ARTICLE
The Liberty Bell Trail I represented the Quakertown Historical Society at the Liberty Bell Trail Community Outreach Meeting held in the Quakertown Police training room at Borough Hall one evening in January. The meeting was scheduled by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), and Gilmore & Associates, the engineering firm who is preparing the final plans for the project. The Liberty Bell Trail has been in the works since 1996, but it looks like it may finally come to fruition. The Liberty Bell Trail (LBT) is a proposed hiking and biking trail that will (sort of), follow the route of the old Lehigh Valley Transit Company’s Liberty Bell Trolley line, which, in turn, followed part of the route the State House Bell and others took to Northamptontown (now Allentown), prior to the British occupation of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777. Starting in East Norriton Township the LBT will pass through Lansdale, Hatfield, Souderton, Telford, Sellersville, and Perkasie boroughs and end in Quakertown. It will connect with the growing Circuit Trails network around Philadelphia (one of the largest hike/bike trail systems in America), and other existing trails along the route. A lot of the couple of dozen people who attended the outreach meeting were avid bike riders, almost all of them over 30 years old. I’m not a rider or much of an ‘organized trail’ hiker, but the Historical Society, Quakertown Alive, the Upper Buck Chamber of Commerce and others were interviewed by the PEC about the project last fall and were invited. Since Quakertown will be the northern terminus of the trail, input from citizens and local organizations was sincerely solicited. The planned route in our area is up Old Bethlehem Pike from Perkasie and along Main Street to the Chamber of Commerce office and the Historical Society Museum. Initially proposed and studied over 20 years ago, the LBT project has recently been revitalized. It will utilize several existing trails, but requires extensive construction and right-of-way acquisitions to complete. Highway crossings, trailheads and narrow road safety concerns have all been studied. Several institutions, such as the William Penn Foundation, have been approached for funding. Expensive considerations, like a total refurbishment of the congested intersection at Main and Broad Streets in Quakertown, and a Rte 309 crossing near Telford need further study. Quakertown is proud that the rescued bells (there were between 12 and 24 of them), stayed here over night on their trip to the Lehigh Valley. [The Pennsylvania State House bell was not called the Liberty Bell and did not become a national icon until well into the 19th Century]. The bells’ removal from Philly was a clandestine operation. They were taken from their towers at night, hidden under straw and manure in requisitioned farm wagons and carried north, part of the way under the escort of a company of the retreating Continental Army. The exact route the wagon train took still sparks intense debate. But, the tradition is that they came through Sellersville, Perkasie and Quakertown. The Lehigh Valley Transit (formerly ‘Traction’), Company accepted that tradition. The Liberty Bell Trolley ran from December 12, 1912 through September 6, 1951. Ohio transportation magnate, Albert Johnson, envisioned a high speed link between Philadelphia and New York City through the Lehigh Valley. When Johnson died, in 1901, the project was scaled back to an Allentown to Philly route. The line connected with P&W (now SEPTA), lines at Norristown. Since the trolley’s track followed Old Bethlehem Pike for part of the way, up which the Liberty Bell traveled for part of its 1777 journey, it was so named. The Liberty Bell Trolley line was the Lehigh Valley Transit Company’s “showpiece.” The 8th Street Bridge (Albertus L. Meyers Bridge), in Allentown was built for it. In 1915, former President William Howard Taft (of the Seventh Inning Stretch fame), traveled the line from Philadelphia to Allentown in the LVT Company’s luxury car to speak at the dedication of Allentown Hospital’s School of Nursing. In the 1920’s the Liberty Bell line offered club cars and Pullman chair service. Trolleys ran both directions on one track on the side of the roads—in all weather and at night. The electric cars flew across Upper Bucks and other parts of the route at 60 to 70 miles per hour, reaching as much as 80 mph when behind schedule (1 hour and 32 minutes was the published transit time from Philly to Allentown). Trolley cars built in the 1930’s had top speeds of up to 100 miles an hour. In 1939, the Liberty Bell line employed twelve modified “Red Devil” (as they were called in Ohio), or “Bullet” high-speed cars. In its first 30 years of operation the Liberty Bell line experienced no passenger fatalities, but on July 8, 1942 that record ended. Two cars collided head-on near the Dekalb Pike crossing. Twelve were killed and 27 seriously injured. The advent of the modern automobile, the improvement and mass production of rubber tires and a dramatic improvement of roads led to the demise of passenger rail and trolley transportation systems in the United States. The Liberty Bell Trolley made its last run through Quakertown on September 6, 1951. Like the horse and mule drawn wagons that carried the Liberty Bell through Quakertown, like the canal boats honored by the mule statue standing in front of McCoole’s at the Red Lion Hotel before it, and the Commuter Special junkets to Philly on the Reading Railroad after it, the Liberty Bell (and other) trolleys have faded into our hazy memories. However, in many areas the rail grade is still there. In some areas, the right-of-way still exists. The PEC’s efforts to develop the Liberty Bell Trail may soon bring some of that history back to our minds. This project contributes to Quakertown’s efforts to become a Destination Location. The Borough’s Parks and Recreation Department, The Chamber of Commerce the Historical Society and Quakertown Alive all support the project. [Information and films of the Liberty Bell Trolley can be viewed at the U.B.C.C. and Quakertown Historical Society Museum on Main Street. Also, please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell_Trail www.circuittrails.org.] Liberty Bell Trolley at Rich Hill 1950
The Liberty Bell Trail
I represented the Quakertown Historical Society at the Liberty Bell Trail Community Outreach Meeting held in the Quakertown Police training room at Borough Hall one evening in January. The meeting was scheduled by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), and Gilmore & Associates, the engineering firm who is preparing the final plans for the project. The Liberty Bell Trail has been in the works since 1996, but it looks like it may finally come to fruition.
