Laquin, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Laquin, in Franklin Township
, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
, was founded about 1902 as a lumber town, (although the ghost town of Barclay
is nearby and it is an old coal mining town). The death of the town was from economics. When the forests played out and the mill
s could no longer be fed, the industry left and the people soon followed. A CCC camp was established here in the 1930s but this would be abandoned and by 1941 Laquin was a ghost town
. Population at one time probably approached 2000, maybe more. There are abundant traces of the town today, though the last building disappeared sometime in the 1960s. The main street still exists as the major access road, and once sported a hotel
, two churches, a school
, a boarding house
, store, depot, town building and several homes.
Laquin, and Barclay are in close proximity of each other, but Laquin came into existence after Barclay, Pennsylvania
, and was served by the long defunct Susquehanna and New York Railroad
. This operated between Towanda, Pennsylvania
and Williamsport, Pennsylvania
. The railroad is quite an interesting story in itself, and most of the trackbed, and bridges are still very much in evidence throughout the valley of Schrader Creek
.
The LeRoy Heritage Museum, off Rt. 414 in LeRoy, preserves the history of Laquin and Barclay Mountain through exhibits, Barclay Mountain walking tours, etc. More information can be found at the museum website at www.leroyheritage.org.
Franklin Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Franklin Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.Franklin Township is bordered by West...
, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Bradford County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, was founded about 1902 as a lumber town, (although the ghost town of Barclay
Barclay, Pennsylvania
The ghost town of Barclay, in Franklin Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was a coal mining town. Coal was transported down the mountain by an incline plane rail system. The original location of the town was later obliterated by strip mining operations...
is nearby and it is an old coal mining town). The death of the town was from economics. When the forests played out and the mill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s could no longer be fed, the industry left and the people soon followed. A CCC camp was established here in the 1930s but this would be abandoned and by 1941 Laquin was a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. Population at one time probably approached 2000, maybe more. There are abundant traces of the town today, though the last building disappeared sometime in the 1960s. The main street still exists as the major access road, and once sported a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, two churches, a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, a boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
, store, depot, town building and several homes.
Laquin, and Barclay are in close proximity of each other, but Laquin came into existence after Barclay, Pennsylvania
Barclay, Pennsylvania
The ghost town of Barclay, in Franklin Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was a coal mining town. Coal was transported down the mountain by an incline plane rail system. The original location of the town was later obliterated by strip mining operations...
, and was served by the long defunct Susquehanna and New York Railroad
Susquehanna and New York Railroad
The Susquehanna and New York Railroad was a short-line railroad connecting the Lehigh Valley Railroad at Towanda, Pennsylvania with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Marsh Hill Junction...
. This operated between Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda is a borough in and the county seat of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Wilkes Barre, on the Susquehanna River. The name means "burial ground" in the Algonquian language...
and Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
. The railroad is quite an interesting story in itself, and most of the trackbed, and bridges are still very much in evidence throughout the valley of Schrader Creek
Schrader Creek
Schrader Creek is a tributary of Towanda Creek in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Schrader Creek rises in the northwest corner of Sullivan County and flows northeast, quickly entering Bradford County. It joins Towanda Creek at the community of Powell, 6.7 miles upstream...
.
The LeRoy Heritage Museum, off Rt. 414 in LeRoy, preserves the history of Laquin and Barclay Mountain through exhibits, Barclay Mountain walking tours, etc. More information can be found at the museum website at www.leroyheritage.org.