Exploring the ABANDONED Thomas Iron Company Ruins (Hokendauqua, PA) скачать в хорошем качестве

Exploring the ABANDONED Thomas Iron Company Ruins (Hokendauqua, PA)

J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial Nestled in the thick brush and foliage, in the woods just north of Allentown, sits the ruins of one of Lehigh Valley's best-kept secrets. Hokendauqua, an unincorporated community in eastern Pennsylvania, is home to the Thomas Iron Company ruins, dating back to the mid-19th century. Today, these ruins can be found by detouring from the Ironton Rail Trail and heading into the woods, and they stand as a testament to Lehigh Valley's rich industrial history and culture. The Thomas Iron Company was originally founded in 1854 by David Thomas, a Welsh immigrant and well-respected ironmaster. The company primarily operated in Hokendauqua, which served as a company town for its employees; however, the Thomas Iron Company had far-reaching operations throughout the area via railroad links, facilities, and mines. Throughout the following decades, the company would work with the manufacturing of anthracite iron (smelting of anthracite coal and iron ore), setting up several blast furnaces and facilities, and organizing an intricate railroad system for loading raw materials and distributing finished products. However, as the iron industry began to decline by the 1920s, the Thomas Iron Company would steadily decrease productivity, changing hands between several different companies and buyers. The nail in the coffin would be Bethlehem Steel's purchase in 1936, liquidating nearly all of the former iron company's assets and demolishing much of the Hokendauqua facilities; by 1942, the Thomas Iron Company was permanently closed and abandoned. Today, all that remains of the Thomas Iron Company's Hokendauqua facilities are some miscellaneous scattered ruins and remnants, left to decay in obscurity in the overgrown forest next to a public pedestrian rail trail. While much of these ruins consist of random chunks of concrete, brick walls, and even some old furnaces, there are two massive structures left behind. Both of these structures are now covered with graffiti, standing as melancholic monuments to Pennsylvania's storied industrial past. At one time, Lehigh Valley was a leader in industry; today, many of these industrial plants and facilities sit in ruin and are completely abandoned. The Thomas Iron Company ruins are also located in a rather scenic location, sitting in the lush green forest alongside the Lehigh River, covered by brush, trees, and vines. The public Ironton Rail Trail is within a few feet as well, drawing numerous daily walkers and runners. In fact, this rail trail repurposes the railroad tracks of the former Ironton Railroad, which was once one of the primary railroad tracks utilized by the Thomas Iron Company. As my very first Pennsylvania urban exploration video on this channel, I can safely say that I had a great time exploring these historic ruins, and I would highly recommend checking them out for yourself! If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England and beyond! https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/a... 00:00 Introduction to the Thomas Iron Company Ruins 02:06 The Big Building 06:17 Abandoned Walls 09:30 Miscellaneous Ruins 11:09 The Big Building, Continued 12:31 More Miscellaneous Ruins 13:19 Furnaces 15:04 Rubble and the Lehigh River 17:16 Another Big Building 20:47 Outro