![]() ![]() Packer received little support from outside Pennsylvania. He lost out, however, to Horatio Seymour of New York - the Democrats were banking on New York (which had 47 electoral votes to Pennsylvania's 36) and Seymour's reputation as a reformer and a friend of Catholics to carry the election. Winfield Scott Hancock, by James Reid Lambdin, 1880. At the same time, Packer invested heavily in the iron industry in Bethlehem which produced the iron he needed for his railroads. By the 1870s, the Lehigh Valley Railroad dominated the shipment of coal from the anthracite region and also handled much of the freight in northern New Jersey and New York. Through the railroad and his other holdings Packer was able to amass a fortune of more than $50 million. Having purchased one of the anthracite-coal region's railroad lines in 1851, he constructed a forty-six-mile track from Mauch Chunk to Easton, part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which quickly replaced the canal system as the primary route for sending coal south to Philadelphia. In 1853, Packer became the upper Lehigh Valley's congressman. ![]() In 1841 he was elected as a Democrat to the state legislature, and after two terms served five years as a county judge. After purchasing a general store with his earnings, he then began a contracting business that constructed the canal locks that soon dotted the region.īy the late 1830s, Packer was investing in coal mining and shipping. There, he operated one of the canal boats that were hauling anthracite coal down the recently completed Lehigh Canal. Once again, he encountered economic hardship, briefly moved to New York City, and then came to Mauch Chunk in 1833. Much like Abraham Lincoln, he was a poor boy who made good.īorn in Mystic, Connecticut, Packer was unable to earn a living as either a tanner or a farmer, so he walked 200 miles to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, where his cousin taught him to be a carpenter. Asa Packer (1805-1879), a self-made businessman, philanthropist, and pro-war Democrat, fit the bill better than anyone in Pennsylvania. The best they could do was stand for honest government and dedicated public service as an alternative to Republican greed. Immediately after the Civil War, the Democratic Party in both Pennsylvania and the nation was hard-pressed to find political candidates who could overcome their image of disloyalty and challenge Republican war heroes. Hoping to go back in the future and see the 3rd floor that was closed.Asa Packer, circa 1861. We weren’t allowed to take pictures which I was not a fan of at first but that made me pay attention more to the tour. She was very informative and down to earth. We had a wonderful tour guide named Kathy. ![]() "Was there yesterday and the mansion is a lot of fun. We were rushed through, not able to view the 3 rooms ( maid quarters) just allowed to stand in the hall and then pushed into the next area. THEN it was an enjoyable, informative experience. ![]() We've been here years ago & had a wonderful guide with a small group. They could have pulled the guest aside and had a word with him privately." Very uncomfortable, especially since it was obvious that he was having trouble understanding. The guides' reaction was really uncalled for, raising their voices in a hostile tone and calling out the visitor in front of all of us. And there were no "no picture" signs/symbols visible nor were there tour rules written anywhere in English, let alone in other languages as well. Guests are asked to not lean against any of the walls/furniture (understandable) but there were so many people in our group that we were forced to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and were constantly touching each other the entire time.Ī guy in our group took a couple of pictures inside and the tour guide and assistant tour guide were very angry. She was short with a few people when answering their questions. We didn't get to see everything that we wanted to see. Our group was almost people and she rushed us through the house like cattle. She could have just came over and let us know nicely. Started off by yelling at us for walking on the grass when there was no fencing or signage indicating that we weren't allowed on the grass. "Beautiful property, home is meticulously maintained, tour ticket price is reasonable. Asa Packer was also a major contributor in the Lehigh Valley Railroad system." Completed in, it was the home of Asa Packer, a coal and railroad magnate, philanthropist, and founder of Lehigh University. "The Asa Packer Mansion is a historic house museum on Packer Road in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, United States. Staff was knowledgeable but could be friendlier." In our guided tour, we got in with a very large group, so tour felt a bit crowded and rushed. "Beautiful place, a glimpse of historical luxury. ![]()
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