Town in rural Pennsylvania left behind by the East Broad Top Railroad in 1942.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Neelyton was founded in 1885, the same year that the nearby Shade Gap branch of the East Broad Top Railroad was completed. The Neelyton Methodist Church was built in 1896 and the Shade Gap Branch of the EBT Railroad connected to Neelyton in 1910. The town began to grow and prosper until the East Broad Top Railroad abandoned this line to Neelyton in 1942. The town seems to have been frozen in time since then.
I was fortunate to interview the oldest citizen of Neelyton, Ramona Parsons, who was married in this church in 1952.
Neelyton History from local historian Ron Morgan:
www.huntingdon...
East Broad Top Map:
Historic American Engineering Record - Delineated by: Isabel Yang, Matthew Kierstead (text), Andriy Prybeha, 1994.
East Broad Top Railroad Wiki:
en.wikipedia.o...
EBT Abandoned Rails:
www.abandonedr...
Friends of the EBR:
febt.org/aboutus/
#hiddenhistory #huntingdoncountypa #abandoned #historychannel #metaldetecting #treasurehunting #abandonedhistory #joshgates #destinationunknown #haunted #abandonedphotography #petersantenello #lifestories #ruralpennsylvania #aging #loss #grief
Mrs Parsons was my first grade teacher at Rockhill Elementary and my friend Tammy lives in Neelyton. 😊
Oh wow! That is great. Mrs. Parsons is awesome!
@@runningintohistory you should go to rockhill furnace some time. 👍🏻
@@patriciaclugston7039 I will definitely check that out. Thank you! If you know any other interesting locations, please let me know.
I was wondering what grade she taught when she was teaching.
Thanks.
My husbands grandmother lived on Wiley street up until her passing 2 years ago. She ran a beauty shop out of the house. Ramona was one of her clients. Ramona is a sweetheart.
Oh interesting! That is a great area to live. I am so glad I had the opportunity to sit down with Mrs. Parsons.
Ramona is my grandmother's niece. I have known her all my life. I was raised in Shade Gap and can't wait until you go there. My cousin Fred just wrote a book about all the houses and their occupants from the beginning until current day. If you need info, I would be happy to share.
Hello! That's pretty cool! Amd thank you. I plan on doing Shade Gap this summer. I specifically want to do something about the Mountain Man incident. I'm trying to find contact info for Ms. Bradnick if you happen to know anyone that knows her. My email is Runningintohistory@outlook.com
Awwww I’m so glad I found this and love listening to this sweet lady. I am so sorry for her loss and she is clearly traumatized by how she slept through her husbands ordeal and eventual passing. She was STUNNING in her wedding gown and he was so handsome. So glad I clicked on this video!! Thank you!!
Thank you. I love her story too.
Great story and video. Mrs. Parsons is sharp as a tack. Very enjoyable.
Thank you! She was great to talk to. We actually plan to return in the summer.
Wow this is so cool. Need more videos like this out on TH-cam. Reminds me of when I used to sit with my great grandmother and do the exact same thing just ask questions and listen to stories. What a gem. Makes miss where our country and society used to be
I 100% agree.
An amazing woman to have preserved so much of the town's history, and to remember so many familial connections and events. She's a virtual encyclopedia!
You have such a signature style... I know, every comment I drop says the same thing. The old timey sound tracks ... Just love your work, like watching History Channel or Discovery Channel. Fascinating interview, hearing the oral history of small town Pennsylvania, this recording is part of that record now, really enjoyed listening and learning, so cool. Thanks for helping to document and record Pennsylvania history your work won't be forgotten.
Thanks a lot Walter. I really appreciate it. We still need to collab on something this summer.
@@runningintohistory Yes, I would love to do that.
I recognized the town name. I used to bicycle from Johnstown area to Chambersburg in the 1990s, and would come through this area just before having to climb some steep mountains.
Man that sounds like a real nice ride. A few years back I cycled from York to Raystown over some of those mountains. My old Cat 4 racing days.... That was a blast.
This is an awesome video!!! Pennsylvania is the enigma… made to seem ordinary
Thank you. I agree, Pennsylvania is an enigma.
