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.