Barclay, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Barclay was once a busy ghost town in Franklin Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. It was a special kind of town because it was built around coal mining. People lived and worked there to dig up coal from the ground.
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Barclay: A Coal Mining Ghost Town
Barclay was a town that appeared and then disappeared, much like many mining towns. It was all about getting coal out of the ground and to other places where it was needed.
How Coal Left the Mountain
Getting coal down from Barclay Mountain was quite clever!
Gravity Power!
The town used a special system called a incline plane rail system. Imagine a giant slide for train cars! Loaded cars of coal would roll down the mountain. As they went down, they were attached to a strong cable. This cable would pull empty cars back up the mountain, ready for more coal. It was all powered by gravity!
At the very top of the mountain, there was a "brake house." This building helped control the speed of the coal cars as they moved up and down.
From Mountain to Canal
Once the coal cars reached the bottom of the mountain, steam locomotives took over. These powerful trains hauled the coal about 16 miles to a town called Towanda. In Towanda, the coal was then loaded onto barges on the Pennsylvania Canal's North Branch. These barges would float the coal to many different places.
The Railroad's Journey
Barclay was closely connected to another town called Laquin, Pennsylvania. Barclay focused on mining coal, while Laquin later processed timber from the nearby forests.
The original Barclay Railroad stopped being used in 1899. Then, a big flood in 1900 damaged it even more. But the railroad was rebuilt! It became known as the Susquehanna and New York Railroad. This new railroad ran between Monroe, Pennsylvania (also called Monroeton) and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
A War Effort
The Susquehanna and New York Railroad was eventually abandoned during World War II. The metal rails were removed and used to help with the war effort, showing how important materials were during that time.
Even though the railroad is gone, its story lives on. Today, you can still see much of the old trackbed and bridges. They are visible throughout the valleys of Schrader Creek and Pleasant Stream.
What's Left Today?
While Barclay is a ghost town, meaning most of its buildings are gone, some parts of its history remain. The Barclay cemetery still exists. It's a quiet place that offers a glimpse into the past of this old mining town.
