A bucket brigade of volunteers stretching between a large white stocking truck and the streambank is a scene that has repeated itself for generations. For many sportsmen and women, it is a beloved tradition every spring and fall. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, who traces their roots to 1866, has been the agency entrusted with raising, transporting, and delivering fish to stock the waterways of Penn's Woods.
Central Pennsylvania History

Saturday, April 5, 2025
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Howard Iron Works (Centre County)
Monday, January 8, 2024
From Forest to Mill- The Lock Haven Paper Mill Splash Dam (Clinton County)
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A log that once made up the dam still survives in the stream The north abutment lies in the background Author's Photo |
From sawmills to silk mills, clay mines to chemical plants, canal boats to airplanes; the industrial history of Lock Haven is quite diverse. While many of these industries have long since faded, one continues on as it did over a century ago, producing commodities for everyday use. Strangely enough, a connection to the history of this industry can be found forgotten in the wilds of Sproul State Forest.
Paper manufacturing in Lock Haven has deep roots. In 1880, brothers L.D. and M.M Armstrong established the Pennsylvania Pulp & Paper Company. Lock Haven's location made it well suited as natural resources and transportation options were in close proximity. Fresh water was tapped from nearby Bald Eagle Creek. Large tracts of forests on the ridges around Lock Haven were a convenient source of pulpwood. Coal to power the plant's boilers came by rail from mines in Clearfield County. Lime used in the pulping process came from kilns located in Bellefonte. The Pennsylvania Railroad whose tracks ran right beside the mill, delivered raw materials and transported finished products to their destinations.
By 1881, the mill was in production with over 150 employees. Like with any industry of the era, a paper mill could be a dangerous place. The following newspaper articles give a glimpse into this danger :
The Centre Reporter 1902 Retrieved from: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive |
The Centre Reporter 1919 Retrieved From: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive |
A claim to fame for the Lock Haven mill was that it was awarded, on numerus occasions, the contract to manufacture the paper for both postage and revenue stamps for the United States government.
The Middleburgh Post 1898 Retrieved From: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive |
The Democratic Watchman 1906 Retrieved From: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive |
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A Shay locomotive with a log train |
A photo of the log yard at the mill circa 1917 Image Retrieved From: The Independent |
The Lock Haven and Castanea mills in 1938 Image Retrieved From: Pennsylvania Imagery Navigator |
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A log from the dam lies in the creek in the foreground. The southern abutment sits in the background Author's Photo |
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The northern stone abutment Author's Photo |
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Looking upstream where the chute and flood gate would have been Author's Photo |
Furey, J. (1892). Historical and biographical work: or, past and present of Clinton County. Pennsylvania Grit Printing House. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=6D0uAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA187&dq=Pennsylvania+Pulp+and+Paper+Co+Lock+Haven.&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwii66Kn5Y-DAxWJEVkFHYEqD98Q6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=Pennsylvania%20Pulp%20and%20Paper%20Co%20Lock%20Haven.&f=false
Hull, G. (1915). Commonwealth v. standard underground cable co. Pennsylvania Corporation Reporter. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pennsylvania_Corporation_Reporter/AEYOAAAAYAAJhl=en&gbpv=1&dq=new+york+and+pennsylvania++%2B+83,000+acres&pg=PA245&printsec=frontcover
Slossen, E. (1917). Creative chemistry. The Independent. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=5A_mAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA477&dq=lock+haven+paper+mill+%2B+acres&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiPxae66qGDAxXiEVkFHejqAmMQ6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=lock%20haven%20paper%20mill%20%2B%20acres&f=false
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Artillery in the Diamond: The Story of Bellefonte's Forgotten WWI Memorial
The Boche 77 at the Bellefonte Courthouse and W. Harrison Walker Photo Retrieved From: Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive |
After four horrific years, the "war to end all wars" came to a close on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918. World War I as it became known, introduced the world to a level of death and destruction previously unseen. Approximately 16 million lives had been lost during the conflict, almost 2% of the world's population at that time. In the United States, who had only joined the conflict the year before, 205,690 service members returned home suffering from wounds of various degrees. Another 116,708 never made it back.
The following year, Armistice Day was established by President Woodrow Wilson as a day to remember those who had served and lost their lives in WWI. As part of this remembrance, monuments and statues were erected in communities large and small across the country. Some of these dedications were comprised of military equipment captured from the enemy on the battlefields of Europe.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
The Man in Black (Austin, Potter County)
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The ruins of the infamous dam that caused the Austin Flood |
The town of Austin in wonderfully rugged Potter County is known for dam that almost wiped it off the map over a century ago. The Austin Dam Disaster still stands as the second worst dam failure in Pennsylvania's history and the sixth deadliest dam disaster in the United States. Even before the dam completely failed, it exhibited several warnings that disaster was unavoidable. Sadly, all of these warnings went unheeded by the town and the paper company responsible for its construction. However, it appears that while the dam was sending signals of impending disaster, a gentleman in black appeared out of nowhere to offer a warning from beyond the grave...
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Cry Me a Squonk- A Pennsylvania Cryptid
North-central Pennsylvania is a haven for all sorts of wildlife, from the majestic bull elk bugling from the hollows to the shy songbirds that call from the tree tops. Few places can top such diversity and natural beauty. However, there is one species that few people, save the most seasoned sportsmen, have probably seen. More elusive than an old whitetail buck or cagey fisher, this animal has never been successfully captured and probably never will....
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Castanea Brick & Tile Co. (Clinton County)
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This small locomotive, often called a dinkey, is hauling clay from the mines to the Castanea brick works |