I Absolutely LOVED watching this! Nobody Appreciates Our History Historic Houses Furniture Pictures Possessions like the clothes I Absolutely Love Seeing All Of This Appreciate Hearing All The History and Stories Of The Past!! Thank you soooo much for this absolutely refreshing video New to your Chanel but I Will Definitely Be Subscribing To Your Chanel! I work with the elderly and absolutely love hearing everything they have to say and soak In what life was like when they were young and hearing about their lives!!!
Thank you! It's great to see I'm not the only one that appreciates history like this.
I don't live too far away but never heard of this town. Thanks for highlighting it!
Love this. I’m in Bedford. I just found a day trip to take.
Mrs Parsons is a delight. Thank you - PA history buffs should subscribe to this channel
Thank you.
Its beautiful there I can imagine how beautiful it was ❤thank you❤
This was super cool! So happy it came up on recommended!
Thank you!
Its neat that she even has a hybrid irish-American accent! I wonder if a whole lot of people in and around that area of Pennsylvania have a similar dialect? 🤔 I've noticed it even as far south as North Carolina. Because my grandparents pronounce talk similarly, but just with a Southern drawl instead. 😄 I know that Western Pennsylvania, Western Virginia, and a lot of the Appalachian area was wear a lot of Irish immigrants settled back in 1800s 🙂
my Mom lives here!
The shut down of two textile plants (1990s, one in garment & shoes i think) hurt and finished off much of that whole area. Biz and homes slowly started being abandoned from Shade Gap to north of Spring Run. Used to pass through Neelyton on Rt 641 at least 2x each week (b4 Google Maps, that wa my secret shortcut to get to 522, and on to State College). Still occasionally do (at least once per month). Remember it well as it was at the bottom of the 2nd steep ridge on 641, & winter made it slow going. Beautiful area.
It is a beautiful area of the state.
I've driven through Neelyton my entire life 😂 Growing up in Sahde Gap you had to go through it to get anywhere lol Also grew up with Mrs. Parsons. She was one of the Sunday school teachers I had in an after school program. It's so wild to see videos about places and people I grew up around.
Wow! Nice area to live. Pretty cool you were a student of hers. Thanks for commenting.
And stay tuned for more from that area. Currently working on the "Wild Man" of Shade Gap. That's a crazy story.
@runningintohistory you mean the Mountain Man? Grew up hearing all the stories about that. Apparently, my great-aunt yelled at him once for following her and my grandma home after school once, and my grandma told her that her big mouth would get them in trouble with him.
@@HannahMiddaughDesigns yeah that's it! I just started reading about it. Crazy.
@runningintohistory oh, for sure. It used to be our "ghost story" as children. I actually wrote a report on it for college, and my professor was like, "You grew up with there and told stories about this?!" 🤣
What lovely history
Very well done, I enjoyed this.
Thank you Sir.
Reminds me of Tyrone, MD. Lost to time.
I will have to check it out
I love watching this.
I hope this coverage doesn't draw those who would explore and destroy the old buildings. That brand of people are despicable.
I worry the same...
My paternal grandma was a Wiley (her maiden name). We are from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania areas. I wonder if there is any relation there?
Your videos are always wonderful
Thank you.
Bro, I literally live on the loop that church is on. The town is not abandoned.😅
Maybe you are referring to the version that was shared to a Facebook page... Somehow it retained part of the original title which indicated "Abandoned Church" in a small Pennsylvania town. In this video I state driving through it was "seemingly abandoned." I never said it was abandoned but regardless, this video is to honor the history of the town, the church and Mrs. Parsons.
Rip to that place
Was her JP Morgan the same individuals whom founded Chase financial bank?
No it was a different JP Morgan. I thought the same thing at first.
Wow how interesting
This is literally living history. Mrs. Parsons is awesome! Thank you for preserving these stories. Without content creators like you, these stories will fade away. Why aren't our historical societies doing work like this? The society in my town is obsessed with social justice instead of attempting to preserve Pennsylvania history right in front of them.
A beautiful lady. Enjoying from Western Pennsylvania... Butler. James. Again she's a treasure
PA has Philly and Pittsburgh, but most of the rest is wilderness. I think most people don’t realize that. There’s places nobody has set foot in 100 years because they’re just so secluded, and so hard to get to.
