By Sarah Taylor
It had never occurred to me after living decades in Linnton, that I could walk down by the river but there we were watching Darcelle get out of a limousine with the mayor and lead us down 107th to the river.
Photo of Darcelle XV
There was a proposal to make a large waterfront park with a reconstructed main street. There was alot of support for the idea and it was about to go to City Council for the necessary zoning changes.
I try to remember the walk and what it looked like that day. I remember that we had to walk though many trees and shrubs and that the river was not so far down the bank. The land sloped to the river and we could easily imagine our new beachfront park. As Darcelle and the mayor walked, the man who was once Walter Cole shared his memories of the area with joy. I believed it would happen, but days later it was defeated through the powerful opposition of the Working Waterfront Coalition.
The sloping trees and shrubs and river land would remain heavy industrial and be covered in fill. Today the land is fenced off and the river sits beneath a steep bank. The priceless mill houses have mostly been destroyed.
I am grateful for my walk with Darcelle and his memories of Linnton and for all the people of Linnton who tried so hard to save the riverfront town. As I work to turn the easement along the river into a reality, I sometimes think of that walk with Darcelle and feel his encouragement. Linnton was always a story worth telling and a town worth saving.