I would like to thank Deb Howlett and MercerMe for their efforts in helping to promote the rich history in Hopewell Township. The Hopewell Township Historic Preservation Commission, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and the Hopewell Museum are separate historical organizations that are each made up of many volunteers that put in countless hours of research to help preserve our historic landmarks, promote our shared history and to educate the public.
I especially want to thank railroad historians John Kilbride and the late John Warrick who painstakingly plotted the Mercer and Somerset mile points when they did their initial exploration of the Mercer and Somerset in the 1980s. If it weren’t for their efforts, mile marker number 7 may not ever have been found along with several other artifacts that still existed along the railroad right of way after one hundred years. Since that time, John Kilbride has continued to educate the public on the Mercer and Somerset Railroad, as well as other local railroads by offering free lectures and running free tours of the right of way. Both Kilbride and Warrick also made the history of the Mercer and Somerset available through a video that they produced in 1992: Frog War! The Mercer and Somerset Railroad Story. I cannot thank them enough for their efforts. If not for their work, many of these artifacts may have been lost forever.
Robert Warznak
This email was written in response to a recent article about the Mercer and Somerset Railroad, you can read it here
