Bob Huffman, 86, will never forget what happened in Middle Smithfield Township on June 26th, 1964.

He recalled, “I was sleeping and the next thing you know, I’m on the floor. I lived three miles away, and it knocked me on the floor in my bedroom.”

Bob, a member of the Marshalls Creek Fire Company, raced to the scene. He learned a truck carrying dynamite blew two tires and eventually exploded, killing six people, including three fellow volunteer firefighters.

“It was just unbelievable. You looked and saw three firetrucks and I said, ‘this is awful.’ It was a very emotional day,” he said.

Before the explosion, the truck driver left the scene to get help. His truck had no visible markings to indicate it was carrying explosives. The deadly blast made national news and changed federal safety regulations.

“It hurt the community really bad, because nothing like this happens in Marshalls Creek,” Bob added.

A historical marker on Route 209 honors the six lives lost. It's one of eighteen historical markers in Monroe County. And now, you can explore those noteworthy events through the Monroe County Historical Marker Passport Program.

“With an old type of passport, you would go around and get the passport stamped. But now, we have QR codes on every sign. You just scan it, and the goal is to get people to visit the different sites,” explained David Parker, Chairman, America250PA Monroe & Monroe County Commissioner (D).

This program is part of America250PA, the Commonwealth's effort to engage all 67 counties in organizing events and initiatives to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

Learn about the prehistoric Mastodon skeleton unearthed by a peat farmer, the Stroudsburg man paid to take President Lincoln’s place in the Union Army during the Civil War, and the local lawyer behind the controversial Palmer Raids during the Red Scare.

“We have a rich history here, and we want to make people aware of it,” Parker added.

Visit all eighteen markers for your chance to win a $250 gift card or check in at twelve sites to receive a print by local artist Frederick Beaver. One requirement - you'll have to visit the location it depicts, The Old Mill in Hamilton Township, which was a notable part of Sullivan’s March in 1779 during the Revolutionary War.

“The purpose, under orders from General George Washington, was to chastise the Iroquois and the British Tories for acts of harassing settlers on the frontier,” said Mark Indzonka, historian.

Mark Indzonka participates in historical reenactments, keeping history alive. He says General Sullivan’s army marched through Monroe County and stopped for supplies at Brinker’s Mill.

“What’s standing here today is not the original mill. It was a log cabin type of structure back then. There was also a warehouse here where they had stores for the soldiers laid out,” Indonka explained.

Back in Middle Smithfield Township, Bob still goes back to 1964 and the explosion that changed his life. He says that night, his parents didn't wake him up when the initial call came in for a truck fire because he was up late at a scene the night before. Bob feels lucky to be alive and wants history to be forever marked in your heart, as it is in his.

He added, “people had to drive here to see what was going on. I mean, the roads were packed. And I’ll never forget the funeral. It was very, very sad.”

The Monroe County Historical Marker Passport Program runs through 2026, and you're encouraged to explore the trail at your leisure. Visit mc250pa.org for more.