The Race to the Water Gap
Presented by Mike Helbing

Early railroading in northwest New Jersey was shaped by terrain and the race to be able to expand westward. Mike traces the history of the the original railroads, who won the race and how the railroads were able to realize their westward expansion goals. His presentation will show images of the past and present to show the remnants of once thriving rail activity.

Mike Helbing is lifelong hiker and history fanatic. His personal experiences and family connections, especially with the old Lackawanna main line laid the foundation for his interests. Mike’s grandfather was a land surveyor who started him hiking at age three instilling the history of the area. Mike founded Metrotrails (metrotrails.org and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/metrotrails) informally 29 years ago and has been a registered non-profit since 2010.

This meeting will only be available virtually.

For Virtual Attendees: All of our membership meetings are simulcast on Zoom and our Facebook page. The membership portion of the meeting begins virtually at 7:30 PM. The presentation should begin around 8:00 PM. For Zoom, click here to register in advance for this meeting. Virtual attendees will need to register in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend!

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