Abandoned National Road US 40 1818 Bridge & town tour! See it up close! Somerfield Pa History

The town of Somerfield in Somerset County PA was taken for the Yough Dam in 1946 and covered with water. Once in a while the water level is so low that the historic 1818 US 40 bridge comes out of the water. Here is some then and now along with film today.

[@kristy7174]

Love the old bridge. Its sad to see a town just be gone like that! All for progress! Great history lesson.

[@BFagan]

This is cool, stuff like this I love. Here in NY, we have Lake Delta, and has a town under water. Now, the water is getting lower and parts of the old, rotting roof tops can be visible from a boat, on a clear day. Many people I've talked to have said you can snag a fishing line on the old, church's steeple. Crazy stuff. I lived in Glasgow, MT for a year, and the Ft. Peck lake had homes under it. In the summer of 2006, I went there, and there was a 10 year drought that dropped the water level by nearly 40 feet. The once, full and fast running spill way was a dried up field, and if you stood up on a ridge from the side of the lake, you could make out what looked like houses and brick buildings. Can't see it, now, because the water level is back up. But was cool to see.

[@williamcharles9480]

The stone work on the old bridge is pure art.

[@rickster348]

+William Charles - back when art was real art.

[@ADITADDICTS]

+rickster348 Back when real was real!

[@Mynameismegalex]

+William Charles I don't mean to say this in any offensive way, but you wouldn't happen to be American, would you? I can only imagine that, America being a relatively young country, there aren't that many bridges there, and as I find this bridge to be rather usual (I'd even call it dull), I can only imagine you are, indeed, American. Again, I don't mean it in any degrading way, though that tends to be the trend nowadays.

[@ADITADDICTS]

Mynameismegalex No No your right about most of the architecture here being what I call cookie cutter construction. But there are some very beautiful older structures in the states. Nothing along the lines of the Gothic cathedrals or Neo-Gothic construction of early 18th century Europe, but then again this country isn't even half as old either. Hell when the ground breaking on Notre Dame cathedral started in the late 12th century, I don't think the vikings had even made it here yet.

[@williamcharles9480]

Mynameismegalex Your guess is correct in the fact that I'm American. There is absolutely no offense taken. I think that THE SLACKJAWMCGRAW's reply summed it up quite well. We are a very young country where examples of the masonic arts, before modern techniques were incorporated, are limited.

[@degooser2000]

These 'drowned' villages have always held a fascination with me, ever since my father took me to see the village of Derwent, (Derbyshire, England)which is just a few miles from us. It was 1976, I was 10 years old, and it was the first time the reservoir waters were low enough to properly reveal the village since it was submerged 30 years previously. The village was visible again in 2003, and I took my daughter to see it, and she also found it fascinating. Great video by the way.

[@valerief1231]

I like the simplicity of this video, like the camera moving with your steps, it made me feel almost as if I was there. Beautifully done. Thank you for sharing.

[@adammerrrick3509]

You deserve some sort of public service medal for this. Fab, superrrr cool.

[@MustangSam]

Excellent video and so amazing to see the comparison photo's. Enjoyed this very much!

[@benwicker5820]

No telling who's all walked across that bridge . Good video thanks .

[@ericluriergo8251]

Fascinating. You are an EXCELLENT Narrator and Docu-Filmmaker.

[@thetorchyblameseries8100]

After all these years since you first posted this video, it has become very relevant. Recent drought has caused new interest in the bridge. Thank you for your hard work in producing these videos. I just subscribed

[@rickster348]

- I seen this first hand when I was a kid where they build a dam and fill the land with water. Houses, old farm equipment, and graveyards were all covered over. Years later a teen girl was metal detecting along the bank and found three graves.

[@davidwillison2378]

Ironically I lived in Somerset County during th 1980s and still have many relatives in the area. I have never heard of this until now. That was a very interesting video and backstory. Thanks.

An 1818 bridge that insists on surviving for better than two hundred years, most of the time under 70 feet of water. Incredible. Imagine all of the horses, buckboards and buggies that crossed it to go into town.

[@Blissfully-Keto]

Very interesting to be able to see this so many years after the town disappeared in the flood. Thank you for sharing this.

