Historic Lehigh Tannery

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 Going off the beaten path again today and I found Lehigh Tannery. What is this Lehigh Tannery? First it was a town named after the Tannery that was manufactured there. It seems that in the 1860's it was the place of tanning of leather hides industries. This was such an important part of this town which is located along the Lehigh river. Before the tannery it was a very small town but during the operation of the tannery it grew and had over 100 families living and working in the facilities that was part of the plant. (icehouse, canal workers, railroads)  It has been mentioned that it was the largest of its kind in the US during that time period. During its heyday it produced 80,000 hides a year. The Tannery lasted approximately 25 years. 




Another thing I found out was that part of the reason for this tremendous out put of hides was largely due to the abundance of eastern hemlock (the state tree) and white oak forests. The bark from these trees is essential in tanning leather. 


I also learned that the location of it being literally on the river helped get the hides to the faculty from Easton and back. That was until the flood of 1862 which took out the dam. (photo on left)  Then the hides began being transported by railroad. The tannery had several owners through the years from Thomas Smull & Co, to a Mr. Blakeslee, then Holcomb in 1865.

The tannery was partially destroyed by fire while owned by C.P. Holcomb &co., and it was rebuilt. After his death it was owned by I.M. Holcomb & co., but a second fire (10 year later) sparked from a passing coal-fired steam locomotive passing by burnt for 8 days destroying the building, the local forestry, and it was never rebuild. The base which were made of  stone is still standing to this day. There's a plaque but almost everything else from that time, the buildings, hotel, post office are all lost to time. (newspaper article on right)

A side note: after this a tannery was built in Lehighton but also closed down. 


See you at the next bend in the road,

Kelli

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