Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania

Hidden beneath the small town of Gallitzin, Pennsylvania lies an engineering feat many are completely unaware about. Passing the Allegheny mountains train bound was proving to be a difficult task for the engineers who were developing the railway systems. Many obstacles had to be overcome to manuever through this treacherous terrain. One of their final tasks to create a passage through these mountains was to construct tunnels. Getting through the steep grades in Gallitzin proved more difficult than anticipated, and the blasting began.

At an elevation of 2,167 feet the the New Portage tunnel was completed in 1854 and has been continuously in use ever since. A second tunnel, the Allegheny tunnel, with a length of over 1/2 a mile was also completed that same year. Eventually a third tunnel, named the Gallitzin tunnel was created to pass through the ridge in 1904. These tunnels were so dire to our transportation services that were guarded by armed security during the World Wars.

Railroad enthusiasts still flock to the rural area, and the adjacent park, to feel the massive power of the locomotives pushing their way through the mountains. Any given time of the day you will notice visitors on the overpass, cameras, and binoculars in hand just waiting for the raw power of a train engine to come roaring out of the tunnel and pass ferociously beneath their feet.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

Hidden away in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania lies one of Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest engineering masterpieces. Nestled quietly over a waterfall in the Allegheny mountains, Fallingwater is a modern home full of peace and serenity. The water that flows steadily underneath could soothe the most savage beast. The neighboring trees house the beauties of nature, and the whistling sounds of the birds who make them their home.

The house was built for retail owner Edgar Kaufman Sr., a prominent Pittsburgh businessman and owner of Kaufman's department stores. He had commissioned  Frank Lloyd Wright to begin building a home for him in 1935. The home was to be built on a piece of property the Kaufman's had owned in nearby Fayette county. Initially the property was to be built facing the waterfall that flowed over Bear Run, or so that was Kaufman's idea for the home. Always the innovator Wright had other ideas, he decided to design the home over the waterfall, making it part of the home itself. He also incorporated the large boulders that were spread throughout.

The building of the home turned out to be a constant challenge for all involved. Wright and Kaufman had numerous conflicts during the construction. Kaufman at one point had hired engineers to give him a report on the structure of the property. After receiving the reports Wright threatened to leave the project, eventually the reports were buried inside of a stone wall within the home. There were various arguments between the the crews on maintaining the stability and structural support of the home. Eventually the home was completed in Fall of 1937.

The home embraces the nature that surrounds it.  Windows line what should be walls, boulders become pieces of furniture, stairways lead to the stream below.  Open air balconies allow you to breathe in the fresh floral aromas, while feeling the refreshing splashes of the cascading waterfall below. Walls inside the home consist primarily of stone and window panes. Sunlight finds it way through large panes of glass while the stone encompasses the home like a cavern.

Wright designed angled windows that wrap around the corners of the home, and open outward to allow airflow and the sounds of nature to embrace the home.  A majority of the furniture in the home is built permanently into the structure, and was designed by Wright himself. Many consider it to be Wright's greatest achievement. Others believe its a giant money pit. Either way Fallingwater is a place that needs to be seen firsthand. It has been listed on numerous architectural achievement lists, as well as one of the best places to visit in America.

Dio Way Cortland, New York

Ronnie James Dio is known for his operatic vocal ability, his charismatic personality, and also his love of humanity. He is thought to be the originator of the "metal horns" sign.

 Dio is best known for being the lead singer for several prominent bands including, Rainbow, Elf, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, and his solo band Dio. His love of music, as well as his vocal abilities inspired many within the musical genre. The goodwill he spread through his life helped to inspire many others.

Throughout the world there are numerous heavy metal festivals that are named in his honor. Those who knew and worked with him described him as a humble talent. There's a statue in Kavarna, Bulgaria of him. In Central New York the town of Cortland has inducted him into their city Hall of Fame. They also changed the name of a local street where Ronnie James Dio lived, forever memorializing their own local legend.

Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania

Miles outside one of the nation’s first capital, York, Pennsylvania, lies the remains of a small railroading town that almost was. In 1838 the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad started a rail line connecting Baltimore to York. In 1851 the Hanover Railroad ran rail line westward connecting the Hanover Rail line to the Baltimore Susquehanna Railroad. In 1852 Hanover Junction was born, being the intersection of the railroads. The rail line was originally run by the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, though the Hanover Railroad owned the trains.
A station was set up including living quarters for the station master and his family. Several small businesses and homes, and even a hotel were built. The hotel also had telegraph service, which would prove to be very important. During the Civil War the hotel’s telegraph dispatching service, proved to be vital to Union Soldiers. The wounded would pass through here on their way from Gettysburg to larger cities such as York and Harrisburg. On June 27, 1863, Confederate soldiers attacked the small town destroying homes and businesses. Somehow the station and hotel survived the ambush. On November 18, 1863 President Lincoln switched trains at the historic station en route to delivering his famous Gettysburg Address. Unfortunately Lincoln would pass through the small town again on April 21, 1865, this time in his funeral procession.

After the war the small town began to flourish again with a small industrial market, so much so there was a large coal yard nearby used for the fueling of the trains. After the demise of railroad traffic during the middle of the 20^th century, industry came to a halt and the town was abandoned. In 2003 the County of York reopened the station house as a museum, giving it a similar appearance it had a century ago. Also on the property are 4 Civil War era cannons and a Lincoln bust.

Outta the Way recommends visiting this little Railroad town that almost was, yet still thrives to be.