Coming fresh from a visit to Vermont, I ventured on the back roads around upstate New York. The country was far too beautiful to pass up with rolling, overcast skies for as far as the eye can see. Autumn colors were plentiful. Rounding the corner, I look over and out of the corner of my eye, I sighted derelict locomotives. I did a quick turnabout in the car and hurried back. This was too photogenic to pass up.
My October journey through New York state, filled with autumn splendor, abandoned buildings, and vibrant landscapes, left me with a renewed sense of appreciation for the region’s natural beauty and history.
The Van Nattas Pumping Station, located in Ithaca, New York, was constructed by the Ithaca Light & Water Company in 1893. It was built on the site of the Van Natta & Jones Mill.
After a recent drive through Cairo, Illinois (article forthcoming), and seeing the effects of decades of racial segregation and violence, and then economic decline and population loss, I wondered what other major and minor cities in the United States has experienced such steep and dramatic losses? Besides Cairo, Detroit and Wheeling, I asked my Facebook readers of other examples.
