Wilsonville in Pike County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Building the Tafton Dike
| | Wallenpaupack Lake Trail | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 14, 2024
1. Building the Tafton Dike Marker
Between 1924 and 1926, PPL built the dam and Tafton Dike to create Lake Wallenpaupack and harness the power of water to create electricity. As seen in the photos to the right, the construction of the Tafton Dike was an amazing job using only steam shovels and mule power.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.
Location. 41° 26.538′ N, 75° 10.698′ W. Marker is in Wilsonville, Pennsylvania, in Pike County. It is on Lake Wallenpaupack Road (Pennsylvania Route 507) just south of U.S. 6, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located near the north end of the Lake Wallenpaupack trailhead parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hawley PA 18428, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. 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 and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: History on Lake Wallenpaupack (approx. half a mile away); Wallenpaupack River (approx. half a mile away); History of Wilsonville, PA (approx. half a mile away); Boating on Lake Wallenpaupack (approx. half a mile away); Farm Land to Lake (approx. half a mile away); Hawley's Historic Downtown (approx. 2.4 miles away); Hawley School Bell (approx. 2½ miles away); History of Hawley (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilsonville.
Also see . . .
this page online
It was created in 1926 by the PPL Corporation for hydroelectric purposes as well as flood control; however, it is best known as one of several major recreational destinations in the Pocono Mountains. In order to create the lake, PPL Corporation constructed a dam on Wallenpaupack Creek at Wilsonville and a levee named the Tafton Dike. The project took 2,700 men from 1924 to 1926 to complete and seven months for the reservoir to fill after the dam was closed off.(Submitted on June 12, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 14, 2024
2. Building the Tafton Dike Marker
Looking north from the trailhead parking lot; the marker is mounted beside the trail. Lake Wallenpaupack is beyond the trees in the background.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 14, 2024
3. Tafton Dike & Lake Wallenpaupack
Looking north along the dike, about 40 yards north of the marker. The northeast corner of Lake Wallenpaupack is in the background. Wilsonville is beyond the image frame in the right background.
4. Marker detail: Tafton Dike working on the core wall
5. Marker detail: Pole wagon used during dike construction
6. Marker detail: Steam shovel for trenching
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 533 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 12, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
