Pete seeger oral history interview conducted by joseph mosnier in beacon, new york, 2011 july 22. In 1859, prospect point and park was privately owned and was known as whites pleasure grounds. The abandoned husk of a mental institution that failed to save a jazz age icon still sits nearly unchanged. Three forgotten incline railways from southern california. Ruins of the mount beacon incline railway beacon, new york. The incline railway made cottage life on the mountain possible, delivering by trolley car everything from the lumber to build the cabins to the summer guests themselves. Ruins of the mount beacon incline railway beacon, new. Mount beacon park hiking trails trail conference nynjtc. The otis elevator company and mohawk construction opened the 2,200 3 ft 914 mm gauge railway on memorial day, 1902. The society conducts several tours of the mount beacon incline railway each year, which are open to the general public.
It opened on memorial day to great success, providing not just a nature break for residents of the surrounding industrial towns as well as for steamboats full of folks escaping new york city, but also dining, dancing, and gambling in the. The brecon mountain railway runs along the abandoned brecon and merthyr railway which played a big part supporting the war effort during both world war i and ii. In the first half of the video, see the guy following the descending car on a small one seat carriage fitted with a manual brake. After rain it gets muddy and buggy on this hike the only hike where ive ever had another hiker stop me and ask me if i have bug spray. Its 234 acres were protected in 1995 and 1998, halting a proposed residential subdivision and preserving important remnants of the mount beacon incline railway. The mount beacon incline railway was once the worlds steepest passenger funicular. Beacon incline has the explicit goals of historic preservation, environmental responsibility and economic sustainability. The first mount beacon incline railway was built in 1902 by men and mules through the dead of winter. Beacon incline has the explicit goals of historic preservation, environmental responsibility and economic sustainability read more about the initiatives goals and vision. Mount beacon incline railway 2020 all you need to know.
Exhibit highlights beacons future incline railway the highlands. A welldone and informative history of the mount beacon incline railway with insights into rural and leisure railway travel from the early 20th century. However, shortly after its construction, the railroad was converted into a tourist attraction. Our top priority is the safety, health, and wellbeing of our community, its residents and visitors. Its two summits rise above the hudson river behind the city and can easily be seen from newburgh across the river and many other places in the region. May 05, 2020 book now at 28 restaurants near mount beacon incline railway on opentable. To commemorate this day, we are welcoming all veterans and serving men and women to join us at brecon mountain railway to travel our vintage steam locomotive into the brecon beacons. Two cars, one for each track, were connected by a common cable which was looped around two huge sheaves anchored securely in the incline house at the top of the hill. After a trolley trip to the base station on wolcott avenue today ny 9d, the railway would. Hikers today climb echo mountain to explore the ruins of the abandoned funicular. Not originally intended to be a tourist attraction, it nevertheless had potential for scenic views from atop its peak, and thus was renamed to mount manitou scenic incline.
Beacon and its railway while doing research on our own mt. Zelda fitzgeralds abandoned sanatorium beacon, new york. Mount beacon incline railway restoration society, beacon, ny. The incline railway made cottage life on the mountains possible, with its trolley cars delivering everything from the lumber to build the cabins to the summer guests themselves. Using video, 3d animation, archival photographs, maps, historical data. The mount lowe railway went into receivership and did not settle down with a bona fide new owner until henry huntington purchased it and made it part of the pacific electric railway system in 1902. Mount beacon park mount beacon can be seen from miles around and is the northern gateway to the hudson highlands. Learn more about the incline railway and its role in lookout mountain history.
Breakneck to beacon fire tower shuttle hike meetup. These two films are in stark contrast to the 1902 footage in our archives, which captured the railway in its heyday. In the heyday of the mount beacon incline from the early 1890s through the 1920s the cottage colony on mount beacon was a bustling, seasonal community of about 20 families. Beacon, dutchess county 15 acres yes, the trail up mount beacon is steep, but switchbacks keep the workout manageable. But in 1902, when the mount beacon incline railway then the worlds steepest passenger funicular began operations in beacon, n. Discover zelda fitzgeralds abandoned sanatorium in beacon, new york. Aug 20, 2010 visit to learn more about the nonprofit society dedicated to restoring the mount beacon incline railway in beacon, new york. Beacon history the 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge mount beacon incline railway was a popular tourist attraction in beacon and fishkill. In the 1900s, mount beacons summit became a prime tourist destination. Three forgotten incline railways from southern california history.
