Lehigh Valley, PA | Visiting the History of Allentown, Bethlehem, & Easton

hey everyone this is jose for on tour traveling to the industrial cities of the lehigh valley on this tour stop we visit the unique history of allentown and the way they created cement for america then we take a stroll through the center of easton to experience the connection to the wider pennsylvania and following that we visit the pioneers of steel and bethlehem so let's go on tour and experience the lehigh valley [Music] [Music] welcome to the lehigh valley an area defined by the lehigh river this area has three sister cities that change the landscape of america allentown bethlehem and easton the cities in this valley act as a visual guide of industrial ingenuity with gigantic relics they've left the legacy in american industry a legacy that made them the pioneers in shaping the industrial revolution [Music] [Applause] [Music] so one of the first things you want to go to when visiting allentown is your antique car museum america on wheels [Music] going right into our field trip we land at the america on wheels museum this museum is a page of history giving us a look at the american automobile throughout the decades pennsylvania is a forefather when it comes to the industrial age sometimes overshadowing their impact to the automotive history in allentown we celebrate the history of transportation in this museum and in the city's other museum we learned about mack trucks the mack truck started in brooklyn in the 1900s but it wasn't until they moved to allentown in 1905 that their company flourished what makes this museum more exciting is their train diorama miniature models like the giant trains we saw in scranton [Music] pennsylvania [Music] so one of the things i love about pennsylvania are places like this fairgrounds farmers markets things that you don't see anywhere else and so much great food so let's go have a try as i walk through the alleys of allentown's art museum i keep thinking of myself of how important these streets were in shaping america america's industrial revolution was born in the lehigh valley the railroad system in canals fed the materials needed to build a nation allentown produced iron and the railroad system engulfed every last piece of it and i can pull up a list of every single innovation that has come out of pennsylvania [Music] these regions all provided a part in making american history and cities painted with magnificent murals tell their stories and everywhere and i mean everywhere i see delicious foods of all kinds to fuel our adventure as we go from city to city we take a detour to the borough of coldplay located six miles outside of allentown with its own impactful place in the american history books [Music] and this is the coldplay cement kilns in the allentown suburb of coldplay in this very site pennsylvania was a world leader in creating portland cement the only one of its kind in america and only second in the world so what is portland cement well it's the most common form of cement used today [Music] the history of the state intrigues me more and more as i travel to each city portland cement a basic ingredient of concrete mortar stucco and growth it's wild to think something so simple in our everyday life has a history in this state right here in the town of coldplay [Music] david o saylor built the 90-foot kilns as he started the coldplay cement company it was this site where sailor's team replicated the popular cement that was invented in england something we overlook in this day and age and in my opinion is something i believe is truly revolutionary [Music] so here we're in easton it's the meeting point of the delaware and lehigh river right behind me is the national canal museum where they preserve the history and importance of the canal system to easton and the whole lehigh valley easton pennsylvania it's the smallest of the three cities but packs a big punch easton is where the delaware and lehigh rivers merge that merge point created a transportation mecca during the most important moments of the industrial age the canal museum tells the story of canals and how they shaped america in this state alone there were 1200 canals more than any other state at the time along the museum is a canal that connected from jim thorpe to easton pennsylvania has one of the largest canal systems in america only declining in popularity because of the railroad i walk along the dried-up canal as the season soaks it up and i imagine the busier moments that made the stories of today the canal served as a connection to the anthracite mines in the wyoming valley it also helped expand and make trading easier between eastern and western pennsylvania [Music] so let's take a seat for a minute and just enjoy nature as this industrial region has plenty of [Music] it [Music] back to the river the lehigh river it flows across easton it's more than 100 miles of river stretch becoming a haven for white water rafting during the summer the river was used to transport lumber coal steel cement and much more during their industrial age [Music] the river itself is a tributary of the delaware river [Music] it also played a key role in discovering the fragments to create portland cement the river flows right into the city where you can get a glimpse of the merge at scott park a scenic park at the heart of easton for you to spend a day enjoying the view with family or friends [Music] let's take a walk around easton and enjoy some of the local culture scenic views and entertainment venues as we walk we see a fire call where the firefighters are putting out a blaze i'm always thankful for the service men and women who go above and beyond duty to ensure our safety this city is vibrant a place where i love to bring family to enjoy being at the center where you can see fun places like the crayola experience hip eateries cool stores and just a very calm place to take a walk the center of town has a giant candle signifying peace and tranquility during the holidays i walk the public center admiring the symbolism and think of how important it is into the new year [Music] this day of adventure shore works up an appetite i'm gonna stop here at easton's public market and get something to eat man i'm [Music] starving [Music] bethlehem pennsylvania it could be credited as the first area to have an industrial park and this right here is the national industrial quarters giving the tourists a glimpse of how they used to operate this small site within bethlehem has been around before the american independence the local people of this area took advantage of the monocacy creek and built a work system that could be the foundation for modern industrial parks one thing i'll give this area credit to at night is lit up with christmas lights and it looks amazing the moravian people built sawmills blacksmith shops brass foundries and all other types of workshops to create a community the national industrial quarters is a historic landmark to demonstrate the ingenious efforts of a people and what they could do with tools each structure has a different story inside the landmark that paved the way for a modern workshop [Music] [Applause] bethlehem steel the backbone of america it's a phrase i heard on the tv show a couple years ago and i started digging into it and came across the steel stacks and i know right there i had to go visit bethlehem and learn more about a steel history bethlehem pa it has many names and it was one of the originators of a pumped municipal water system but one of the things i know them to be most famous for is bethlehem steel and this gigantic structure is the epitome of historic monument how can you not marvel at the centerpiece it brings fascination curiosity and admiration to the sheer size of this 10-acre campus and the steel that was once produced here we've transformed this into a place of art and what better way to let imagination roam free than with a rustic vibe the steel stacks their ghosts and giant to america's industrial golden age bethlehem was the second largest producer of steel in the world the complexity and design of this site just show you how active and important steel was to the identity of the city now it acts as the amphitheater in the summer where large venues of rock concerts happen right here in the stacks [Music] bethlehem steel was one of the world's largest producers of steel and ship building companies the largest furnaces at this site are more than 230 feet tall the roots of american landmarks can be traced to the steel that was created here bridges like the golden gate george washington and verrazano or alcatraz and even the hoover dam all can trace their materials to bethlehem steel such an important piece of american history all connected within the confines of the lehigh valley [Music] i wish you could capture the magic of just how gigantic this guy is it really is something you got to see in person because you never seen anything like this driving in and i was in awe i just couldn't believe the size the sheer size of this [Music] dude as i complete my tour of the lehigh valley i couldn't help but spend time in bethlehem which they call christmas city usa but also jump around to the other great christmas attractions in its sister cities to enjoy a prosperous new year [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so the lehigh valley it's a time capsule of contributions to the industrial revolution of america it's an ever-changing landscape of youth art and excitement it's a place of community history and culture this is jose for on tour if you like what you've seen a day please subscribe give it a thumbs up and share if you want to know more about the places i went to please see the links below until next time [Music] christmas christmas [Music] you

