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We’re exploring a town that is completely gone - lost by every meaning of the word, more so than any town we’ve looked into on this channel. The ghost town we’re visiting was Lausanne - home of a tavern, a sawmill, and not much else. Yet, despite the size of the settlement, some historians claim it played a critical role in kickstarting America’s Industrial Revolution.
We’re stopping at several interesting ruins along the way, following along a lost highway; a deserted turnpike through the woods that once held the title of the most dangerous public road in America, thanks to robbers and bandits that once lurked in these woods. The ruins along this road have been incorrectly labeled as Lausanne by most explorers on YouTube, but the ruins are well outside of the town. In this video, we're exploring the true history of those ruins, then exploring the actual site of Lausanne.
The nearby town of Jim Thorpe is a popular tourist destination, especially during the spring and fall, with the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railroad taking passengers up the Lehigh River on excursions to see the changing forest colors. Jim Thorpe was named for a Native American Olympic athlete, but before him, the town was known as Mauch Chunk, meaning Bear Place, in Lenni-Lenapi. This beautiful town, winding up the canyon, is popularly advertised as the Switzerland of America.
But before Jim Thorpe had that title, it was Lausanne that was called the Switzerland of America. In fact, chances are the name Lausanne itself likely originates from the province in Switzerland of the same name.
Get a copy of Vince's book on Lausanne here:
https://www.amazon.com/History-Carbon-County-Outpost-Lehigh/dp/B0C3ZCN6N7
You can find Vince's other books here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Vince-Hydro/author/B0028ESNHS