[@abethepunk]

The water is down, I hope to check it out soon! Ty for the video

[@michaelmesler6234]

Nice history. My family is from, and buried in Fayette County. Their buried along this road. I'll have to check this out on my next visit. Thanks

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Great video that shows a long gone history and its town👍thanks for posting! Love watching history like this :-)

[@barbarapower6651]

what a great video! thanks so much for taking time out to share this with us!

[@RedoubtProductions1754]

I think what amazes me is the fact that bridge is in better condition than most you find above ground today that are that age. And to image that it's often under over fifty feet of water and how that pressure doesn't crush it is just beyond me. I really hope to go back before they fill it up because I meant to do a video similar to yours, but it was really rainy out and it completely drenched my good camera and fogged up my iphone.

[@garlitzhyperformancegarage8818]

my grandfather as a boy lived there for a short time, he got to visit the town and bridge before he died when the lake was this low back in the late 1990's, he showed us where he lived at that time and where he played! I love learning about local history, he was a Wiley, I'm a Garlitz, when my family name came to the United States, my relatives lived and worked in the town of Elk Lick now Salisbury PA! I live in Garrett County md, in between Grantsville and Frostburg! This video is awesome!

[@joelonderee2872]

Excellent job with this video!

[@sekhmet17]

Great video! Thanks for sharing! I love history like this!

[@00mondeoman]

Wow - totally amazing !! You're so fortunate to have the opportunity to explore the area and walk on the old bridge . I live very close to a similar flooded area with houses and such ,Blue Marsh lake , here in eastern PA . I've never seen anything like that though ! Thanks for the great video !

[@jasonjordan5391]

We have nothing like this in the uk, but awesome video I love the history of America.

[@jeffgrier8488]

Great video, thanks for sharing with us!

[@Automedon2]

I live by the Quabbin Reservoir (Massachusetts) where multiple towns were razed and flooded - every tree was cut (as it probably was here too), every building dismantled and every grave relocated. What a huge undertaking and much of it involved cutting trees by hand and hauling out the timber on wagons.

[@finn55cats]

I grew up near there and never got to see what you did. The water was never that low. Also got permission to detect 3 areas of beach from the army corp of engineers. Didn't fund all that much but had a great time!!!

[@marshabrown8337]

Thank you. Take care.

[@melissaivy5199]

This was a very very cool video but very sad what happened to this town and amazing that pictures still exist of what it looked before the flood..lots of people lost lives and shouldn't be forgotten should always be remembered!!!!

[@GDM700]

Awesome video, I love that you brought it back to life in a way. Thanks for sharing.

[@gaileichner4375]

There were many towns flooded including Pittsburg, PA & Cumberland, MD and others in between & after. Many elaborate dams and water control measures were made to save the greater cities with large manufacturing and railroads servicing them. Yes, there were sacrifices but, the small towns were being flooded along with the larger ones with more commerce and services. Yes the people would have been paid for their property although not as much as perhaps they should have received. Thanks for this & other videos.

[@JerryAndJulieMusic]

Such a cool video. Thanks for sharing. That is a part of history that I didn't know.

[@sjtom57]

One of your best then and now type films.

[@godbluffvdgg]

Great research! Being a philly native I had never heard of this...Thanks so much for the upload!

[@mrsx7944]

This was a great video.

[@StuffthatsGone]

Thank you. Most cant watch a vid past 2 mins so its hard to hold attention. This one 10 years old to boot. Not as good tech.

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

That's cool, thanks for sharing! That's a pretty modern touch on that old bridge having a sidewalk on it; that's something you usually only see on recent bridges. The children of that town will still be around, I wonder if any of them are stopping by. We have something similar here in Northern California, the city of Kennett was evacuated and flooded out when they built the Shasta Dam in '35.

[@daviddepaso6331]

I think that the part of the bridge that would stick out and is rounded was so that water would not hit a flat side of the bridge but disperse the water around posts during storms when the current would be strong. Just a guess. It is probably why they did that on the newer bridge.

[@almarosa154]

interesting video.good job.

[@vigconstruct7442]

What an awesome video, thank you sir.

