Ever been driving in Lackawanna County’s Mid-Valley and been told to take a left at the anchor?
There is a giant anchor at an intersection in Blakely, and it’s there in honor of the borough’s namesake.
Naval war hero Johnston Blakely was captain of the sloop-of-war “Wasp” during the War of 1812. A sloop-of-war was a particular type of warship, featuring a single gun deck with 18 guns.
Captain Blakely was said to have had a courageous naval career – some historians call him the most successful American naval officer of that war, but he was ultimately lost at sea just a few years later, in 1814 – he didn’t live long enough to enjoy the accolades he’d eventually receive.
The anchor that stands in his honor was erected in 1976. The anchor came from the USS Wasp, a ship that served the United States during World War II.
