Ghost Town Trail History

The Ghost Town Trail derives its name from numerous mining towns that once existed along the railroad corridor. Wehrum, the largest of the former towns, once had 230 houses, a hotel, company store, jail, and bank. Warren Delano, uncle of President Franklin Roosevelt, developed the town. Other ghost towns include Bracken, Armerford, Lackawanna #3, Scott Glenn, Webster, Beulah, and Claghorn. Learn more about the former town of Claghorn. There are few remnants of these former towns and most of the ghost towns are located on private property not open to the general public. A detailed history of the area can be found in Delano’s Domain: A History of the Mining Towns of Vintondale, Wehrum, and Claghorn by Denise Dusza Webster.

The Eliza Furnace, in Vintondale, is one of Pennsylvania’s best preserved iron furnaces. An interpretive exhibit is located at the site. The furnace operated from 1846 to 1849 and is a unique relic of the Black Lick Valley’s early industrial era. The furnace is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historical markers along the trail provide interpretive information about the Black Lick Valley’s intriguing history.

The Ghost Town Trail is designated by the U.S. National Park Service as a National Recreation Trail. More info about the national recreation trails program can be found at www.AmericanTrails.org.