Monroe County Historical Association

In the early 1900s, the Delaware Valley Railroad provided vital transportation between East Stroudsburg and Bushkill, Pa. Known as “The Dinkey,” “The Bushkill Flyer,” or “The Colonial Route,” the Delaware Valley Railroad was described with a wide range of adjectives from “idyllic” to “pitiful.”

Photos and anecdotes will help highlight the ups and downs and basic information about this colorful piece of local history.

Kim Williams, a lifelong resident of Monroe County and graduate of Stroudsburg High School and East Stroudsburg University, is a veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an avid amateur photographer, and a member of 17 local historical and conservation groups.

Before refrigeration, ice harvesting from local lakes and ponds was an important industry in the Poconos. The commercial ice industry used huge icehouses to store the ice for shipment to cities and for distribution to customer’s iceboxes by the iceman. All that remains today are the stories, photos, reenactments, and remnants of foundations from this nearly forgotten industry.

This presentation will cover the beginnings of ice harvesting, the commercial ice industry, icehouses of the past, tools of the trade, and the annual ice harvest that continues today.

Bill Leonard’s family, along with the Coolbaugh Township Historical Association, have held the Annual Tobyhanna Millpond #1 Ice Harvest since 1994.

His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all worked in the ice industry. As a local history buff, he explores the forests of the former Tobyhanna Military Reservation (now State Game Lands #127) for remnants of the ice industry, the logging era, and past military activity.

Bill serves as a board member of both the Monroe County Historical Association and the Coolbaugh Township Historical Association.

A graduate of Penn State, Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He served as the facilities engineer at Tobyhanna Army Depot and retired from the National Park Service in 2016 as the deputy superintendent at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

He lives in Tobyhanna with his wife, Diane, and dog, Max.

Barns have been the center of farming activity for over 300 years and represent America’s agrarian past. Due to an increase in commercial agriculture and the reduction of single-family farms, these iconic structures have become the most endangered architecture type of building in America.

This presentation will attempt to enlighten the audience on its origins in alpine Europe, arrival in 18th century Pennsylvania, and adoption by most settlers until being supplanted by new farming techniques.

Ken Sandri is employed with the U.S. Forest Service as the heritage program manager at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, and assists his colleagues throughout the National Forest System.

He has a degree in anthropology, leading to a career in cultural resource protection for 40 years. A published author, Sandri researched and wrote a book titled “A Matter Of Style” in 1989 on architectural styles.

Ken is a member of the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania, which documents the timber frame craftsmanship of the forebay barn in the eastern United States. Today, the organization is a major partner with the Pennsylvania State Bureau of Historic Preservation and collaborates with adjoining states on saving agricultural structures.

Ken is a member of the Board of Directors of the Monroe County Historical Association.

This presentation will explore Edgar Allan Poe’s early life, work, and death. The program will also examine some of the misinformation that circulated following Poe’s death that has contributed to our view of him today.

Rick Smith, a local historian and Pocono native, became interested in the writings of Edgar Allan Poe as a youngster and has always enjoyed sharing Poe’s story with others.

He is a graduate of Pocono Mountain High School and Wilkes University.

After 44 years of employment, Smith retired from Sanofi Pasteur. He also served as a Pocono Mountain school director for 23 years.

Rick and his wife, Kelley, live in Jackson Township.