January 1, 2023 — Happy New Year! And what a big year this is for the history of Steamtown — the sixtieth year since 1963; the inaugural year of Steamtown, U.S.A., and the very first time that an attraction with the Steamtown name opened. Over those subsequent six decades a long, rich, and complicated story has been woven; passing from the mind and dreams of F. Nelson Blount and his colleagues, to a dedicated team of volunteers and preservationists, and finally resulting in a modern National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. The Steamtown story has so many layers and chapters. This will certainly be a year where all those connected to the story will remember the pieces they’re closely connected to, and hopefully learn more about the ones they may not be. We hope to deliver more history of the New England eras of Steamtown — the initial spark and roots of the story, and the essential basis upon which all the subsequent chapters are solidly built.
We will be commemorating the occasion throughout the year with plenty more images, artifacts, documents, and stories. Soon to come are more documents from Phil Jordan; photos from the post-Blount era; film footage of Steamtown in New England; and, fingers crossed, some larger projects that will delve further into the story, and the spirit of Steamtown’s contributions to railroad preservation, than ever before.
Happy New Year, and I wish you all the best in everything that you do.
– Rick
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Steamtown Historical Collective 