Central PA's Forgotten State Forests

Since November is Native American Heritage Month, I thought it would be interesting to explore the Native American influences within out state forests. For anyone that has spent time wandering these forests, their natural beauty and recreational opportunities make them a true gem. The state forest system in Pennsylvania is comprised of 20 forests that cover 2.2 million acres and span 50 of the state's 67 counties. 

Lost To The Depths: The Story of the Frank H. Goodyear (PA Wilds)

 

The Frank H. Goodyear with Sinnemahoning amidships

        Sinnemahoning is a name synonymous with the PA Wilds region of Pennsylvania. The name’s origin lies with the Lenni Lenape word "Achsinnimahoni" meaning stony lick. You would think that such a unique name could be found no where else. Yet, there is another Sinnemahoning hundreds of miles away and 300 feet below the surface of Lake Huron. How it arrived there can be tied back to one man and the empire he built in the rugged Pennsylvania wilderness.

The Watchman Printing House (Centre County)

 

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! Bellefonte was once the home of several news periodicals. Some of the names that once graced the headlines included, American Patriot, Daily News, True Democrat, Centre Farmer, Bellefonte National, Centre Democrat, and the Centre Magnet. What were once frontline newspapers are now relegated to the archives. Analyzing these periodicals and their content gives us a cross-section of what society was like at the time. Today's scoop focuses on one such paper and its editor who became a target of the United States government.     

Rocks and Rapids vs. Steam and Steel: The Story of Steamboats on the Susquehanna River

The Rumsey Monument overlooking the Potomac River
Author's Photo

Standing high above the Potomac River in Shepardstown, West Virginia sits a monument to a man and a machine of his own design. While many are probably aware of this revolutionary machine, few probably know this gentleman by name. So how does this pertain to Central Pennsylvania? When his invention made its way to the region, it inadvertently set in motion a new era for transportation.