We have a lot of cool stuff if you know where to look. I have always had a passion for exploring abandoned places. There’s one near where I live, damnit I can’t remember the name of it anymore. Not that it’s anything special, it’s an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, but there’s nothing left but foundations now, it’s been abandoned since the entire damn Appalachian Mountain range was clear cut and the lumber industry recessed, back in the early 1900’s.
Good point. I love these abandoned places and history also. There are a lot of small interesting places scattered throughout PA. I find it interesting to look into the origin of the towns and it's even better when I find someone who has direct links to that history. It seems to me that Pennsylvania is near that age where this history will be lost if our generation doesn't attempt to preserve it now.
You can absolutely tell this is off the beaten path, no "wall art" from vandalism. Thank goodness.
@@GardengateDreamer oh yes, I’ll have to ask my friend who has been there more recently the name of the place, it’s been 25 years since I’ve been there. You can’t drive there, it’s a couple hours hike to get there up overgrown old log roads.
@@chincemagnetthat's so cool. how do you stumble upon these places? or is it just word of mouth? I'm in eastern pa and the only abandoned places I've gone to have been well traveled to and posted online
I love talking to older people. Always have. I think you guys made her day just being a part of her story and allowing her to share. So nice. Thank you.
I used to live in Neelyton!!!! Right across from the church, and grandparents lived same side of church, at the bottom of the hill. My family the Shaws lived there for years! Went to school at Shady Gap. Love this video!!! 😍😍😍
So cool! Looks like a great area to grow up. I really enjoyed visiting again and talking to Mrs. Parsons. Thanks for commenting!
@runningintohistory this video isn't accurate. I literally live in Neelyton on Wiley Street.😅 I could send you a pic of that church if you want.
@@braydin7377how is this video inaccurate? Because you occupy one of the 30 houses not empty in Neelyton? 😂 OK. Your not representing South Huntingdon SD very well... 😂😅
@@erikbrand526 One of the 30 empty houses? There's a total of 4 empty houses in Neelyton, and 2 of them are seasonally empty. I literally live in Mabel Johnson's old house.
@@braydin7377 ok, again: why do you think this video inaccurate? I live in Mt. Union and this guy's video is dead on with the history of Neelyton and Mt. Union.
Who would think there was such a story by a snapshot you had of an abandoned church! You found a Gem of a person in that town.
I said the same thing to myself. Crazy a photo could link to Mrs. Parsons and all of this history.
Mrs. Parsons was my first grade teacher. She was always such a wonderful woman! You are lucky to have had the pleasure of meeting her. ❤
Thank you for sharing. I was very lucky to meet her and share her story.
The picnic Mrs. Parsons mentioned was the GAR encampment, Grand Army of the Republic memorial and reunion picnics in nearby Shade Gap. In the 1930's it was also called Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Picnic. In 1936 the park behind the volunteer fire department was renamed Harpers Memorial Park. James Harper was prominent in the communities and his father was Archibald Harper, a Civil War veteran and buried in Neelyton.
Learned about Shade Gap and Neelyton researching while watching the Scott's ODDySEE youtube video "Grand Army of the Republic Picnic Encampment." Annual community picnics at the Shade Gap Volunteer Fire Station still continue the GAR reunion tradition.
Great information. I don't think I saw Scott's video about the picnic.
I think the picnic Mrs. Parsons is talking about was the "Tuscarora Valley Picnic," which was held at Wiley's Grove saw mill in Neelyton (her grandfather James Wiley). The EBT Railroad apparently connected to the mill briefly. One map indicates that there was also a mine near the Wiley's Grove location. The EBT page has a map showing this extension as abandoned. Great conversations though. I love talking history so keep the information coming. If you have Facebook, I'm on there too and it's easier to share photos, maps, etc:
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077783155664&mibextid=ZbWKwL
@@runningintohistory Thanks for the information. Was wondering as the GAR reunions appeared to lasted into the 30s, well before her time. Community picnics very common in Central PA. Appreciate the clarification and sharing history.
What an amazing opportunity this was!!! Mrs Parsons is a true treasure! Great video!!!
