I definitely for the creepy sense when stepping inside the bunkers especially since I went during warm weather and the bunkers were a lot cooler than outside. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  This is so cool! 3 people watched. A petition was filed in March of 1942 in the federal courthouse in Scranton, seeking the right of immediate condemnation of 7,604 acres of the White Deer Valley, and possession of all properties within the Ordinance Works as well as other properties outside of the Ordinance fences. Cracow (Poland) has a few bunkers from the WW2. A visit today to the bunkers in the former town of Alvira, Pennsylvania. We have plenty of amazing sites right here in the Keystone State! I used to dream about that bridge. The government tore down the buildings and built 149 "igloo" styled bunkers for storing explosive material for the war. 1884-2198 Alvira Road, Gregg Township, Union County . Destination PA: Bunkers of Alvira WTAJ | 07-07 ALLENWOOD, Pa. (WTAJ) — If you’re looking for a day trip this summer, nature lovers and history fans would enjoy an easy road trip out to Union County, where a historical landmark called the “Bunkers of Alvira” are located. Hi Cassie! Local News, Events, & Local History ========= December EVENTS: ==…, The Last Easter Service At The Old Stone Church, 1942, ============================================. bunkers of alvira is abandoned ammunition bunkers from wwii. COMMENTS: No current residents. A TNT factory and 100 some bunkers where built to hold the explosives. Located on state game lands a short distance south of Williamsport are the Alvira Bunkers. https://carlaanapurus.com/, Lookes like it was so much fun for the boys. 1884-2198 Alvira Road, Gregg Township, Union County . This town has so much history and is interesting to visit. Plan your road trip to The Bunkers of Alvira in PA with Roadtrippers. My great-great grandparents – Alvira, PA. Not much else remains of the town. Author email; Follow Justin Engle Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Located in state game lands, you will find 149 concrete domed bunkers created by the federal government, as well as overgrown remains of the village of Alvira, Pennsylvania. Alvira, Pennsylvania and The Bunkers A while back my friend Jared and I visited Pennsylvania State Game Lands 252 near Allenwood, Pennsylvania which is where the town of Alvira once existed. Thanks for sharing! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Although tour-guides usually don’t mention them, it’s worthy visiting them. 150 storage bunkers, 17 miles of railroad track, 55 miles of roads, and 300 buildings replaced what was once the town of Alvira. Alvira Bunker Evidence; After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the United States was determined to ramp up production of necessary war materials, at all costs. This was a very exciting adventure for you and your family. Plan your road trip to The Bunkers of Alvira in PA with Roadtrippers. We bundled up, plugged the address in the GPS and headed out Saturday morning. View All. Alvira a farming community founded in 1825 as "Wisetown" and had 100 inhabitants by 1900 the town of Alvira contained a blacksmith shop, school, post office, several shops, and three churches. They abandoned their homes when the U.S. government needed the land to build 149 concrete, igloo-style bunkers to house its rapidly expanding stockpile of explosives. A small town which housed approximately 100 people; Eminent Domain was exercised on Alvira during the spring of 1942. My 10 year old brought his birthday present from his grandparents, a new metal detector. As you walk along the trails, there are bunkers spread out. It’s always a great way to rendre hommage to those people who fought for their country during WW2. I cannot wait until our next trip to cross another unique place off our list. The homes and structures were all burnt to the ground. So cool. Children have surely taken even greater lesson than from school. In order to meet an increased demand for munitions, the federal government leveled the town to … Please keep up your good work and post such informative articles. Such a shame but still awesome bucket list adventure there! Sign in or sign up to post comments. The Alvira Bunkers - Abandoned Places - Ghost Town - STIFFCHIN - STILLFIN STILLFIN & STIFFCHIN Explore the Alvira Bunkers. Discover Bunkers of Alvira in Allenwood, Pennsylvania: Over 100 concrete munitions bunkers are all that remain of a Pennsylvanian village seized by the US government. REMAINS: 3 cementarys, 2 old church foundations, several house foundations. The Amazing History of Alvira and the White Deer Valley Alvira once had been a lovely, yet isolated, community. This isn’t to far from us so we might need to do this over the summer. The plank bottom made a noise. So much history here and around the world, Thanks for sharing with us. The scans found no indication of uranium or other gamma-emitting radioactive elements above the natural background levels, the report states. 150 storage bunkers, 17 miles of railroad track, 55 miles of roads, and 300 buildings replaced what was once the town of Alvira. Mar 18, 2017 - Discover Bunkers of Alvira in Allenwood, Pennsylvania: Over 100 concrete munitions bunkers are all that remain of a Pennsylvanian village seized by the US government. 01:28. | 4K Panasonic Lumix G7 Cinematic Test | Bunkers of Alvira in Allenwood, PA (4/14/18) on Vimeo Some of the bunkers can still be seen. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  They then bulldozed the town and built an explosives factory with many igloo shaped storage bunkers throughout the area. You could almost feel the workers making the bunkers. Change ). Alvira Bunker Evidence; After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the United States was determined to ramp up production of necessary war materials, at all costs. makes you think of all the people our countries lost. I love finding abandoned places. You can still see some of the foundations of the houses and buildings that were torn down. Tumblr is a place to express yourself, discover yourself, and bond over the stuff you love. Located on State Game Lands, this hidden gem is home to 150 Military Bunkers Spanned across Acres of Wilderness. Although recently discovered papers link this area to the Manhattan project, and radioactive waste was stored here, there are no traces of radiation in this area. Discover Bunkers of Alvira in Allenwood, Pennsylvania: Over 100 concrete munitions bunkers are all that remain of a Pennsylvanian village seized by the US government. The Pennsylvania Game Commission Map shows the locations of the bunkers, which are still on the property today: (Molly is wearing her "I'm not a Rabbit" vest, hiking during hunting season). It was also remote enough to keep the activities somewhat private and out of view. Wonderful read. My son would love to do something like this. Back in 1942, the United States government expropriated through Eminent Domain all property within the Town of Alvira, established in 1825 as Wisetown and re-named in the 1860s, for use as a munitions depot. Apr 9, 2017 - Discover Bunkers of Alvira in Allenwood, Pennsylvania: Over 100 concrete munitions bunkers are all that remain of a Pennsylvanian village seized by the US government. View all posts by Cassandra. By 1942, the town included schools, a gas station, a blacksmith shop, and a church, along with other businesses, and had a population of over 100. In 1942, the US Government took over the small town of Alvira and razed all the buildings in order to build 149 ammunition bunkers to prepare for World War 2 to come to our shores. Bunkers of Alvira | Credit: atlasobscura. We have plenty of amazing sites right here in the Keystone State! Thanks for stopping by! See the Documentary this week-end at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg, Followed by a talk at the Barnes & Noble Book Store Across The Street, "To add to the excitement of the Alvira documentary showing day, March 31, Steve and Martha Huddy, the “SURRENDER!” filmmakers, and Paul Metzger, author of “Deeds of the Valley: The Land that Became the Ordnance” will be holding a discussion regarding Alvira in the 3rd floor community room in the Barnes and Noble across the street from the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg. A TNT factory and 100 some bunkers where built to hold the explosives. The rest of the ordnance and farms were located on properties now owned or controlled by the Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex, Pennsylvania College of Technology, White Deer Golf Course and other individuals. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Wow! I’d love the woods but not the bunkers so much. Bunkers from WW2 sounds intriguing. Welcome to the Alvira (historical) google satellite map! 1 people watched. What an interesting place to visit. Many of the bunkers are hidden by brush or almost entirely covered by foliage during the warmer months. The first bunker was right down the path and was locked. Thank you for sharing such an important (but not so well-known abroad) piece of history. The majority of the easily accessible bunkers are welded or locked shut, but some were left open. Btw. There is also debris stored in them from the park service. The walls are decorated with writings about size and numbers from the builders we were guessing and also with graffiti from past visitors. This event is over, but the movie is still available for purchase  - or you can borrow it from the Union County Public Library. I love to bring my family to places where they can learn about our history. Find More Posts About Our Local History Here: with a love of Genealogy & Local History. The parking area will be on your left and you’ll see this sign: It might not look like much at first, just a wooded and field area. That turned into a game the whole time we were up there for who could find the most shells. Lovely description. I think its great you and your family take time to travel around often near you. I love history and would love to add this to my itinerary. My 10 year old scrambled up the dirt mound to try to look down the air pipe but was too dark so he decided to start using his metal detector. The old munition bunkers are a must see. Each bunker held 250,000 pounds of TNT, which had been shipped in in wooden crates. When I first heard about it I was sad. I visited this and Centralia in the same day. The 149 "igloo style" bunkers housed munitions some of which believed to be radioactive. In the spring of 1942 the federal government seized the town and evicted the residents. Great history lesson for the kids and yourself cant wait to see your next trip! The site was likely chosen for it's proximity to the Reading Railroad, which made it easy to transport materials to the facility. 