We departed Country Acres Campground back onto Route 30
heading east and into the town of Paradise. Paradise, PA includes miles of
scenic backroads that invite you to explore the tranquil beauty of Lancaster
County’s Amish Country. You can discover the unusual attractions and things to
do, plus an area that includes fine restaurants, unusual stores, and typical
Lancaster County landmarks, such as a covered bridge, an old mill, and beautiful,
peaceful Amish farmlands.
In Paradise, you can visit the National Christmas Center and
experience the wonder of the world’s most beloved holiday! Nestled in the heart
of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the National Christmas Center takes you on a
journey through wonderful memories of Christmases past and present. It is dedicated to preserving and sharing
precious mementoes and memories of Christmases past. They want to spark their visitor’s
interest in Christmas, so that they may continue the timeless Christmas
traditions, or be inspired to create new customs and celebrations to enjoy with
their own families and friends. Here, the true meaning of Christmas is honored
and remembered; they celebrate the birth of Christ. You can take a realistic
journey from “Nazareth” to “Bethlehem”, immersing yourself in the rich history
and culture of biblical times.
There are 15 large displays and many, many smaller rotating
displays. My favorite three displays are the 1950's Woolworth's 5 & 10. It
is a recreation of a five and dime showcasing vintage Christmas toys and
merchandise displayed in a realistic store setting. The shelves are stocked
floor to ceiling with such treasures as the Red Ryder BB gun, Yakity Yak
chattering wind-up teeth, tin soldiers on horseback, and 5 cent phonograph
records.
Santa's North Pole Workshop and Reindeer Barn, where the
elves are busy in this toy-making wonderland! Animated reindeer nod from their
stalls as bears and elves craft toys, wrap packages and sew dolly dresses.
Santa presides over all the activity in this life-sized exhibit.
O' Holy Night, is an exhibit showcasing a nearly life-sized
hand-carved wooden Nativity. The twenty-two figures, are almost 100 years old,
and include the Holy Family and 3 camels which stand nearly 6 feet tall.
We turned off Route 30 onto Route 41, aka the Newport Pike,
and into the town of Christiana, PA. This town holds a treasure trove of stories
preserved in rustic homes and historical attractions. The town is known for its
prominent involvement during the Civil War, especially in conjunction with the
Underground Railroad. In fact, many historians consider the Christiana
Resistance as the first battle of the Civil War, for it was in this small town
that the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was tested for the first time. The Fugitive
Slave Law stated that law enforcement officials were to arrest runaway slaves,
and that anyone who aided a runaway was subject to imprisonment and fines.
Southern slaveholders believed that the federal law protected their right to
apprehend fugitives. Northern abolitionists, however, denied that the federal
government had the right to enact a bill that was contrary to human rights.
The
law's test came to life when Edward Gorsuch, a wealthy landowner from Baltimore
County, Maryland, discovered that four of his slaves were missing, and he
traveled to Christiana on a tip. Here, he found his slaves at the home of
William Parker, a fugitive known for his assistance to slaves traveling along
the Underground Railroad. Gorsuch immediately confronted Parker, which resulted
in 75-100 people descending upon the homestead. Shots were fired, and the
encounter left Gorsuch dead. Federal troops were called in to help with an investigation,
which resulted in 38 men being arrested and charged with treason for defying
the Fugitive Slave Law. The ensuing case ended with a "not guilty"
verdict. This decision sent a signal to the South that the Fugitive Slave Law
would not be enforced in the North, building upon the distrust that was already
spreading throughout the country.
You know me, if it is a covered bridge or a waterfalls, I
will find it! Built in 1880 on Bailey Crossroads Road, just south of
Christiania you will find one of the only two remaining bridges shared by
Lancaster and Chester County. The Mercer's Mill Covered Bridge or Mercer's Ford
Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the East branch of the Octoraro
Creek. A Lancaster County-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation
is the East Octoraro #2 Bridge.