The Liberty Bell Trail (LBT) is a proposed hiking and biking trail that will (sort of), follow the route of the old Lehigh Valley Transit Company’s Liberty Bell Trolley line, which, in turn, followed part of the route the State House Bell and others took to Northamptontown (now Allentown), prior to the British occupation of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777. Starting in East Norriton Township the LBT will pass through Lansdale, Hatfield, Souderton, Telford, Sellersville, and Perkasie boroughs and end in Quakertown. It will connect with the growing Circuit Trails network around Philadelphia (one of the largest hike/bike trail systems in America), and other existing trails along the route.
A lot of the couple of dozen people who attended the outreach meeting were avid bike riders, almost all of them over 30 years old. I’m not a rider or much of an ‘organized trail’ hiker, but the Historical Society, Quakertown Alive, the Upper Buck Chamber of Commerce and others were interviewed by the PEC about the project last fall and were invited. Since Quakertown will be the northern terminus of the trail, input from citizens and local organizations was sincerely solicited. The planned route in our area is up Old Bethlehem Pike from Perkasie and along Main Street to the Chamber of Commerce office and the Historical Society Museum.
Initially proposed and studied over 20 years ago, the LBT project has recently been revitalized. It will utilize several existing trails, but requires extensive construction and right-of-way acquisitions to complete. Highway crossings, trailheads and narrow road safety concerns have all been studied. Several institutions, such as the William Penn Foundation, have been approached for funding. Expensive considerations, like a total refurbishment of the congested intersection at Main and Broad Streets in Quakertown, and a Rte 309 crossing near Telford need further study.
Quakertown is proud that the rescued bells (there were between 12 and 24 of them), stayed here over night on their trip to the Lehigh Valley. [The Pennsylvania State House bell was not called the Liberty Bell and did not become a national icon until well into the 19th Century]. The bells’ removal from Philly was a clandestine operation. They were taken from their towers at night, hidden under straw and manure in requisitioned farm wagons and carried north, part of the way under the escort of a company of the retreating Continental Army. The exact route the wagon train took still sparks intense debate. But, the tradition is that they came through Sellersville, Perkasie and Quakertown. The Lehigh Valley Transit (formerly ‘Traction’), Company accepted that tradition.
The Liberty Bell Trolley ran from December 12, 1912 through September 6, 1951. Ohio transportation magnate, Albert Johnson, envisioned a high speed link between Philadelphia and New York City through the Lehigh Valley. When Johnson died, in 1901, the project was scaled back to an Allentown to Philly route. The line connected with P&W (now SEPTA), lines at Norristown. Since the trolley’s track followed Old Bethlehem Pike for part of the way, up which the Liberty Bell traveled for part of its 1777 journey, it was so named.
The Liberty Bell Trolley line was the Lehigh Valley Transit Company’s “showpiece.” The 8th Street Bridge (Albertus L. Meyers Bridge), in Allentown was built for it. In 1915, former President William Howard Taft (of the Seventh Inning Stretch fame), traveled the line from Philadelphia to Allentown in the LVT Company’s luxury car to speak at the dedication of Allentown Hospital’s School of Nursing. In the 1920’s the Liberty Bell line offered club cars and Pullman chair service.
Trolleys ran both directions on one track on the side of the roads—in all weather and at night. The electric cars flew across Upper Bucks and other parts of the route at 60 to 70 miles per hour, reaching as much as 80 mph when behind schedule (1 hour and 32 minutes was the published transit time from Philly to Allentown). Trolley cars built in the 1930’s had top speeds of up to 100 miles an hour. In 1939, the Liberty Bell line employed twelve modified “Red Devil” (as they were called in Ohio), or “Bullet” high-speed cars. In its first 30 years of operation the Liberty Bell line experienced no passenger fatalities, but on July 8, 1942 that record ended. Two cars collided head-on near the Dekalb Pike crossing. Twelve were killed and 27 seriously injured.
The advent of the modern automobile, the improvement and mass production of rubber tires and a dramatic improvement of roads led to the demise of passenger rail and trolley transportation systems in the United States. The Liberty Bell Trolley made its last run through Quakertown on September 6, 1951. Like the horse and mule drawn wagons that carried the Liberty Bell through Quakertown, like the canal boats honored by the mule statue standing in front of McCoole’s at the Red Lion Hotel before it, and the Commuter Special junkets to Philly on the Reading Railroad after it, the Liberty Bell (and other) trolleys have faded into our hazy memories.
However, in many areas the rail grade is still there. In some areas, the right-of-way still exists. The PEC’s efforts to develop the Liberty Bell Trail may soon bring some of that history back to our minds. This project contributes to Quakertown’s efforts to become a Destination Location. The Borough’s Parks and Recreation Department, The Chamber of Commerce the Historical Society and Quakertown Alive all support the project.
[Information and films of the Liberty Bell Trolley can be viewed at the U.B.C.C. and Quakertown Historical Society Museum on Main Street. Also, please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell_Trail www.circuittrails.org.]
Liberty Bell Trolley at Rich Hill 1950