USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men > Part 95
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Governor William A. Stone found the way paved and promptly began the task of providing forest reservations for the people, to be their property and their outing grounds forever, and upon which timber could grow to restore the lumbering industry and to main- tain the water supply. At his retirement in 1903 the state pos- sessed over a half-million acres. On February 25, 1901, the bill creating the Department of Forestry became a law with the signa- ture of Governor Stone. Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker, whose administration was inarred by the capitol scandal, was greatly interested in the forestry movement, and in 1903 signed the law creating the State Forestry Academy. During his term 375,000 acres were added to the state lands. Most of the lands were by this time being bought from the owners and few from tax sales. Governor Pennypacker's great interest was no doubt responsible for the State Forestry Reservation Commission naming the newly created domain in Perry County the Pennypacker Reserve.
During the administration of Governor Edwin S. Stuart laws were enacted for the protection of roadside trees, enabling munici- palities to acquire forest lands, authorizing the appointment of shade tree commissions by municipalities and first class townships, and providing that a fixed charge be made on state forest lands for
872
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
school purposes. The administration of Governor John K. Tener saw legislation furthering the protection of shade and fruit trees along highways, and provided for taxing auxiliary forest reserves. During his administration the most of the work for the eradication of chestnut blight was undertaken, but unfortunately failed. Dur- ing the administration of Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh a num- ber of important forest laws became effective. Among them was a law permitting the Forestry Department to grow and distribute young forest trees to private owners of forest lands; a law creat- ing within the Department of Forestry a Bureau of Forest Protec- tion, which is regarded as the best of its kind in the United States, giving to the chief forest fire warden of the state power not equaled by any other forest officer anywhere; a law authorizing the pur- chase of surface rights for use as state forests, and allowing the state to lease for agricultural purposes those of its lands which are more useful for that purpose than for forestry. The present incumbent, Governor Wm. C. Sproul, is a consistent friend of forestry. His appointment of Gifford Pinchot as Commissioner of Forestry, and of Major Robert Y. Stewart later as deputy com- missioner, and still later as commissioner to succeed Mr. Pinchot, was ample proof of that. Mr. Pinchot, after graduating from Yale, had studied forestry abroad, and became a pioneer in con- serving American forests and natural resources, and was at the head of the Federal forest service during the Roosevelt adminis- tration of the Presidency. Major Stewart, after graduating at Dickinson, had entered the Yale Forestry School, and, after be- coming a master forester, had held a number of the more important assignments in the Federal service and won a citation and a major's commission in the A. E. F., during the World War, where he was District Commander of the Forestry Troops in the Gien District. Among the acts which have become laws during his ad- ministration is one for the exchange or sale of forest lands, a law making a fixed charge on state lands for county purposes, a law providing for the condemnation of lands suitable for forest pur- poses, and a law permitting the Federal government to acquire lands from the state for national forestry purposes. The Legisla- ture of 1921 appropriated $1,000,000 for forest protection, which has permitted the development of many necessary lines of forest work. No executive so far has taken a backward step.
Lumbering, as it was later carried on in Perry County, began about 1870, by winter cutting each year of only the finest speci- mens of valuable varieties. From the time of the pioneer water- power sawmills of the old "up-and-down" variety were set up along the streams to cut construction timbers from white oak and white pine, and some cutting was done chiefly to produce bark for the many small tanneries which dotted the county. At the time
873
THE TUSCARORA FOREST
the only railroad in the county was over twenty miles distant from western Perry, and no great inroads were made on the timber until about 1880, when steam mills and circular saws came. From then until 1891 a large arca was cut clear and much of the remainder thinned of its best growth. The construction of two railroads in the county-the Perry County line to Landisburg and Loysville, and the Newport & Sherman's Valley to New Germantown about 1890-brought the market nearer to the lumber, and for years it was a great source of income to those roads.
THE PENNYPACKER DIVISION OF THE TUSCARORA STATE FOREST.
By resolution of the State Forestry Reservation Commission adopted December 7, 1906, the forest located in southwestern Perry County was officially designated the Pennypacker Forest, "in honor of Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker, who has so wor- thily upheld the cause of forestry and during whose administration about 375,000 acres were added to the state reserves." Of the two divisions, the greater part of which is in Perry County, the Pennypacker was the first to be formed. The first lands purchased in Perry County were bought on October 11, 1906, from Harry W. Meetch, the tract comprising 2,962 acres, a part of which was over the line in Franklin County. The price paid was $2.75 per acre, and the transaction amounted to $8,147.72. This was the nucleus of the Pennypacker Forest.
