First Posted: 7/15/2014
You can see plenty of history in the Greater Pittston area — whether you’re on foot, in a car or on a bicycle.
The Greater Pittston Historical Society, however, went one step further: kayak.
The society completed its first-ever kayak tour of the Susquehanna River on Sunday, July 13. Kayakers convened at the Apple Tree Boat Launch in Harding and the tour concluded at Nesbit Park in Kingston.
Stops along the way included Campbell’s Ledge, Coxton Yards railroad, Conrail Archaeological dig site, Scovell Island, the Pittston firefighters memorial bridge, the Fort Jenkins bridge, the Knox Mine disaster site and the Lackawanna and Susquehanna River crossroads.
All stops had some historical impact on the Greater Pittston area.
The 17-mile tour involved approximately 77 participants, including the tour guides. According to first-year Historical Society president Ron Faraday, the amount of participants came as a shock to those volunteering their time and effort to the tour, saying that originally only 20 to 25 people were expected.
“I knew the count before everyone started showing up because I had to give the count to Cooper’s (Seafood House,)” said Faraday. “I was, of course, pleased but also I had to put my manager’s hat on because it presented some problems. It was too successful and we weren’t ready for that.”
Faraday said the large amount of kayakers did post a bit of a problem at first, but he and his crew managed to work through it.
“They did a great job,” Faraday said of his helpers. “The people at each stop all were a big help.”
Among the kayakers were fellow tour guides Jan Lokuta, known for his annual Greater Pittston Church tours, and Richard Fitzsimmons, former Penn State professor and local river historian.
Fitzsimmons also served as guest speaker when the tour group stopped for lunch at Cooper’s.
“He talked about the history of the Susquehanna River and the north branch canal system,” said Faraday. “He talked about what it was primarily used for, a bit of a description of how deep and wide it is, the types of boats that were used on it and the mechanism used to transport deliveries with a horse or donkey walking next to it on a towpath.”
Faraday acknowledged the day offered perfect weather, although wind did come into play, giving the group high waters.
“It was perfect, other than the wind, especially toward the Cross Valley Bridge,” said Faraday, who also serves as the corrections supervisor for Grenier Packaging in Pittston Township. “We hit high waves and a lot of wind.”
Faraday said everyone had fun on the tour, however, not everyone had come prepared for the long trip.
“It was a blast,” he said. “It might have been a little too windy and too long for some. Some were not kayakers; they’d never done it before, so I don’t think they were ready for what the trip entailed. The Endless Mountain Outfitters did a great job supplying the kayaks, shuttle service, guide service and being of great help.”
With this being the Historical Society’s very first tour, Faraday said if it went well, another would be planned for next year. After the turnout and success, he said the society is already planning another one.
“We’re already planning it,” he said. “I would say the dig site will definitely be on the list of spots, but I don’t know yet about the other spots.”
The Historical Society will be on hiatus in terms of planning any near future events. Faraday said the Pittston Tomato Festival in August could possibly be the last time the Historical Society does any events for the time being.
“We’re probably going to have a presence at the Tomato Festival, but that’s about it,” he said.
