Looking Back

Ann O’Hara
Posted 4/12/17

The first dispatch from Honesdale after the disastrous 1942 flood was written by local reporter Hartley J. Sanford and published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on May 25. He reported, “A dozen …

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Looking Back

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The first dispatch from Honesdale after the disastrous 1942 flood was written by local reporter Hartley J. Sanford and published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on May 25. He reported, “A dozen railroad freight cars were picked up like matchboxes and tossed into a pile by the water. Automobiles were thrown into stores. All bridges in the town were ripped down, and the community is still cut in half today, linked only by a hastily improvised ferry running along a cable.” Also lost in the flood and never restored was Park Lake, a town landmark with a view of Irving Cliff, graceful fountains in summer and a skating rink in winter. Although many buildings and bridges, like Main Street Bridge in the background, were rebuilt, Park Lake became a permanent victim of the devastating flood of 1942.


From the collection of the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale. The museum and research library are open Friday and Saturday, 10 a. m to 4 p. m. through April 22; Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a. m. to 4 p.m. beginning April 26.

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