[@jayyoutube8790]

I live on the Ohio/Pa state line (about 25mi away) and never knew that was even there... I enjoyed your video, thank you

[@shaunw9270]

Thanks for posting ,very interesting history. Just outside of Bristol, England where I live, there is Chew Valley Lake, also in the County of Somerset. It is a reservoir opened in 1956 by the Queen. Under it lies the village of Moreton .

[@ep61611]

I'm guessing that the "pieces jutting out" were to hold lamp posts (oil lamps) to provide lighting for crossing the bridge at night. The mirroring on the newer bridge would thus be for aesthetics only, since it doesn't appear to have any kind of lighting.

[@stevenhansen2766]

Your video and explanation of that step was breathtaking keep up that amazing style and factual reporting, you will be unstoppable !

[@TheSteelCityStorm]

Very Very co0l video. Enjoyed this very much & Thanks for taking the time to post it

[@pahaynes1]

I often walk over bridges that are 400 years old England is full of history, my home is 130 years old

[@kissarococo2459]

there is something about very old buildings. Enchanting things. I hope they strive to rescue this 200-year old bridge too now that its been revealed again.

[@RetroMMA]

@@kissarococo2459 Unfortunately, Pittsburgh -and Pennsylvania in general - no longer have respect for what was then: the blue collar ethic is dead...

[@crazychannel1478]

Wow I'd love to visit England 💕💕💕

[@samanthab1923]

Ellipsis of Triple Tap It is a shame that PennDot doesn't value the old bridges.

[@TheRattleSnake3145]

Great video!

[@jlc55armyce74]

The 1936 flood wasn't confined to PA. from Maine to South Carolina to the Ohio and Mississippi convergence had flooding. Basically because of heavy rains that year any river town east of the Mississippi had flooding. Many towns will have a building with recorded high water marks scribed on a corner. Some buildings are amazingly high above the current river and quite impressive that the water reached those levels. More impressive is the resiliency of the people who experienced the floods.

[@jimsoutdooradventures2748]

Great video, you have a new subscriber. I have been fascinated by abandoned places and things for years. I have noticed PA has a lot of abandoned places,either that or people just film more there. Keep up the great video's,,,I have to watch the rest of your video's now!

[@loughkb]

Very cool. I'd be down there with my metal detector for sure.

[@NancyLeigh]

+Kevin Loughin ill go with you!

[@donnag4940]

I had the same thought as you. There has to be all kinds of little treasures hidden under that mud.

[@SumDumGy]

That was my first thought. This is a detector's dream here.

[@ZarahJade1]

exactly what i said!

[@walterkersting9922]

Kevin Loughin I thought metal detector first. Then I thought lasagna.

[@denisepainter5996]

Those things that stick out on the bridge are called fishing pots in Florida. They were built so people could sit on the bridge and fish and not risk getting hit by a car. Back in the day a lot of people fished off of bridges to supplement their food supply, and since the best times to fish are dawn and dusk, and since the best times to hit someone on a road walking or sitting next to it are at dawn and dusk, some of the bridges back then were built with safe spots for people to sit.

[@williampalenikjr8433]

Cool to learn what has happened back in history.

[@fr33dumb0]

Fascinating! Thanks for posting this!

[@janrowe6423]

About a century ago, my great great grandfather Andrew Duff was fire boss at Century Mine. In 1912 Bridgeport Cemetery received compensation from mine owners for causing part of the cemetery to collapse. In 1917 above Duff's obit was a notice that someone had frozen to death living in a coke oven. During the Depression my great uncle Red Flint b 1911 remembered families living in coke ovens. In the 1970's we drove my beat up Karmann Ghia across the creek from Pike Mine to Jackson St. My brother and friends had their small motorcyles going Third Arch to Allison.

[@icare4you123]

Thanks for posting. That was something to see. I was interested in the stone work that was shown just briefly. It was at the end of the bridge. It looked octagonal, which I've seen in ancient structures. It would be interesting to know where the stone masons came from or where they learned their craft.

[@MsHatesHaters]

Fascinated by these lost underwater communities since viewing the 1999 film In Dreams. Prior to that I never knew that was how some reservoirs were created.

