Harold Fredericks 100 years Old! By Rich Onorevole On December 12th, 2013 the Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee celebrated Harold Fredericks 100th birthday at their annual dinner at the Lafayette House in Lafayette Township. Present were members of Harold's family and the event was co-hosted by Bob Nicholson Sr and Bob Nicholson III. Harold is, at 100 years old, just as a remarkable person that he was when he graduated college in 1934. He can still relate the memories that he experienced while growing up and living along the Susquehanna Railroad. His father, Harry Fredericks was the station agent at the Oak Ridge station for forty years. he also was the local postmaster for 33 years. In those days, a group of "locals" (who would be called "railfans" today), would congregate daily to greet the 6:30PM mail train. The stories that evolved here did much to shape Harold's admiration of the NYS&W. His Father also operated a small coal yard along the tracks at Oak Ridge, which also added to his experiences. He also has authored the widely heralded book "The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad" which many consider to be the definitive work on this railroad. Harold's talk on December 12th, was that of a summer-land vacation of a young man who traveled by train to the Karamac Inn by the Delaware Water Gap. Sadly, the Inn is long gone, and the tracks long abandoned. But the memories are alive through people like Harold, who also provided much input to new endeavors such as the hiking trails such as the Paulinskill valley Trail that now exist in the area. Harold showed that he can still relate the hundreds of stories based on his experiences of growing up along the Susquehanna. And he can still present a captivating slide show with many of the excellent images that he recorded during his lifetime. A humble individual, he graciously has assisted many historical groups by sharing his knowledge and materials. Time may have slowed him a bit, but he still has a twinkle in his eye when a subject that interests him arises....which is quite often. He is a treasure that many of us have had the privilege to share, and God has blessed us with having him for a century of memories!
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