Curtis Stone, 92, of Brooklyn, throws out the first pitch July 26 at the Railriders baseball game at PNC Field. Stone competed in three consecutive Olympics, starting in 1948, as a long distance runner. Stone represented the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Martins Creek Viaduct Centennial Celebration Committee on the field.
While performing athletic feats is nothing new to Curtis Stone, 92-year-old former Olympic long distance runner, throwing out the first pitch at the Railriders baseball game at PNC Field on July 26 was a thrill for him.
Stone is a native of Brooklyn, Pa., and competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics starting in 1948.
During his running career he won fourteen AAU first place Gold Medals in distance running. He also served in the military during World War II.
David Palmer, an active member of the Brooklyn Historical Society, arranged for the Martins Creek Viaduct Centennial Celebration Committee to be featured at the PNC Stadium. Eighty-four Susquehanna County citizens gathered for the game representing the centennial celebration committee.
The weather was very hot and sunny as Curtis was driven to the field in a golf cart along with David Palmer and Richard Zick. During an interview in the pregame activities, Zick provided a historical overview of the Martins Creek Viaduct, a part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western (DL&W) Rail Road’s Hallstead Cutoff, which is located between Kingsley and Hop Bottom on Route 11.
A huge 100th anniversary celebration of the viaduct is planned for Saturday, September 5, beginning at noon in Kingsley, a small town nestled in the northeast corner of Susquehanna County.
Highlighting some of the events of the celebration, Zick noted that there would be a chicken barbecue, face painting, live music, hay rides to the viaduct, and a reenactment of the Cloud Dance with music by the famous Lenoxville Band. This unique Cloud Dance will be the theme to celebrate the bridge.
The original Cloud Dance was a community celebration of the nearly completed rail bed, which was hosted by the F.M. Talbot Company and the DL&W Engineers hosted the event as an “Aerial Dance” atop the viaduct at on Thursday, September 3, 1914, at 8 p.m.
The dance was conducted on the first pier of the giant bridge under electric lights. Approximately 200 people participated. A carriage was used to raise and lower dancers via a huge steam powered construction derrick. Music for the evening was provided by the Oppenheim Orchestra of New York City. Following the dance, trains left Kingsley station at 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. Patronesses of the unique affair included Mrs. W.L. Lozier of Kingsley and Mrs. M.B. Knowles of Nicholson.
Pictures of the actual event were secured with the help of Patrick McKnight, historian at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton.
A history of the bridge is being prepared by Dr. John Darcy, who grew up in the community, and will be available for purchase.
All are encouraged to mark their calendars for two weekends in September.
The day-long celebration of the Martins Creek Viaduct cosponsored by The Brooklyn and Harford Historical Societies will be held Sept. 5; and Sept. 11-13 will be a weekend celebration of the Nicholson Bridge, officially titled the Tunkhannock Viaduct, and is sponsored by The Nicholson Heritage Association. Many individuals have volunteered their expertise to plan what they hope will be a truly memorable celebration.
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