Vacation - Post #13, Harpers Ferry Pt.1

I'll have to break this one into two parts because I was so enamored with the place (Harpers Ferry, that is), and quite frankly, still am.  It may have had to do with the fact that it was about as perfect as a weather day as you could ask for, we're in the mountains/valley with friends, learning about a fascinating part of our Nations history, but it was also a little bitter sweet in that as soon as we get back in the car, we're heading for Iowa.

Wrap all of that into one bundle of emotions and it was a powerful day.

This is part of the railroad that John Brown and his very small army of rebels had intercepted and, according to the history of the events, he probably errored in letting the train/engineer carry on only to inform others down the line that an insurrection was taking place in Harpers Ferry.  Me?  I found the construction of a raised railroad absolutely fascinating, if not beautiful, and contemplated how it would withstand passing trains at various speeds, with different winds and so on, without collapsing.  I'm still intrigued.

Again with the raised rail.

This, the photo below and the two of the train tracks above are all simply from the parking lot where the bus that takes you down into the valley drops you off.  We had not even made it into Harpers Ferry proper yet and I'm amazed by the beauty of it all.

This is looking towards the downtown area where the "John Brown action" took place so many years before.  The church up on the bluff is the St. Peters Catholic Church.

Shot of the downtown area.  Need to tie up your horse?  No problem!

Need to get up to your third story apartment after a night on the town?  A little problem!!

More downtown.

And still more.  They building at the end of the block is the hotel where shots were fired by the locals who were waging their own battle against John Brown and associates who they did not like raiding of their town.

The four cutest varmints in the city that day!!  Possibly ever!

Sadly, too much time has passed for me to remember what this particular site of ruins is/was.  I tried zooming in on the sign posted there but it pixelated before I could read it...

This is the engine house that is commonly known as John Browns Fort.  Probably not a great place to hide but it was probably not a wonderfly thought out mission to begin with. 

This is looking straight up Potomac St. from John Browns Fort.  There was some death that took place at this intersection.  Just behind that telephone pole in the left of the photo, you can see a concrete marker for something... what was it?  I think it marks the site of the actual armory that was raided but I'm not sure.  I've searched for maps and documentation of the crazy thing and I cannot find it. I'm a little stunned at how well Gettysburg and all of the monuments there are documented but that Harpers Ferry does not seem to get the same treatment.  Would Gettysburg have happened the way it did, if not for the raid on Harpers Ferry?  It's some good reading if you care to start digging!

More "downtown", this as we're heading up High St.

One way to get to St. Peters should your legs be feeling strong!

So that's part one of our photos of a fantastic day.  

At this point in our trip, we were just about ready to enjoy lunch at a fine little restuarant.  I do recall that some find food was had and I had a wonderful barley wine to go with my meal!  Should have taken a picture of the bottle as I cannot recall the brewery that produced my tipple of the day.