plantation there was marker #21, the road to Nain Village. After the French-American wars,  1000 acres of land adjacent to Burnside Plantation was set aside by the Moravians, for Christianized Indians. 

The Plantation houses markers 22, 23 (Farm house, summer kitchen), and 24 (Johnson barn, Haas barn, orchard.). Burnside was the first privately owned land and home in the Moravian settlement. After Burnside's death it was given to the Moravian settlement and operated as Plantation #4. Over the centuries parcels were sold off and only 6.5 acres remain as a museum.

Once you cross Paint Mill road, the trail is a little less established. We missed the turn for Illicks Mill Nature Trail (#25), and came out near the dog park and walked down the hill to Monocacy Park. This trail is clearly in need of a Girl Scout Gold Award/Boy Scout Eagle Project.

Illicks Mill (#26) ground wheat into flour for the community. The park which surrounds it, was build by the WPA in the 30s. Students in the Bethlehem School district spent the last decade restoring the mill.

We walked thru the parking lot, picked up the nature trail and headed back to Burnside.

One of the problems with these historic trails is they don't loop. They are one-way trails. Personally, I like loops.

On our way up we noticed that 24/7 Fitness at the base of the Burnside Driveway, had a walking track around it. While we waited for traffic to cross Paint Mill, I said, let's be rebels and walk the track. As we got closer to the building it looked like there were rocks and holes in the side. Clearly not for rock climbing. I think we figured it out. The railroad tracks are next to the  club. The trains come flying thru, kick up rocks propelling them skyward and they land like bullets in the building. Makes me not want to walk there when the train is coming!

We were gone a long time. We didn't walk especially fast, we explored, and took lots of pixs. Tomorrow, is the founders walk, and maybe the western developement or the Victorian era.