*This forest lies in Perry, Franklin and Cumberland Counties. The greater part of the land is located in Jackson and Toboyne Townships, Perry County, and extends southward over the great ridges which traverse the western end of the county. There are 8,915 acres in Jackson and 17,200 acres in Toboyne Township. These ridges are, in order from north to south: Conococheague Mountain, Round Top, Little Round Top, Rising Mountain, Am- berson Ridge, Bower Mountain, Sherman's Mountain, and the Kit- tatinny or Blue Mountain, the summit of the latter forming the boundary line between Perry and Cumberland Counties.
The main body of the land lies on the southwestern side of the county, extending from the Franklin County line eastward about twelve miles, and from the southern boundary northward to the north side of Bower Mountain, inclosing Henry's Valley and part of Sheaffer's Valley. This area incloses several tracts in Toboyne Township which are yet owned by individuals, while in Jackson Township there are a number of interior tracts situated in Henry's and Sheaffer's Valleys.
The area lying southwest of New Germantown is nearly all on the Round Top and Rising Mountain. It is very irregular in out- line and almost separated from the arca lying to the south, being connected in Fowler's Hollow by a narrow strip at each end.
*See shaded part of county map on page 6.
874
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
There are several large tracts lying within the outer boundary which are owned privately. They cover nearly all of Fowler's Hollow and a part of Amberson Ridge.
The portion lying in Franklin County, designated on many old maps as the "Elder Lands," is located on a continuation of the Rising Mountain, which divides Path Valley from Amberson Val- ley, and contains about 3,668 acres. In outline it is not unlike the shape of a wedge, being wide at the county line and tapering gradit- ally to the west until it becomes very narrow at its western extren- ity. Although included in the Pennypacker Forest it is separated by a large tract which is owned by George B. Dum, P. F. Duncan, and William Wills (who compose the Oak Grove Lumber Com- pany, having purchased from McCormick heirs, March 23, 1911).
Five mountain ranges traverse parts of Perry County, and three of the five ranges are of one geological character and physical for- mation. The body of land in which the state is interested here in- cludes but two of the three ranges, which are similar in form and character. The first of these ranges includes Tuscarora Mountain, Conococheague Mountain, Round Top, Little Round Top, Rising Mountain, Amberson Ridge and Bower Mountain. All of these are merely longer or shorter zigzags of the one range, which en- closes the western end of the county. The Kittatinny or Blue Mountain is the second range and similar in form and character to the others. The general trend of these mountains is from north- east to southwest.
Gunter Run is the only stream that rises on the Perry County part of the state forest, which flows westward. Rising at the water- shed, it flows about one and a half miles through the forest and then crosses into Franklin County, continuing westward to near Forge Hill, where it turns to the south. It passes through a gap in the Blue Mountain and enters the Cumberland Valley north of Roxbury. Sherman's Creek, Brown's Run, Huston's Run and Laurel Run flow eastward, their waters reaching the Susquehanna at Duncannon via the first named stream.
There are considerable areas of cleared land scattered at various points through the forest which were once dotted with homes. There are few houses remaining, while crumbling walls and deso- late orchards mark the sites of former firesides. A few of the remaining houses are in fair condition. Two are occupied by forest rangers and several others are rented. The abandonment of these lands was largely due to the fact that the soil was thin, being better adapted to the growing of trees than the production of crops, and with the passing of the industries, such as the tanneries and the sawmills, the inhabitants of these areas were unable to earn a living from the tilling of the soil alone because the timber in these
875
THE TUSCARORA FOREST
regions contributed largely toward their existence. Many of these cleared areas have been planted with forest tree seedlings while in other places natural regeneration has practically reclothed the cleared areas.
Practically nothing remains of the original growth which once covered this land. From a few scattered trees of different species and one small stand of hemlock one can get a relative idea of what it once was. The entire area had been lumbered over and burned over with forest fires for probably twenty-five years before the purchase by the state. The present growth is almost all of mixed hard woods in which chestnut and rock oak predominate. On the lower slopes of the mountain and ridges, where the soil is deep and there is considerable vegetable mould, there is an abundant growth of rock oak, black oak, hickory, white oak, locust and red oak, while higher up the slopes toward the top are numerous areas almost bare. At such places there is a scanty undergrowth and some scattered rock oak, red oak, chestnut, birch, and a few pitch pine and hemlock.
The area southwest of New Germantown, from the summit of Sherman's Mountain to the Conococheague Mountain, was lum- bered over about 1890 by the Perry Lumber Company. The upper slopes of the Round Top are sparsely covered with a mixture of hemlock, red oak, rock oak and birch, where most of the trees are overmature. On the lower slopes there are thrifty growths of chestnut, rock oak, hickory, locust, white oak and red oak. Hickory is plentiful on the southern slopes and grows in groups. It forms clean trunks and attains a good height.' In the hollows and low- lands the growth is tall, and in addition to the species found on the lower slopes some birch, yellow poplar, ash, gum, basswood and hemlock are ocasionally found. Near the head of Patterson's Ruin is a small stand of virgin hemlock, the only stand of virgin timber in the forest.
