Logan Square in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
From Trash to Treasure
Sewers coming from all over the city emptied into the Schuylkill below the Fairmount Dam. By 1913, there was not enough water in the river to carry away the large amounts of sewage and trash, so it rotted in place. The resulting stench made life difficult for those nearby.
In the 1920s, civic groups demanded more attractive public spaces, including riverbank enhancement projects below the Fairmount Dam. While some attempts were made to improve the banks of the tidal Schuylkill in the mid-1900s, riverfront greenway development did not begin in earnest until the 1990s with the creation of Schuylkill Banks.
[Caption:]
This 1940s view shows how trash from the city was brought to dump wharves near here, shoveled onto barges and taken downriver to be burned. Over the years, other wharves near here handled manure, dirt and ash.
Erected by Fairmount Park Conservancy; Schuylkill Banks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
Location. 39° 57.742′ N, 75° 10.837′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Navigating the Tidal Schuylkill (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Spring Garden Street Bridge (about 800 feet away); Washington Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Washington Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); Anthony Wayne (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Mounted Amazon Attacked by a Panther / The Lion Fighter
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 210 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 27, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