4,200 acres deeded to the US Bureau Of Prisons (This is where the prison complex, and the landfill are now located), 3,018 acres were given to the Game Commission, 220 acres were given to Lycoming County (a golf course is now on this land), 400 acres were given to Williamsport Area Community College (Now PennTech), (I learned recently that the land was never returned because it could not be - it is too contaminated. This seems like a really cool place. Single mom traveling to inspire other parents to travel with their kids. ALLENWOOD, Pa. (WTAJ) — If you’re looking for a day trip this summer, nature lovers and history fans would enjoy an easy road trip out to Union County, where a historical landmark called the “Bunkers of Alvira” are located. It was interesting enough to draw the attention of even my 13 year old. I love going to different historical sites and taking it all in. The church is on the federal prison property, and is only open to the public for special events such as the Christmas service. Looks like you had a great time here, it’s a wonderful way to let kids know more about the history as well. Justin Engle. The need for TNT production had been overestimated, and the entire operation ceased 11 months after it began. Bunkers of Alvira In the time when vegetation came back to life in 1942, the federal government seized a small village in north eastern Pennsylvania called Alvira. Photographs of bunker are telling lot about this less known place. The room is about 15 feet high and about 25 feet diameter in a circle. While we were walking, I answered what questions I could for the kids about World War 2. Name Alvira Categories. US Army Bases MilitaryBases.com. This sounds like an amazing adventure and an experience to remember. It will be held immediately following the showing of the film, at approximately 2pm. Old town-tomb stones date back to the early 1800's. The Alvira Bunkers - Abandoned Places - Ghost Town - STIFFCHIN - STILLFIN STILLFIN & STIFFCHIN Explore the Alvira Bunkers. ", https://www.pahomepage.com/news/hidden-history-bunkers-of-alvira/844987687. The bunkers are located on the state game lands so … Two of her brothers, Dale and Robert, and a sister, Marion, were born in Alvira… It later did the same on two igloos on the game land that had been identified as holding the uranium shavings in barrels. It’s about 20 minutes south of Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series. Today the site is known by the memorable name "State Game Lands 252". 2 days ago . Apr 10, 2016 - The Munitions Bunkers of Alvira, Pennsylvania - Located in state game lands, you will find 149 concrete domed bunkers created by the federal government, as well as overgrown remains of the village of Alvira, Pennsylvania. The government tore down the buildings and built 149 "igloo" styled bunkers for storing explosive material for the war. There are so many unknown places to know, informative post. It's where your interests connect you with your people. All in all a wonderful way to dive back in time and look at history! All that remains are a few cemeteries, and the stone church where residents learned they were losing their land. There is so much history to be found right outside our back doors. On March 7 1942, residents gathered at the Christ Lutheran Church, where they were told that the government needed their land for the war effort, but that they would be able to repurchase it after the war ended. For urban explorers, there is a different reason to go to this deserted town: the Bunkers of Alvira. Up Next. It has tons of fascinating stories, though, beyond the legacy of the Founding Fathers, Liberty Bell, and the Battle of Gettysburg. After the land of Alvira was seized, the Susquehana Ordnance Depot was built to manufacture and store explosives. Making TNT is a "sloppy process", and that land is too contaminated to ever be farmed again.). About 4 miles to the north west of Allenwood PA. If you purchase something through one of those links, I may earn a small commission. If a bunker exploded, it needed to be placed far enough away from the other bunkers that it did not cause another bunker to explode, preventing a domino effect. Alvira WW2 Bunkers Our goal to travel to an unique new place within our state or close by every weekend took us to a small town called Allenwood, PA this weekend. Be the first to comment. One of the 149 abandoned Alvira bunkers in Union County. Another consideration may have been the proximity to the Susquehanna River - which could provide the water needed for the TNT plant. Bunkers of Alvira. During the interview, Huddy said Alvira was among 76 … A US government project in the 1940s to… by thethoughtpolice It's where your interests connect you with your people. This site uses Google Analytics. The drive up was perfect, the kids spent their time looking out at the scenery and asking questions about things that we passed such as the white Statue of Liberty in the Susquehanna River (which is a really neat story so be sure to google it). Villagers from the tiny town of Alvira in northcentral Pennsylvania are some of World War II’s unsung heroes. The operation included 149 concrete bunkers for storing explosive materials. I'm a single mom of 5 amazing children, travel blogger and rock star virtual assistant. Wow, such a great deal of historical information. Thanks for sharing! It was secluded, remote from Williamsport to the north and Harrisburg to the south. It was interesting enough to draw the attention of even my 13 year old. These bunkers were built to house explosive munitions as part of the Susquehanna Ordnance Depot. For urban explorers, there is a different reason to go to this deserted town: the Bunkers of Alvira. The Alvira Bunkers are hidden away in state game lands near Williamsport. There are several munition bunkers (or igloos) back there though and people like to hike and check them out. In a few places you can see foundations of homes or old steps that now lead to nowhere. One place, in particular, with interesting history is the abandoned town of Alvira, which was at one point seized by the United States government and transformed from a village into a compound of munitions bunkers. Alvira (historical) car rental Compare Alvira (historical) car rental offers of 500+ suppliers. Apr 10, 2016 - The Munitions Bunkers of Alvira, Pennsylvania - Located in state game lands, you will find 149 concrete domed bunkers created by the federal government, as well as overgrown remains of the village of Alvira, Pennsylvania.