The town formerly called Hendrick’s Blacksmith, located just a few miles northwest of where I work, was originally inhabited by the Lenape Indians, and settled in 1719 by Mennonites (the "almost Amish") from the Rhenish Palatinate (Southwestern Germany).
The town changed its name to Telford in 1857, after the North Pennsylvania Railroad Company, later the Reading Railroad, named its new station there "Telford" in honour of Sir Thomas Telford.
Sir Thomas Telford (August 9, 1757 - September 2, 1834) was born in Glendinning, Scotland. He was a stonemason, architect and famous British civil engineer and a noted road, bridge and canal builder. He worked at Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, England as a young man and went from there to bigger and better things.
He designed and/or built the Shropshire Union Canal in England...
...the Caledonian Canal in Scotland...
...the Gota Canal in Sweden, and numerous other engineering structures between 1792 and 1810.
Source
The 1,007 foot long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales, carrying the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee at an elevation of 126 feet was his masterpiece.
Sir Telford was buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
I'm glad the town changed it's name to Telford; can you imagine telling people you live in the not so bucollic town of "Hendrick’s Blacksmith"?
12 comments:
wow.those are great photos..
Im with ydg, the pix are beautiful. I really love that first one.
Wow, what beautiful photos. I love the Canal in Scotland and Sweden.
=)
Sir Thomas Telford's structures are beautiful. I hope they'll be preserved for future generations to admire. Love that second pic.
As usual I learned something tonight. Such a legacy to leave for the generations...
great photos...amazing buildings...it's odd what people can do when they start thinkin'
- MARZ
Awesome pictures...we gonna be going anywhere near his structures?
Dear Mr Telford is such a part of our British History it feels like I know here personally :)......
Do you know I LOVE canals........ maybe its cos I was born at Milton Locks which over looked the lockgates..... or maybe its just the gentler way of transport.....
My father worked in the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard as a young man, but obviously not in MrTelfords time :)
*sniffing up HUGE globules of snot*
x
here = him - see its the fever, I cant bloody type proper lol
x
or maybe its cos my father lived on a 150 year old boat on the chichester canal at the end of his life.......
x
A canal over a river? I don't think I've ever heard of that being done. He was quite the mastermind, wasn't he?
Great post, Iggy!
Post a Comment