It was built by BJ Carter at a cost of $1,652. The
bridge has a wooden single span, double Burr arch trusses design with the
addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. It is painted
red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges, on both the
inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the
traditional white color. The bridge has a single window on only one side of the
bridge and no one knows why.
We passed by a farm on Route 41 that had a sign for Christmas
tree sales right in front of the corn stalks. It is kind of unique, because you
really don’t think of a farmer that grows corn, would be the same guy that
grows and sells Christmas Trees!
Crossing from Pennsylvania into Delaware, we were welcomed by a dead buck and we traveled into
“the wedge.” The Wedge is a small tract of land along the borders of Delaware,
Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ownership of the land was disputed until 1921, but it
is now recognized as part of Delaware. The tract was created primarily by the
shortcomings of contemporary surveying techniques. It is bounded on the north
by an eastern extension of the east-west portion of the Mason–Dixon line, on
the west by the north-south portion of the Mason–Dixon line, and on the
southeast by the New Castle, Delaware, Twelve-Mile Circle.
Speaking of the Twelve-Mile Circle, crossing from Delaware into New Jersey, on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, we were in that Twelve-Mile circle. The fact that the
circle extends into the Delaware River makes for an unusual territorial
possession. Most territorial boundaries that follow watercourses split the
water course between the two territories by one of two methods, either by the
median line of the watercourse or the center of the main flow channel. However,
due to the text of the deed, within the Twelve-Mile Circle, all the Delaware
River to the low-tide mark on the New Jersey side is territory of the state of
Delaware.
New Jersey has often disputed this claim, as the rest of its
territorial boundaries along the Delaware River are determined by the midline method.
In 1813, Delaware's legislature passed an act deeding Pea Patch Island to the
United States government, and in 1820 New Jersey disputed that they owned the
island since it was primarily on the New Jersey side of the river. Attorney
General William Wirt sided with Delaware. In the 1840s, the Pea Patch Island
disagreement led to two conflicting circuit court decisions—the circuit of
Delaware ruling that the entirety of the river (and its islands) belonged to
Delaware, and the circuit in New Jersey ruling that the island had belonged to
New Jersey. At the recommendation of President James K. Polk, the parties
agreed to arbitration, which resulted in a confirmation of Delaware's claim. The
arbitration did not ultimately resolve the dispute, and it has been brought to
the Supreme Court of the United States on several occasions.
In New Jersey, we got onto Route 40. We arrived at Salem
County Fairgrounds, being part of an agricultural fair for most of our adult
life we always love to check out other fairgrounds. This fair is 100%
agricultural, there are no rides at this fair. The Salem County Fair Association
was formed in 1959 and the fair was first held on the current grounds in 1985.
The Fair Association is a private organization dedicated to the promotion of
agriculture in Salem County. Various organizations including the Salem County
Board of Agriculture, Grange, 4-H, F.F.A., the New Jersey Wool Sheep Breeders
Association, and the Holstein Association are members of the Fair Association.
Harness racing was a part of the Salem County Fair from 1968-1995. The chicks,
hatching out of eggs as part of the State Department of Agriculture's
"Peep-peep Show," made their first appearance in 1973. In 1976 all
hog activities were canceled due to an outbreak of hog cholera. The first Open
sheep show at the fair was held in 1982 and the first Sheep to Shawl contest
sponsored by the Third Star Fiber Guild was held that same year. Fair T-shirts
were first designed and sold at the fair in 1986. The Woodstown Rotary donated
the cement floor for the commercial building in 1987. The same year, the
building housing the horse stalls was constructed. The first sky diver made his
appearance at the 1988 fair. Political Games between the Republicans and the
Democrats were held from 1988-1995. In June of 1989, the Leni-Lenape Indians
held a Pow-Wow at the fairgrounds. Over Labor Day of the same year, the
Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival was held at the fairgrounds for the first
time.
We are at the fairgrounds for the next five nights to enjoy the 46th Annual Delaware
Valley Bluegrass Festival.
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