[@joconnor3846]

That was very enjoyable , we have a Dam near here , Burrendong Dam ( central west NSW , Australia ) that they flooded over a small town ,to construct and I've always been intrigued by the idea. About ten years ago we had a severe drought and dam levels dropped to such a level that you could see the foundations of the houses , they even found the remains of a light plane that had crashed into the dam back in the 70s killing three on board

[@sighpocket5]

Thanks that was really great!!

[@BeCoShooter]

Very cool, Thanks for sharing. Even though I don't there, I really admirer Pennsylvania for it's rich history.

[@58belvedere]

Looks like a great place to relic hunt and metal detect!

[@onrr1726]

most likely the heavy reinforcement on the bridge footings have to do with preventing ice flow damage in the spring. These heavy enforcements are only put on the side facing against the flow of the water..

[@eloyex]

wow ......... very interesting facts ...........

[@RebelJew777]

Awesome video thanks for the share.

[@Aeoline]

The loss of that lovely, elegant old bridge seems a tragedy in itself. I'm surprised it was not a Scheduled Ancient Monument and protected from such destruction.

[@Hawgfrog]

Honestly I wouldn't be afraid to drive across the bridge if it was possible. It's amazing how water has the power to destroy but also preserve. I love going up when this is exposed. I'd love to see lake fully drained just one time.

[@alikelsall6214]

How lovely to see how it was x

[@tooge47]

I've noticed your KZbin channel is titled "stuffthats Gone." You could do a video on my savings account !!!

[@decconnell4028]

Thanks for vid! History shared by local historians is far more interesting and revealing! (No pun intended ;))

[@andreatomassini202]

Cool. I also found interesting, from an Italian point of view, that since you build houses using wood, a town that's been underwater for just 70 years is now almost completely vanished..and that a 200 years old bridge is "old" for you, while I'm used to 2000 years old structures still standing....

[@james5460]

+Andrea Tomassini I agree about the 2000 year old monuments in Italy. The buildings in this town, though, were probably removed before the flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers would make them do that because leaving the houses would have disrupted the flow of water and posed a hazard to navigation.

[@andreatomassini202]

***** I see...makes sense

[@shaneraven2621]

I can't help but feel sad for somerset county 😔 I live in somerset England. .

[@GilbertAlicea]

this is fascinating! Did just dry up over the years and now this one time community re-emerged? I know of an area similar to this story located in Armonk, NY. where my husband is from and showed me this very interesting place. As you travel over the bridge there you can clearly see a steeple of a church which the water i suppose has receded and this steeple is peeking out. The rest of the area is still submerged under water.

[@daisyswimmer7728]

Awesome vid. I don't usually comment on vids on You Tube. This one really piqued my interest. I love the before photos posed in front of the modern view. GREAT JOB!

[@olarky1]

We have a similar thing in Montana Arkansas where a Bohimean grove Kind of thing was built in 1900 .Hotel and amphitheater and other features that can be seen when the water resides on Beaver lake . Has always been linked to lay lines crossing and sitanic worship .The place is very eerie but I have caught some fish there when it is flooded .

[@bigrig0625]

Edger Allen Where is Montana Arkansas? Can't find it on maps

[@olarky1]

Just east of Rogers in Bever lake . It was some what flooded when the dam was built but is exposed when the lake is at its lowest .

[@olarky1]

High Way 23 dead ends in to it and is now a good boat ramp . you tube has some photo tours on it and some photos of it before the lake .

[@FloraDubya]

Edger Allen that happened where Greers Ferry lake is now, as well. I believe the Army Corps of Engineers built the man made lakes or reservoirs. I do recall being at one of the dedication ceremonies and if my memory serves me correct it was JFK who came.

[@bigrig0625]

JoAnn Wilson Locals told me that JFK dedicated a park near Heber Springs just 2 weeks before his assasination.

[@bizwapshiznitstain]

So cool--I love it.

[@paulsalmon5928]

Very interesting video on this long lost town and bridge. Thanks so much for sharing.....

[@ofamilyonthemove1238]

The only thing that disappointed me about this video was that I realized I had already seen it a while back. 😕 Great video!

