Somewhere along the line, a hugely significant piece of Philadelphia's much-heralded industrial past seems to have inadvertently slipped through the pages of history.

Sandra Owens, Seamus Kearney, Mel Seligsohn and others from The Friends of Franklintown Park are out to put the record back on track, so to speak.

This Saturday at 2 p.m., a commemorative marker, funded by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, will be unveiled, recognizing the contributions of industrialist Mathias Baldwin and his Philadelphia-based company, Baldwin Locomotive Works.

"Mathias Baldwin was one of the great industrialists of his time, but surprisingly enough, few people know about his contributions to industry and the city," says Owens, who is credited as a driving force behind the upcoming marker dedication.

Owens alludes to a statue of Baldwin, somewhat inconspicuously situated on the north side of City Hall, saying she hopes the marker will help raise more general awareness.

"Baldwin Locomotive Works literally put Philadelphia on the map as a force to be reckoned with both nationally and internationally," notes Friends of Franklintown Park founder Mel Seligsohn. "You could say it was the Silicon Valley of its day, employing many thousands of people, Seligsohn continues, noting most workers lived in the Fairmount and other nearby neighborhoods, thus keeping the local economy robust.

Baldwin's inspiration to build a full-scale commercial locomotive in 1832 came as the result of his success building a small four-passenger demonstration railway two years earlier. He named it Old Ironsides, after the famous ship.

Two years later, Baldwin finished his second locomotive, this time inventing a way to raise steam pressure significantly. In no time, his engines outperformed English-made locomotives.

Baldwin Locomotive Works soon became the largest maker of heavy machinery in America's Gilded Age (circa 1865 -1900), and made Philadelphia the locomotive capital of America, employing nearly 18,000 workers. The company made its reputation building steam locomotives for the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and other U.S. railroads, as well as railroads in England, France, India, Haiti and Egypt.

To get a sense of the enormity of the manufacturing operation and its geographic footprint, consider this: The Baldwin Locomotive Works and associated factories that supplied raw materials for the operation stretched all the way from Spring Garden Street to near Callowhill and then from Broad Street to near 17th - almost six square city blocks, or the equivalent of more than 60 acres.

It was at Broad and Hamilton Streets where Baldwin built his first brick factory in mid 1830s. By the end of the 1920s, the Philadelphia site had been abandoned in favor of moving to larger facilities in Eddystone, Delaware County. Baldwin Locomotive Works remained there through the mid 1950s.

"The move to Eddystone proved to be devastatingly costly, as it was done during the height of the Great Depression," observes amateur Philadelphia historian, Harry Kyriakodis.

Kyriakodis, noted for his walking tours through Post Industrial sections of the city, goes on to point out that, following the relocation, Baldwin still operated, but only at a fraction of its capacity. They remained in Eddystone until the mid 1950s. The Philadelphia site was torn in mid 1930s.

Evidence of one of the first locomotives made at the Eddystone facility can be seen today at the Franklin Institute on 20th Street.

"The 350-ton Baldwin 60000, named for its order of manufacture, was considered a high-speed experimental model, carrying new technology like a sawdust spreader for traction, a mechanical stoker, signaling device, and pneumatic braking," explains Kyriakodis.

As luck would have it, the demonstration runs apparently never persuaded railroads to purchase more of the model, and in 1933, the Baldwin 60000 was purchased by The Franklin Institute for $1.

Fairmount Park Executive Director, Mark Focht, expected to be present on Saturday, is enthusiastic about the marker, saying that as stewards of the park, they are always trying to explain park landscapes and tying in important historical significance.

"Without a doubt, Baldwin made a huge impact here in Philadelphia and we are glad to have played a role in this marker dedication," says Focht.

Kearny, of the Friends of Franklintown Park, which opened in 1992, says the dedication is particularly poignant in that there is no other historical marker on any of the land formerly occupied by the Baldwin plant.

Members of the community are invited to attend the ceremony at 19th and Hamilton streets, which will include railroad music.**