Carbondale’s rich heritage and bright future are the regular features of the historic trolley rides throughout the City that are hosted by the Carbondale Historical Society.

The first of these tours for 2011 took place on Saturday, May 28, to initiate the summer heritage tourism initiative now underway in Carbondale, with tours at 1100 A.M. and 1:00 P.M.  Tours also took place over the July 4 weekend.

All of these tours depart from Carbondale City, with ten stops along the tour route. The tour guides for these tours are City Councilman John Gigliotti and, representing the Historical Society, Jim Racht and Dr. S. Robert Powell.

The ten stops on the tour are Carbondale City Hall and Memorial Park, Trinity Place and Train Station, First Underground Mine monument, D&H Carbondale Yards, Foot of Plane No. 1 on the Gravity Railroad.

Also, Gravity Park, Maplewood Cemetery, Washington Street and Lincoln Avenue, Church Street and its many churches, Hotel American and Main Street.

“All of the sites visited,” noted Dr. Powell, “are important in the context of local and regional history, but two of those sites, however, are highly important in the context of American history, as well.”

“Those two nationally important sites,” observed Councilman Gigliotti, are (1) the site of the first deep underground anthracite shaft mine in America, and (2) the foot of Plane No. 1 and the entire Gravity Railroad system.”

The monument on the site of the first deep underground anthracite shaft mine is located on the west side of the Seventh Avenue railroad crossing, in the vicinity to the entrance of the present Hendrick Manufacturing Company parking lot.

The foot of Plane No. 1 was in the area behind the present-day Ben-Mar restaurant on North Main Street. “Plane No. 1, as well as the entire D&H Gravity Railroad and Canal are nationally important,” Dr. Powell explained, “in that, with the opening of that D&H transportation system on October 9, 1829, the industrial revolution in America was launched.“

“To have the site of the launch pad of the industrial revolution in America in the city of Carbondale is a highly important component of our astonishingly rich local history,” added Jim Racht, the author of the recently published book on Carbondale in the Images of America series.

Additional historic trolley tours are scheduled to take place in Carbondale on August 20, 2011. 

To make reservations for these upcoming trolley tours, contact the Historical Society at 282-0385.

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