This small locomotive, often called a dinkey, is hauling clay from the mines to the Castanea brick works |
Castanea is the Latin name for chestnut. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once a hearty tree that thrived across Central Pennsylvania, especially on the steep rocky ridges of Bald Eagle Mountain. In 1871, the village of Castenea was established across Bald Eagle Creek from the city of Lock Haven. The story of Castanea, like many small communities throughout the region, mirrors that of the ill-fated chestnut tree, as in both cases there are few reminders of what once was.