April 2

Every student who went through the American educational system learned of Valley Forge. This is where General Washington’s army camped for six brutal months in the winter of 1777-1778, 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia (which is where the British were garrisoned during this time). 12,000 men began the encampment, but nearly 20% died. 2,000 men perished due to sickness and disease, not from any fighting. In that era, opponents did not fight during the winter. Washington rented a stone house near the Schuylkill River for his HQ, which kept him (and Martha, who showed up in February… every winter she traveled to wherever George was encamped) warm and healthy. The wood hand railing attached to the stairs is the same piece of wood the Washingtons held when they went up and down the stairs. That is something you can touch which cannot be experienced in a classroom. The self-guided auto tour takes one to the house, as well as eight other stops, providing a good overview of the park. There were more people using the roads for hiking this morning than there were cars. The VC has a 20-minute movie on the pain suffered by the soldiers and women (yes, women were present to support the troops) that winter. It is a park not to be missed.

Hopewell Furnace is one of those places not mentioned in the school history books. But without its efforts in the 1770s and 1780s, the Patriots might not have won the war. 15% of the world’s iron was coming out of the Americas at the time of the war. Some was being exported, but plenty was finding use at home. Many furnaces sprouted up in the PA countryside. Hopewell was right in the middle of running water, limestone deposits, and iron ore mines. What a trifecta. Almost all of PA had large forests, which was the other raw material needed; charcoal. 15 bushels of charcoal was needed every half-hour when Hopewell’s furnace was running. That meant about 7-8 cords of wood, which meant thousands of acres of forests were cut down to keep such a place running over its lifespan. And charcoal is not made overnight. It can take between 5 and 10 days depending on conditions. Colliers were charged with keeping the charcoal operation humming. They lived in small teepee-shaped huts by the charcoal pits, to insure fires did not start and proper steps were taken. Men would work 12-hour shifts to load the charcoal, limestone, and iron ore into the chimney. Making iron was a back breaking task.

Edgar Allen Poe spent about eight years in Philadelphia. Of the six homes in which it is documented he lived, only one remains standing. One of the rangers in the front room of the structure had to mention to us that the entry room from the street, in which we stood, was not part of the original house… it was added later, after Poe left. And, this was not actually Poe’s house, rather his neighbors. Turns out the two houses adjoined one another. So, the neighbor’s house is the VC for the park. But, with two quick turns, we were entering Poe’s house. At the true entrance to Poe’s house, the NPS has removed the exterior covering of past remodeling so visitors can see the actual brick and wood which comprised the home. Then one steps into a couple of relatively small rooms, looking as if decay had been left to run its course. The rangers said this was intentional, and I feel it is thanks in no small part to Poe’s personality. The stairs I had once taken to the basement were now closed, but another staircase was available. The basement had very little head space for my 6-foot frame. And there, in one cubby hole, was the CAT. As black as one can get, except for its lone red eye. The look and feel of the basement was definitely Poe. One of the upstairs rooms was Poe’s, while the other was for his aunt, or mother-in-law. Can you say Jerry Lee Lewis of Rock-n-Roll fame? Yes, Poe married his cousin. If you visit, be sure to go one block north and view the large mural of Poe on the side of a building. It is beautiful.

It is just a few minutes drive from Poe to the house where Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived, from late-1797 to May-1798. Kosciuszko was the primary engineer for the Continental Army, devising fortifications which stymied the British. Saratoga is one great example, but he also fortified West Point and Philadelphia. He was a great friend of Thomas Jefferson. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Kosciusszko returned to his homeland of Poland to try and free the country from Russian Czar rule, but he was imprisoned. Eventually he was released, which is when he came back to Philly in 1797. The house is three floors with an attic and a basement. But it sits on only 0.02 acres of land, the smallest area in the NPS. I enjoyed seeing both Polish and English words displayed throughout the house. Parking around Pine and 3rd Street is notoriously unavailable. But the house is not that far from Independence Hall, so why not enjoy a short walk, if you find parking there (plenty of parking garages, but they charge a lot).

A ranger at Independence Hall greeted me with great enthusiasm when he saw my tee-shirt. I had entered the Liberty Bell building through airport security level screening. He wished me well in my endeavor. I then turned, and there it was, one of our country’s most iconic treasures. Kids were pointing and asking parents for details. “Why is this important”. One day their junior high school history class will reinforce what their parents were telling them today. One does not need a ticket to get into the Liberty Bell building. But that is not the case for Independence Hall. Be sure to reserve tickets ahead of your visit at www.recreation.gov. And be sure to know what the first date is you can place an order. Every park has a different schedule. I have already missed out on some park units, like Minuteman Missile NHP and the Washington Monument. The surge in interest across our country to visit national parks is fantastic, but it does stress the infrastructure of visiting certain parks. Another place you do not need a ticket is Congress Hall, which is next to Independence Hall. Just stand outside for the next tour time, and you will get in. You also have to go through security to access both Halls. I am learning something new at each park. The term “passing the bar” for obtaining a law license dates back to what one sees in Independence Hall. The PA Supreme Court held business in one side of the building, and a large bar which stood across pillars was the means to go from the court viewers into the area in front of the justices and the jury. So, one had to “pass” through the wood bar in order to approach and practice the law. Then our group headed into the chamber which is what all the fuss is about. Yes, the Declaration of Independence was debated, ratified, and signed in this chamber… the start of a new country. Please remember, July 4 was the date of adoption, not the date of signing. That process began on August 2. A park ranger stated the copy in the Smithsonian Institution is the one with all the signatures, but therefore it is not an “original”. The original copies, numbering in the few hundred, were printed and distributed on July 5 after the ratification. So, which is more valuable? Those originals from July 5, or the one with all the signatures? You guessed it.