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1.12.2020

A View of Scranton from the Route 307 Lookout Overlook

Today we visit a pretty overlook that gives a view of Scranton, the Electric City, from the east on Moosic Mountain. It consists of beautiful stone work done by the WPA during the Great Depression in 1938. While the overlook area could really use some cleaning, since it is riddled with refuse and graffiti the beauty still shines through. Fortunately though, the elegant stone work and the fantastic view more than make up for the vandalism. The sounds of steam trains echo across the valley and up to the overlook from Steamtown
The cornerstone from the WPA. So many of the nice Public Works projects that we enjoy today came from Great Depression era WPA and CCC projects, including places like this, state parks, state forests, and more. It is amazing how much of an impact these investments in our communities made upon our quality of life. They served a dual purpose in putting to work the legions of unemployed young men in the Great Depression, in addition to bettering the quality of life in our communities. Many of these workers would go on to lead us to victory in World War II.
The view from the overlook is so beautiful. As mentioned earlier, in addition to the views, you can hear the trains from down at Steamtown. One can only imagine how much sound you would hear when this was the buzzing hub of the Lackawanna Railroad.

In an interesting twist to this spot, if you know the folk singer Harry Chapin, the song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" was about the story of a truck's brakes or clutch failing on the hill while carrying a load of 30,000 pounds of bananas. With a heroic effort he was able to flip his truck and prevent the deaths of bystanders at the bottom of the hill. The truck driver heroically saved many lives, and sacrificed himself to do so, and the rest is memorialized forever by Harry Chapin. 
The scenic overlook sits on Route 307, on the edge of Scranton. This route is known as the Scranton - Pocono Highway. The overlook and improvements to the highway were completed by the WPA. The route is extremely scenic, passing by places such as Lake Scranton, and the rolling landscapes and forests of the area. 

Coordinates:

41.395895, -75.638809


1 comment :

  1. The banana truck story is true. Trucks have been banned from using the hill ever since.

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