Down By The Riverside

As of April 1, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Steps: 2,119,120
Miles: 891.16

On Saturday March 29, 2008, I went to the Valley Forge National Historical Park to see if I could find Fatland Ford on the south side of the Schuylkill River. This is the side opposite from the Riverside Trail where I inconclusively looked for the ford earlier in the week.

While I was there searching, I took some pictures of the heart of the park.

There was no battle between the British and the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's army spent the winter of 1777-1778 here in an encampment. Here they waited for warmer weather before resuming activities against the British Army. While here, the Continental Army did battle disease, wet and cold weather, and poor morale. By May of 1778, they emerged from Valley Forge trained fighting men and in high spirits since the French government had joined the Patriots in fighting the British. So the park land was really just a big campground.


Major General Armstrong Monument

The monument reads "Major General John Armstrong in command of the Pennsylvania Militia guarded the roads from Philadelphia and the approaches to Sullivan's Bridge and the camp."

You can see Saint Gabriel's Reform School through the words and over the river just to the right of the stone. In the 40+ years of living near the park, I had never seen this monument before as it is tucked into the woods well away from the roads.

I went down the wagon road behind the Armstrong Monument and walked along the Reading Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) for several miles but could not get a clear view of the river! Fatland Ford remains to be found. Maybe when the water levels recede in the summer I will go back and try again. Enjoying the day regardless, I climbed back up the hill and walked through the heart of the park back to my car.


Saint Gabriel's and the Fatland Ford Estate

From the top of the hill, on the shoulder of Mount Joy, one can see a long way. The river is down in the valley between me and Saint Gabriel's. The white building to the right is the Fatland Ford Estate. Mill Grove, the home of J. J. Audubon, is behind those two buildings.


Ugh! Just Ugh!!

Nearly back to my car and close to the buildings used by General George Washington for his headquarters I spot this pair. I am seriously started to get creeped out by Orange Coneheads. I wonder what the furthest distance is that I can go before sighting them? Can I even go a whole mile? Are these two Harold and Delores who missed the train to Cleveland?


A reproduction of a typical soldier's hut

There are many of these scattered throughout the Valley Forge area. I took many pictures on the encampment grounds but show only a few here.

Pictures from Valley Forge if you are interested

Tomorrow I'll post an entry on the Phoenixville Iron Trail. Phoenixville is only 4 1/2 miles up the Schuylkill River from where these pictures were taken. It was a whole different world.