Thank you! Mrs. Parsons was pretty cool. I am really happy I was able to hang out with her and hear her story.
I live just around Reading, I love learning more about these PA villages. Thank you for doing this
My Grandmother was born in Neelyton in 1898, her name was Hannah Victoria Smith, later she married my Grandfather Herbert Berrier, they kived in Neelyton, Blairs Mills area for several years.
Oh wow! So cool. I'm surprised I didn't come across her name while researching the town. Seems like a great area to live.
I remember my mother in law talking about this area ! My husband Ray was from Rockhill Furnace ! We used to go back to take our kids for train rides ! Ray knew all the men working there ! The railroad is a special place for train rides !
I enjoyed this video. Mrs. Parsons was born 4 years before my parents. Unfortunately my mom passed in 1989 at age 53 and dad died in 2002 at 67. My parents were also married in the 1950's at 21 years old. The Parsons were a nice-looking couple. It was nice to see that she still had some of her life's memories in her home. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for sharing and sorry for your loss. I lost my mother last year. She would have enjoyed this video.
This is an awesome video. Great job editing!
Thanks man.
I understand this made a great story - it’s Not true, as far as Neelyton being abandoned… Also the church and store is on Main Street This is more a Mrs Parsons history and not Neelyton- which is a village (not town )-also the eldest person in Neelyton is 96 , born and raised and still living there - she had the postal service there for 51 yrs which was also the little store that everyone loved to visit
The owners of the church and store are from New York - not D.C . - Sir I know it makes a great show but you wouldn’t have had to fight through the brush between the store and church , you could of parked out front ??
Thanks for commenting Lori. In reference to the town being abandoned; I specifically stated "seemingly abandoned" in the video. You might be referring to the Facebook post that shared this video and somehow still retains one of the early versions of the draft title where I indicated "Abandoned Church". I am not sure why that post kept a draft title but it apparently won't update. Someone else mentioned the retired post master in my comments. Pretty cool she is still living there. In my video I indicated I was interviewing "one of the oldest citizens, if not the oldest." Also, no way I was parking out front with the speed of traffic going through there. Bottom line is, I made this video to honor the history of Neelyton, the old church and Mrs. Parsons. I think that was captured well here and fortunately the majority of viewers appreciate it for rhat.
What a lovely lady. A wonderful hostess for your research on this old town. I have visited the area a number of times and have several books on the EBT. Fascinating... Sad to see it go...
HAHA... if you find yourself anywhere in PA with NO CELL SIGNAL... you are in my backyard. Almost everything down there in Neelyton and Shade Gap is falling into abandonment. Hi Mrs. Parsons!
Miss Romona, you was beautiful then, and, you are beautiful now.❤
She is such a gift to history. The ability to recount that small town's historic details needed to be captured and you did that well in this video.
Thank you!
They did this same rail thing in berks/mont… they cut out certain lines… they also destroyed the canals
I didn’t realize how close I was to Neelyton. I thought York seemed like an odd hospital to take her husband to but I didn’t realize it was only an hour and a half away. I am truly so sorry for her loss of her husband. My grandmother was born in 1930 and it’s so interesting to hear how different the world was from almost 100 years ago. I loved listening to Mrs. Parsons talk about the town she so dearly loves.
I have memory tears in my eyes, she reminds me of my wonderful grandmother, I grew up in Vermont, a small town much like this town you have shared with us. I grew up in a 20 room farm house that had been in my family for 150 years. Many great memories. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us.
Thank you for sharing. We actually just stayed in a cabin north of Rutland Vermont. Great area up there and very similar to Pennsylvania.
Loved this as you don't normally get to meet the people who actually lived in these abandoned towns and God bless Mrs. Parson for being happy to share her memories and keep the past alive.
The generation that made America. We need such people now. Great video.
That is for sure. Thank you.
Absolutely amazing! You and the lovely Mrs. Parsons brought life with wonderful stories, beautiful vintage photographs as well as comparing it with now. Wonderful video. Charming!
Thank you!