Here, we see the mount beacon incline in its final sad state, a careworn shadow of its former self. Mt beacon incline restoration committee inc guidestar profile. Starting from its grand opening in 1902, the mount beacon incline railway brought passengers from this small city on the shores of the hudson river to an elevation of 1,200 feet on top of mount. Photo courtesy of mount beacon incline railway restoration society.
Along the mount beacon incline railway is a record to the celebrated history, preservation, and future of the railway in its natural setting. The mount manitou scenic incline railway abandoned rails. The journey takes you into the brecon beacons national park, through pontsticill and along the full length of the taf fechan reservior before climbing to torpantau high in the brecon beacons and the summit of the original line. As an added bonus, the newly renovated fire tower which reopened on june 22, 20 now has stairs. In 19, fishkill landing and matteawan incorporated as the city of beacon. About the incline pikes peak cog railway manitou incline. The first mount beacon incline railway was built in 1902 by men and. See more ideas about hudson valley, hudson river and poughkeepsie new york. In its heyday from the early 1900s through the 1920s, the cottage colony on mount beacon was a bustling seasonal community of 20 families. Hidden in plain sight on the hudson river is an abandoned train station where nature has taken over. These tours provide the background and history of this national historic register property, interpreting both the artifacts of the railway, as well as providing the history of the surrounding area.
From 1893 to 1938, the great incline portion of the mount lowe scenic railway ascended the mountains north of pasadena, reaching grades as steep as 62 degrees on its way to the summit of echo mountain. Mount beacon via notch trail to wilkinson memorial trail is a 6. Fire and flood slowly claimed all of the buildings of the worldclass resort that lowe had built at. The incline railway ran several trips a day from manitou springs to the top of mount manitou where passengers could eat lunch and enjoy the fresh mountain air. Mount beacon, site of a famous revolutionary war signal station, offers superb views of the hudson valley. Sep 09, 2011 but in 1902, when the mount beacon incline railway then the worlds steepest passenger funicular began operations in beacon, n. Opened in 1902, the mount beacon incline railway served locals, revelers, sightseers, and vacationers for nearly 100 years, riding them to the pinnacle of mount beacon for a 75mile panoramic. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible yearround. The mount beacon incline railway in dutchess county offered an exciting vertical ride to a casino with a dramatic view of the river, the western highlands and the city of. The hike actually begins on a staircase following the course of the beacon incline railway, once the worlds steepest funicular. Perhaps the best example was the mount beacon incline railway in beacon, new york, the steepest funicular otis built in the northeast. Two parallel tracks, supported on a wooden trestle, ran down the hillside. Along the mount beacon incline railway by gregory bilotto.
The first electrified incline, built in 1902, that was ridden by over 3. The mount beacon incline railway restoration society is working to return the ride, destroyed in a 1983 fire, to its former glory. This was due not just to the railway itself, but also to the history of the mountain and the entertainment that awaited visitors at its top. Restoration work on the historic mount beacon incline railway promises to open this scenic and historic location to all visitors. In 1995 and 1998 scenic hudson, the city of beacon and the town of fishkill purchased these lands which were threatened by development. It had an average gradient of 64% and a maximum gradient of 74% and. Destroyed by fire in 1983, the restoration of the mt. At our main station in pant you can visit our licensed tearooms for refreshments, gifts and souvenirs are available from our shop. Along the mount beacon incline railway pdf download pdf.