Channel: On Tour Exploring

Views: 12,493

Rating: 4.9812646 out of 5

Keywords: allentown, allentown pa, america on wheels museum, bethlehem, bethlehem pa, bethlehem pennsylvania, bethlehem steel, christmas city bethleham pa, colonial industrial quarter, commonwealth, coplay cement, coplay cement kilns, discovernepa, easton, easton pa, easton public market, explore, history, lehigh, lehigh county, lehigh river, lehigh valley, moravian village, national canal museum, northeastern pennsylvania, ontourexploring, pennsylvania, steelstacks, steelstacks bethlehem, travel

Id: GhihpPot9DM

Length: 18min 47sec (1127 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 21 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/latunza]

Hi Everyone,

I am a local Pennsylvanian and recently started a YouTube channel documenting my travels across America. Pennsylvania is the first state I will be showcasing and wanted to share the Lehigh Valley with everyone. Its a quick glance at these wonderful cities that shaped America.

[u/this-door-is-alarmed]

Great work! I'm a big fan of the Lehigh Valley, and I'm grateful to know a bit more about the area thanks to you. My only small criticism was that I found the percussion-heavy music a little loud and distracting from your narration, even though the jazzy tunes were very nice. You're the artist, though!

[u/andreapaige486]

its so cool to see someone explain the history of my area!! i'll definitely be watching this later

[u/drimmie]

I moved to Easton area in 2011 and I fucking love it here. The Valley has been great to me

[u/KaneXX12]

Subbed! You should come back for Musikfest if this virus is gone, absolutely magnificent. And they get some pretty big names to perform.

Also, can I ask what the song is playing at 16:55?

[u/PADemD]

Coplay is pronounced COPLEE by the natives.

[u/crispydukes]

Great start! Work on the thesis of the episode a little more; I get you were trying to say something about America being great as a result of industrial heritage in the cities, but it just feel like I kept hearing words without any meaning. Why visit each location? What does it mean? How does it fit into the thesis of the episode?

Otherwise good stuff! Great film work.

If you haven't seen these, I highly recommend a few travel docs:

• Dark Tourist
• Stephen Fry in America
• The Beer Hunter
• Idiot Abroad
• The Moaning of Life

You do not need to try to mimic or copy these in any way, but I think they will help show how you can weave a narrative into the episode.

I'm looking forward to seeing more!

[u/thescarwar]

This rocks! Pennsylvania offers so much fantastic history.

[u/ImpendingTurnip]

Amazing work. Check out the slate belt if you get a chance. Tons of quarries with rich history.