History

Searching For The Lost South Philadelphia Improvements Under The 25th Street Elevated

On the west side of South Philly, the 25th Street Elevated rail viaduct clearly defines it the boundaries of the Grays Ferry and Point Breeze neighborhoods. Over a dozen trains, including oil trains like the one that derailed over the Schuylkill River recently, rumble its weathering 86-year-old bones every day. Chris Dougherty goes back a century to find the Elevated’s origins in the heyday of the rail industry—and civic reform

History

A Petaled Rose Of Hell: Refineries, Fire Risk, And The New Geography Of Oil In Philadelphia’s Tidewater

As Will Bunch reveals in his Daily News report today, the increasing rail transport of crude oil through the city may be a threat to public safety. In this investigation, Hidden City contributor Christopher Dougherty explores Philadelphia’s dangerous history with oil refining and transport—and contemporary industry changes that are putting increased pressure on local infrastructure