I wish that there were more "history" lessons like this!!! AMAZING woman!!! From Schuylkill County, PA. Be safe and GOD BLESS 🙏🙏🙏🙏💜💜💜💜
Love this woman,her voice is perfect for the story. Beautiful tale
My mom faimily is from around that area mt union robertsdale. I remember this town. Another town called Joler (spelling may be wrong) is another town near by that is no longer. My grand and great grandfather and great uncles and cousions all worked in local mines in that area. They all later moved to york area. A few family remains in the area. Metz Taylor Zdrosky adams shaffner and bollingers
Joller, originally Midvalley, was named so by the Post Office after JOhn miLLER, one of the original principal owners of the Midvalley Mine to avoid confusion with two other communities named Midvalley in PA. Site is close to the hairpin on PA 994 closest to Robertsdale. If you're attentive, you'll notice a rock cut inside of the hairpin--the remains of the Upper Coles Valley Branch that served the mine (one of a few mines not owned by EBT parent Rockhill Iron & Coal Co). Nothing remains of the town except a few foundations.
@LamhirhAbriel interesting information, thank you. I am making a list of uther locations in that area to explore so this helps.
Where us this town located ? I would love to take a drive! What a beautiful lady and the history she has preserved is amazing. Thank U for the historical story!!
Thank you! Neelyton is south of Mt Union and Huntingdon PA. It's a beautiful area of the State to drive through.
In Pennsylvania you just never know🎉🎉🎉❤
I'm into Antiques and just adore Longwood Gardens
They did a lot of aerial photography in pa at that time… you are on to something big
My Aunt Romona ❤️
I live quite close to there
Thank you for preserving these memories. Very good interview. I Cherish this!
Thank you!
Worked with a guy about 30 years ago named Neely whose dad was from Neelyton. The dad probably born 1890-1900. Much more hopping town back then. I was through there maybe 15 years ago. Wasn't much left then.
According to Mrs Parsons, a Neely still lives behind that church.
I'm sure they will take it all down I was born in PA and live here and they are building up every area they can to accommodate the surge of new Yorkers who by the way are decimating pa. I'm familiar with the area I'll have to drive through. Thanks for the video I loved it
i love to listen to older people like her. my uncle tells all the history all the time i will take time to listen
That’s great history.
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL !!!
I could talk to her for days. She is lovely.
Spring 2020.... gonna say your spring roadtrip got cut short !
If I were Mrs Parsons I would have thought I'd died long ago and that was hell...
If she remembers all of this imagine all the dirt she remembers about people 😂 she probably has great gossip!
My mother's name was MIldred parsons. She was from Neeltyton
Thanks, I really enjoyed this but I wish you could of focused in on some of the pics and art work ect. She was showing you in her museum. Thanks for posting
Thank you. I agree. I originally wanted to share more of the room. I did record a lot more but didn't add it to the edit because I wasn't sure if the majority of people would want to see that much of it. We did plan to visit Mrs. Parsons again this summer. There was another room full of memories and photos that I wanted to discuss with her.
Try the Stoney Valley railroad station Lebanon County I believe but close to Dauphin or Schuykill county also. Its deserted railroad tracks are gone. Within a couple of hundred yards of the Appalachian Trail. A total wilderness area I always was curious Why There? WW-1 or WW-2 maybe? But it’s the wrong side of the Military Base. Coal to Harrisburg maybe? Foundations for buildings are still there but no walls are left. Again why there?
I actually have a video earlier in my feed, hiking through there and discussing old stories from the village of Yellow Springs, nearby. There used to be a resort in that area. That is part of St. Anthony's Wilderness. One of my favorite areas of the state:
th-cam.com/video/F5dKMk4cQ6k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8A1puyS_RV7B26Xh
I love stories like Mrs Parsons.The fact that she talked and you listened made me subscribe.The history... I had ex inlaws that lived in Fannettsburg, Chambersburg was the town they shopped at.I fell in love with the area.I would have moved there if I knew how to drive. Mom did complain about cliques up there (Generations of the same people made them wary of strangers I guess).I have fond memories of the place.I just hope when it comes back (and it will) that what happened in Lebanon doesn't happen there (The overpopulation, overpriced houses, so on)If you can, please send Mes Parsons a thank you card for us.I wonder if the Parsons in Philadelphia that I knew was the ones related to her? God bless her 🙏
Thank you for sharing. Fannettsburg is an interesting little town. I drove through there a few times. I really enjoyed talking to Mrs. Parsons. We actually arranged to go back up this summer to just hang out and talk.
