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By Jeff Drinnan
Fairmount Park comprises two
sections of parkland maintained by the
city of Philadelphia: a strip stretching
from Chestnut Hill to Henry Avenue
along the Wissahickon Creek, specif
ically called Wissahickon Park, and a
parcel on either side of West River
Drive. The former is the subject of this
article, and is a safer place to visit than
the latter.
On one side of the Wissahickon
Creek is a road through the park where
motor vehicles are forbidden. This road
stretches for two miles to a parking lot
entrance by Valley Green Restaurant
and continues another 2.9 miles to the
Henry . Avenue entrance. On the other
side of the creek is a hiking trail with
many branch trails.
I parked in a gravel parking lot on
the side of Bells Mill Road, about half a
mile down the road from commercial
districts in either direction.
Standing by the road, I watched
people clad in sweat outfits and
sneakers cross, the stone bridge over
the Wissahikon Creek and head to their
mecca--a gravel road about the width of
a football field which runs parallel to
the creek.
crossed the road and followed a
much narrower and less travelled dirt
trail along the other side of the creek.
The trail rises steeply, descends, and
winds around the woods, skirting the
creek. Clusters of 50 foot tall pine trees
and equally tall sycamores and other
hardwoods dot the landscape. The
creek below is visible through clearings
as the trail zig-zags through the woods.
At the bottom of a hill I followed a
trail that leads to a covered bridge that
crosses the creek. There is some
graffiti, mostly memos of who loves
whom-but not so flagrant that it is an
eyesore. Beneath the bridge the water
picks up speed as it rushes between
and over rocks.
I walked,. back to the trail and
climbed another hill. The trail de
scends, then levels off about hallway
up an escarpment. Perched on top,
Fairmount Park: Philadelphia's
Sanctuary in Penn's Woods
Thursday, April 24, 1980
looking over the Wissahickon, is a
marble statue of the Indian Teddy
skum. Teddyskum has been here since
1902, the year Mr. and Mrs. W. Henry
donated it.
Throughout the park there is much
stonework, mostly of Roman design.
Stone stairways take visitors up and
down steep grades along the trail;
stone bridges take them across the
Wissahickon to the road so poyulai
with runners. Aqueducts and ruins o:
stone buildings can be seen from tin
main hiking trail.
"Pro Bono Publico, Esto Perpetua'
reads a stone memorial in the park
Roughly translated, this means that
the park is for the public to enjoy,
keep up the good work.
The Wissahickon, which begin° as
trickle of water near Allentown, PA
opens up to about a stone's throw in
many places as it meanders through
Fairmount. On a typical day one would
not know the water is moving unless
one might see a leaf float downstream
(except where there are mild rapids).
These waters are favored by fishermen
and ducks. Occasionally a dog splashes
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