The incline railway opened on may, 30 1902, and on its first day sold 1,400 fares, all told 60,000 people rode the. Today, with the planned restorative work of the mount beacon incline railway restoration society mbirrs, the prospect of reinstallation remains high. The eastern united states had several incline railways, most engineered by the otis elevator company of yonkers, new york, years before it became a presentday subsidiary of utc in connecticut. Casino, fire tower, scofield ridge, lambs hill, and rainbow. Mt beacon incline restoration committee inc guidestar. Book now at 28 restaurants near mount beacon incline railway on opentable.
This is a rapidly evolving situation that changes by the hour. This national historic site has been in operation for over 100 years. Beacon incline railway is listed on both the new york state and national registers of historic places. Mount beacon park, located in the city of beacon and town of fishkill, was created by scenic hudson. Beacon fire tower, as well as a number of places with marvelous views in every possible direction.
The mount beacon incline railway was a narrow gauge incline railway up beacon mountain near beacon, new york. The more accessible northern peak, at 1,531 feet 467 m above sea level, has a complex of radio. In 1845, prospect park incline railway was located just north of the american falls in niagara falls, new york. Before 1909, the 940foot summit known as mount washington was largely uninhabited. The otis elevator company and mohawk construction opened the railway on memorial day, 1902. Fortunately, scenic hudson and the mount beacon incline railway restoration society have made that old route obsolete, and you can now traverse a very wellmaintained trail system all around mt. Mount beacon can be seen from miles around and is the northern gateway to the hudson highlands. The mountain has a long history, beginning with its use for signal fires during the revolutionary war. Mount beacon incline railway video from 1902 funimag photoblog. Aug, 2019 in its heyday from the early 1900s through the 1920s, the cottage colony on mount beacon was a bustling seasonal community of 20 families. The incline was modeled on the pattern of the pioneer main street plane. Note the almost empty cars, the dilapidated nature of the trackway, the peeling paint. Beacon park, but quickly leaves to spend most of the timemiles in hudson highlands state park.
Exhibit of planned restoration of mount beacon incline railway. This compelling history is etched into the countys landscape, as the following pages will. United states department of the interior national park. On its opening day in 1902, more than 1,600 people rode its two sturdy passenger cars up 2,200 feet of sheer mountainside track to a scenic location atop mount beacon, 1,540 feet above sea level. It was reached via the mount beacon incline railway, the worlds steepest passenger funicular. The mount manitou scenic incline railway was first built in 1907 to assist in the construction of a hydroelectric plant and its infrastructure near the top of rocky mountain. Theres a mount beacon incline railway restoration society, but i kind of like the mountain the way it is. The day of my visit happened to be the hike to commemorate the 107th anniversary of the mount beacon incline railway. A popular local tourist attraction, it operated for much of the 20th century, providing sweeping views of the hudson river valley. The mount beacon incline railway was a narrow gauge incline railway up beacon mountain.
Fishkill landings brick industry expanded in 1880 when massive deposits of brick clay were discovered on dennings point. Beacon incline railway this video shares our nonprofit societys vision for restoring the mount beacon incline railway in new yorks majestic hudson highlands. Mar 01, 2017 in the heyday of the mount beacon incline from the early 1890s through the 1920s the cottage colony on mount beacon was a bustling, seasonal community of about 20 families. A kiosk at the park entry explains the mountains history, ecology and conservation. Situated on scenic mount beacon in new york states hudson river valley is a great american achievement and engineering marvel almost lost to history.
Along its route, you pass bythrough several historic areas incline railway, casino, and the mt. Fire and flood slowly claimed all of the buildings of the worldclass resort that lowe had built at the top of the mountain. Brecon mountain railway steam trains in south wales. In case you missed it, watch part 1 on incline railways in downtown l. The mount beacon incline railway was an unqualified success from its opening in 1902 until the late1920s. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Plagued by rock slides and wash outs, the railway ran from 1907 until it closed in 1990. The first video shows the railway ascending the mountain, the second shows it descending.
1360 1529 961 880 431 404 862 857 1121 1119 1324 1038 337 283 645 1158 1219 560 775 793 392 167 1441 612 647 852 555 1401 371 750 1214 771 1289 1231 685 219 949 722