@@runningintohistory Awesome.If you post it, I will be there! Even if you don't, glad to hear that you are going back! History always my favorite subject ❤️
Hold up, is she talking about her father??? If he was in the Civil War, at the very least, he would have had to have been 18 when he joined the Union Army. This means he would have been born in 1846. If she is 89 now. Then she would have been born in the mid 1930's which would have made her father 90 when she was born! Surely she's speaking of her grandfather or great grandfather.
Her great-grandfather James Wiley Sr. was a Civil War soldier.
That was a great history lesson. You struck gold in meeting Mrs Parsons for sure. I have been going to the Cowan's Gap State Park area for over 30 years and recently been exploring the East Broad Top Railroad. Thanks for video.
Thank you! I definitely got lucky meeting Mrs. Parsons.
And the clothes are some of the most beautiful things I seen
a lot of good history over here in these hills :)
Definitely!
Wow, I loved that she showed you so much. Would of loved to of seen more. Wonderful memories.
It was pretty cool! We definitely plan to go back and visit again this summer.
My grandmother was born in Mount Union and her parents are buried in the Mount Union Odd Fellows Cemetery. She left and brought her children to Baltimore.
You mentioned every bit of that in this video.... how odd is that = lol
Interesting!!
Is This Not Far From: "The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death" That's On US Rt. 522?!
It's not far. Actually working on the nearby Shade Gap Mountain Man story.
Just a heads up for the future, you dont need cell service to use google maps
I am aware of that. Did I mention I needed more than a GPS connection somewhere?
Oh I think you are referring to the intro. I was referring to after the fact. I should have said "since we didn't activate gps or have cell signal, we were unable to look back and see where we were."
Love the story shared about this old town and the family. My Dad will be 97 this year and I can't get enough when he shares his memories. ❤
Thank you Sue. I bet he tells some fascinating history.
It's nice for the community but the train is annoying
Just found your channel. I love history and this interview was fantastic. What an amazing lady.
Thank you! Mrs. Parsons is amazing.
Wow , what a great history.I really enjoyed this video.Nothing like history.Esp of a town that once was.Thanks for sharing this story.God Bless 🙏👍🏻🙂❤️🇺🇸
@@PlayitagainVHS thank you!
@runningintohistory Ur so welcome 👍🏻🙂❤️🇺🇸
I just subscribed... SOOO GLAD i found you... i love the old music in your video's ❤
Thank you Dinah! I appreciate the support.
ty amazing history
My dad lived in an area called Hooversville, Pa. Told us stories of the place how the creek was bad because of mining. And then stories of the ghost town near by. I remember as a kid riding in the car to see it. I think it was Jerome Pa or something like it. But it was very spooky. I didn’t want to get out of the car.
That is an interesting area of the state. And there are some eerie old areas around there. I'm actually working on a production about George Romero's horror work in that area. He shot the intro to "Tales from the Darkside" not far from Jerome.
That Dear Sweet Lady with all her memorable keepsakes and treasures impeccably preserved, and that classroom was ridiculous ❤
That classroom was so cool.
I love this stuff. I love listening about others lives of the past
Same here.
I really enjoyed this. I like the history that is unknown. Glad your channel popped into my feed.
Thank you! Obscure history is my primary focus.
Great Channel Man! Brings back wonderful memories of talking to my grandfather about his beginnings in Penowa Pa, it really is true when an older person dies a library goes down with them.
Thank you! Doing this brings back similar memories for me. It is sad to think about the amount of history that fades away when we lose our elders.
@@runningintohistoryJust like our stories too someday. Living thru the events and changes too Everyone has a story. They and their stories are priceless. This is such an amazing story.
Great content and a beautiful story
Thank you!
Wow this took a hard left
Oh man this is an awesome video and a sweet lady. My 2nd favorite video, the Darlene Files were so interesting they get my number one pick.
Thank you!
So sick 🔥🔥🔥