Mad Orange Sunset ...

 “Meanwhile the sunsets are mad orange fools raging in the gloom....”

    ~ Jack Kerouac

        ~ 1922-1969

It’s a mad orange sunset as an early spring sundown in late March creates silhouetted beauty surrounding the rooftop observation area of Trexler Environmental Center.

The solar panels seen in the foreground provide a significant portion of the energy needs of the building.

Located in the Central Range of Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, the center is at one of the preserve’s highest elevations and one of the spots that offer spectacular views at the 1,100 acre preserve.

When the late General Harry Clay Trexler (1854-1933) established the preserve in the early 1900s, he did it to save the American bison, elk and white-tailed deer from extinction and assure the species’ survival. 

A conservationist along the lines of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, General Trexler understood the importance of nature and preserving wildlife in its natural habitat.

A successful businessman who amassed a fortune in the timber and cement industries and founded the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, General Trexler began purchasing small farms in the low hills of Lehigh County in 1906. By 1913, he had transported eight bison and 20 Virginia white-tailed deer to the preserve. The elk followed soon after.

When General Trexler died in 1933, he bequeathed the property to the residents of Lehigh County. Today, the Trexler Nature Preserve is open to the public for passive recreation and nature watching.

The General And His Steed ...

“Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.”

 (“If you seek his monument, look around.”)

  ~ Epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, of which he was architect. The phrase is generally used to describe a person’s legacy – and can be taken to mean that what we leave behind (including intangible things like relationships) best represents our life.

General Harry C. Trexler looks majestic and stately on horseback as the beauty of a summer afternoon brushes this beautiful bronze statue of his image at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The statue depicts General Trexler on his horse, Jack 'O Diamonds.

I presented the image in sepia to enhance the nostalgic mood.

General Trexler (1854-1933) is the father of Allentown’s park system. He was an industrialist, agriculturist, philanthropist, conservationist and soldier. The park is his namesake.

During his lifetime, General Trexler contributed a great deal to the growth and quality of life in the City of Allentown and the surrounding County of Lehigh. 

This bronze statue of General Trexler was presented to the City of Allentown by his trustees Nolan P. Benner, William B. Butz, Joseph S. Young, Carl J.W. Hessinger and Richard E. White. It was commissioned January 16, 1979 and dedicated May 8, 1982.

General Trexler was a great man, and I’m personally very thankful to him, as Trexler Memorial Park and Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania are two of my very favorite places to be and to photograph.