[@misha2197]

Wow this is so cool!

[@SoonerSasquatch]

very interesting.... thanks for sharing.

[@appraised7090]

Sooner Sasquatch I agree, very interesting.

[@janetfolchetti8008]

appraised

[@Gypsy839]

I find this very interesting and informative!

[@jillpeacock4540]

I never lived there. But my daughter went to Penn State. I thought it's beautiful there. All the trees rivers and mountains. It's sad knowing about the flood wiping it all away.

[@steviebboy69]

A place like that reminds me of old Tallangatta, a North eastern Victoria township that was relocated because of Lake hume. Most of the houses and such were relocated before they flooded it.

[@henryfranqui3634]

good video and history of the town..... question why is there no water there now...

[@gerardcousineau3200]

Yes Why

[@StrawberryCopper]

+Henry Franqui It's the same, here in Indiana. The Mississinewa lake is lowered in the winter. We walked out onto the streets of old Somerset. Grandma showed us the foundation of the house she lived in as a child(the house was picked up and moved and still stands today). With the lake lowered, the boat ramps went forever. A few times in the '60's, we went sledding down the ramps and out onto the frozen lake. All the graves in the area were moved to a new location, but were kept together is there own sections. Of course, old cemetary records are hardly accurate. Grandma lived in Peru, IN, and occasionally there'd be reports of "remains" or "partial caskets" found sticking out of the mud along the lake. Folks in Haz-Mat suits would collect the 'find' and rebury them. The story of Frances Slocum is connected to this area(her familys' graves were moved as well). Very interesting history of this woman.

[@apocalyptic3837]

Drought u idiot why else do you think there are cracks in the ground

[@jodyohara9312]

+Pig Twins only a true idiot would spell you with one letter.

[@apocalyptic3837]

+Jody O'Hara its a habit, Grammer Police

[@stephanieclarke6963]

Great video i love all that history is just submerged under water, and that it shows itself after all those years as if to say dont forgeg me i was here. sad in a way. I love stuff like this. the History....

[@brianjames4169]

Stephanie Clarke, Makes one wonder where all the water’s gone.

[@joshmiller1928]

That's crazy! I love in Indianapolis, In and and 22 blocks from Washington St. (US 40)

[@joshmiller1928]

Live*

[@kardro1]

Fascinating!

[@asherdie]

amazing how much the old Bridge sank into the soil.

[@risingsun49]

This is great thank you.

[@2xduranfan]

My grandparent's home in Hiawassee, GA was lost when Lake Chatugue flooded as part of the TVA Hiawassee Dame project. This happened in a lot of areas in the country, partially as a way to create jobs post Depression and with the need to generate electricity.

[@nickmad887]

Good video thanks

[@creative-name5279]

I'd imagine most of this town was made of wood? That's why there's so little left of it. It was all washed downriver in the flood. The reason why only the foundations are left over is because they were the only things made of concrete/stone at the time. I'm honestly shocked though. Not a single house was left standing. I would have like to see what it had looked like when it was colonized with coral reefs and stuff.

[@metromrtro9122]

Interesting. I love history and the way things were seams like everything is to fast now

[@TheRattleSnake3145]

great video, thanks!

[@GhostHunterWV]

Good stuff!

[@richelleshow9934]

Very interesting. Thank u for sharing. Is the water level in this area usually this low? Wondering if there was a drought? Ty.

[@10star9]

Great Video I travel thought in the 90s deliver Golfs to Ski Resort

[@aussiedrifter]

Really interesting Mate.

[@maceyofgrandbend]

cool vids like history stuff , cheers

[@bobbiethompson2075]

My family had a cottage right on the lake, sold 10 yrs. ago. Every so often they would let water out either for use in Pittsburgh or for recreational use at Ohiopyle (shooting the rapids). I have NEVER seen it this low. Does anyone know why?If so please tell. Thanks.

[@PopCultureFan_]

Interesting🤔 and i mostly 'liked' this becuase the man's voice who narrates it is so nice..🙃 lol

[@MrDjh66]

Yes blackguard I love going to lake delta when visiting friends in rome

[@mks9343]

Thank you!