GROUNDHOG DAY CAROLS AND CAKE CELEBRATE
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TROLLEY BRIDGE CENTENNIAL IN DARBY
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Darby Borough- Local citizens hosted a celebration in honor of the 100th birthday of a historic trolley bridge at noon on Saturday, January
31, 2004 at the bridge, located across from the DarbyTransportationCenter at 9th and Main Streets in Darby. It was a wonderful celebration
and very cold. The bridge, a Warren Pony-Truss bridge, was placed in service in January of 1904 and served two trolley lines, one to Media
via Folsom and one to Wilmington via Chester. Local trolley historian Joel Spivak said a few words about the bridge and about its place in
local transportation history. Local musicians Jan and John Haigis led a sing-along of their Groundhog Day Carols to celebrate the
changing seasons. "These are new words to familiar tunes" said John Haigis, "and since Groundhog Day represents the halfway point
between the winter solstice and spring equinox, it seems fitting to celebrate the bridge as we celebrate the hoped for arrival of spring."
"The bridge played an important part in the development of Darby as a transportation hub connecting with SoutheasternDelawareCounty,"
said historian and trolley enthusiast Ed Havens. "Even though this was a very common type of bridge, it may be the last one of its type built
for trolley service still standing in the United States" The bridge will become part of the new DarbyTransportationCenter.