The Lost Elk of Centre County

Rocky Mountain Elk
Photo Retrieved From:https://www.fws.gov/

    Elk Creek, Elk Gap, and Elk Street are all place names that can be found in amongst the ridges and valleys of southern Centre County. These names are remnants of an era long since passed, when the magnificent bugle of a bull elk could be heard echoing across the ridges. According to some sources, it was here that 140 years ago that the last native elk was killed and a species that had once prospered across the state was gone forever. Following their demise, it was thought that their absence would be permanent. However, an effort in the early 20th Century found elk once again roaming the region. Sadly, their return would only be temporary as they would disappear once again even quicker than the first time.

Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Death of the American Chestnut in Central Pennsylvania

A century old chestnut stump
Author's Photo

    "Now you see it, now you don't!" is a phrase that often accompanies a stage magician's vanishing act. A card or coin is visible one moment and if by magic, disappears the next. At the end of the act, the object reappears much to the amusement and disbelief of the crowd. However, no magician could match the vanishing act that occurred in the early 20th Century. Instead of a coin or card, a much beloved symbol of the forests and landscape, the American chestnut, vanished and no amount of magic could bring it back.

Miller's Spring Trestle Disaster (Centre County)

Looking across what was Miller's Spring Trestle

Safety and progress will forever be in a race against each other. Such was the environment during the growth of rail travel in the mid-19th Century. The iron horse opened a plethora of new opportunities and the ability to tame the landscape like never before. However, when progress outdistances safety, only tragedy awaits at the finish line. On June 11, 1878, that is exactly what awaited a short train bound for Bellefonte.      

Of Dominoes and Dams: The Rise and Fall of the Bayless Paper Mill (Potter County)

The ruins of the infamous dam that caused the Austin Flood

    Remember playing with dominos? We all probably at some point in our lives made a long line of neatly stacked dominoes. If you did everything right and the dominoes were spaced out correctly, once you toppled that first domino, the entire line would follow suit in a spectacular chain reaction. If the alignment was off even by a little bit, the line would come to a halt. At this point, you could either start over, or simply topple the next domino to continue the effect. Regardless, in the end there was quite a mess to clean up.  However, for a small town in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds, the mess that resulted from a domino chain of disaster that occurred over a century ago changed the community forever. 

Bombs and Broken Promises: The Tragic Story of Alvira (Union/Lycoming Counties)

Welcome to Alvira: Population 0
Author's Photo

`

    Bizarre concrete domes and crumbling foundations stand as monuments to the sacrifices made by an entire town and a broken promise that erased it forever.

Danger On The Rails: The Axemann Curve (Centre County)

The 1908 Wreck

    The completion of the Lewisburg & Tyrone Railroad from Bellefonte to Lewisburg in 1885 was a monumental transportation achievement for the region. Passengers and freight could now move faster than the steep and winding turnpikes had allowed them previously. The age of the iron horse had arrived. However, this new age would not come without dangers.

Revelton Ghost Town (Clinton County)

 

    

Revelton Iron Furnace
Author's Photo

    Hidden behind a curtain of hemlock and pine lies a portal to the past, a time when Central Pennsylvania’s vast industrial potential was being realized. During that era, much of the region was still relatively untamed. Extracting these sought after resources would require the determination and expertise of a unique breed of men. In the wilds of Clinton County, a short broad gentleman known as “The General” would exhibit all of those qualities, along with many more colorful ones, while taming this rugged country.

The Wreck of the Red Arrow (Blair County)

 

Passenger cars and engines lay scattered over the embankment
Image Retrieved From: https://www.gendisasters.com/

Seventy-seven years ago today, the premier Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train the Red Arrow crested the summit of the Alleghenies at Gallitzin, Cambria County on its dash to New York. From here, the entire 12 miles to Altoona would pit the train against gravity. Engineer Billig leaned out the cab window into the foggy night. Behind his engine were fourteen cars full of passengers, many of whom had been lulled into slumber by the gentle rocking of the train. Ahead was Bennington Curve, the first of many that snaked the tracks down the mountain. Engineer Billig had taken many a train around this curve in the past, so it was to his surprise when he felt the engine begin to heel over, followed by the earsplitting sound of the train being ripped apart. 

Howard Brick Works (Centre County)

    It's remarkable how something so unassuming like an old worn brick could tell such a fascinating story. Many of these bricks show a great deal of character, having survived over a century of wear from people and time. These bricks are quite symbolic of the community that is stamped upon them. The borough of Howard, now in its its second century, has been shaped by the same forces, yet remains just as strong and durable as these simple red bricks.

The Queen of Speed-Engine #999

Engine #999 in its as built appearance
Image Retrieved From: wikipedia.org

    Engine #999 has a special place in the history of land transportation. Once the pinnacle of locomotive development of its era, it became world famous when it reached a speed that had never been achieved on the face of the Earth. However, the years after this magnificent feat saw #999 fade from the limelight. Like a retired racehorse, the engine lived out its twilight years plodding through the mountains of central Pennsylvania. Though outclassed by modern locomotives, the #999 still had the heart of a speedster when it was recalled for one last glamorous run down the high iron. This is the fascinating story of Engine #999.

Stepping Into History- A History of the "Thousand Steps" (Huntingdon County)

The start of the Thousand Steps
Author's Photo

     It's probably safe to say that some of us dread our commutes to work during the week. Though we all probably have our horror stories from our travels to and from the workplace, we sometimes fail to realize how easy we really have it here in the present.  While many of us probably don't have a treacherous or arduous journeys to work, it was very much a reality for a past generation, especially those working on the craggy mountainside above Mount Union in Huntingdon County. So lets step back in time and explore what it was like working on that rugged mountainside. We’ve got quite the climb ahead of us. Try to keep up….. 

Monument CCC Camp S-121 (Centre County)

The monument at the entrance to the camp
Author's Photo

    Tucked away off the beaten path lies a reminder of one of the best ideas that this nation has ever had, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). Born in 1933 from President FDR’s New Deal, the CCC employed thousands jobless young men during the Great Depression. In Pennsylvania alone, 151 camps were constructed, second in number behind only California. From these camps, the CCC worked on conservation and public works projects. Building roads, constructing dams, fighting forest fires, and planting trees were all examples of their work. Even today, their handiwork is still very much evident throughout the state. Part of this fascinating story can be explored just off the main road (actually the only road) between Monument and Orviston in Centre County.

Coburn Tunnel (Centre County)

Coburn Tunnel
Author's Photo

    Relics of our region’s railroad heritage can often be found in tucked away places provided you take the time to wander a bit. The Coburn Tunnel is one such reminder. Located on a narrow dead end road along the shimmering waters of Penn’s Creek, the tunnel helps to tell the story of how steel rails helped make this region what it is today.