The south side of Sherman's Mountain is covered with a good and almost even aged growth of rock oak, white oak, and hick- ory, being from eight to twelve inches in diameter. The trees are mostly straight and middling tall. The growth in Sheaffer's and Henry's Valleys consists principally of chestnut, rock oak, white oak, black oak, pin oak, red oak, hickory, yellow poplar, red maple, sugar maple, butternut, locust and hemlock. The slopes bordering on the south side of Laurel Run are covered with a mixture of white oak, hickory, rock oak, chestnut and black oak. White oak and hickory being the most abundant. Damage by snow and ice, November 16-20, 1920, amounted to thousands of dollars, and the loss is almost incalculable.
Pennypacker division at the present period is divided into four ranges, each in charge of a ranger who gives his entire time to the
876
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
vocation. In surveying, many of the boundary marks were found to have been almost or completely obliterated, and there was diffi- culty in locating them, even in the case of the county line between Perry and Cumberland. Springs are numerous along the lower slopes and ridges of the mountains, the greater number being on the southern slopes, but the water on the northern ones being colder and apparently better. Telephone lines have been run to connect with the headquarters of the rangers. Old roads have been main- tained and accessible for use while new ones have been made where necessary. In one year alone over 35,000 trees, principally red oak, were planted. Up to 1914 there had been 233,000 planted, of which 154,000 were white pine.
Owing to the transfer from narrow gauge to standard gauge cars at Newport the prices for lumber showed little profit after paying the present high prices for labor. During 1912 there were two forest fires, both in the month of December.
In 1912 a part of the forest was set apart as a game preserve. It was stocked with thirty deer, six males and twenty-four females, since which time there has been a constant increase, and they can be seen grazing in widely separated parts of the mountain.
THE MCCLURE DIVISION, TUSCARORA FOREST.
The area comprising the McClure Division of the Tuscarora State Forest contains approximately 6,093 acres, the first purchase having been made on April 23, 1907, when 4,311 acres of land were bought from the Perry Lumber Company at a cost of $10,- 098.36, or $2.25 per acre. It was named in honor of Col. A. K. McClure, a Perry Countian who attained national fame, and its location is in the extreme northwestern part of Perry County, in the townships of Toboyne, Jackson, and Northeast Madison, the main body being in Horse Valley, on the slopes of the Conoco- cheague and Tuscarora Mountains. The region is one of deep, narrow valleys having the same general direction, and are nearly surrounded by great mountains and valley ridges, giving the coun- try a rough contour and making access to the interior and the set- tlements within very difficult. This condition is causing the settle- ments to decrease and in a few years perhaps the greater portion of the land once cleared will have reverted to its original state.
The bordering land of this forest is to a great extent timbered for a short distance, where it meets the agricultural section with its well settled communities. It is irregular in shape, long and nar- row, attaining its greatest width at the eastern end. There are no known minerals in this reservation, yet the state in its original grants exacted a proportion of such as will be noted in the chapter relating to Jackson township, elsewhere in this volume, where the specific reservation is copied from one of the original Blaine war-
877
THE TUSCARORA FOREST
rants for the farm lands now belonging to Clark Bower, member of the General Assembly. The main outlets of this reservation are to the north and west.
About the year 1900 a stock company was formed known as the Union Oil & Gas Company, supported in part by local capital, and extensive operations were carried on in the Tuscarora Valley, ad- joining these state lands in an endeavor to locate oil and gas. Three wells were drilled, ranging from 1,000 to 2,600 feet, and natural gas seems to have been tapped, but not in sufficient quan- tity to warrant further operations. During the excitement lands for miles around were leased for oil and gas rights. Since then another corporation has been trying to locate beds of iron ore on an adjoining tract. The first mail route from Perry County to the West was through this reservation, entering between the Conoco- cheague and the Tuscarora Mountains, and crossing to East Water- ford.
The general supervision of a state forest is in charge of a for- ester. While the two divisions of the Tuscarora Forest were sepa- rate forests there were two foresters until the World War, when the McClure section was placed under H. E. Bryner, the forester of the Pennypacker Forest. J. L. Witherow had been the first forester of the McClure Forest. John H. Zeigler, of East Water- ford, is now the ranger of that section. Mr. Bryner became for- ester September 1, 1908, and continued until 1922, when he was succeeded by D. B. McPherson. The forester, besides having general supervision, such as the laying out of roads, planting of trees, fighting of forest fires, etc., is also in charge of the fire war- dens of the Tuscarora District.
The headquarters of the ranger are at what was known as the "Cole House," in Horse Valley. In that valley are mineral and magnesia springs.
There are four streams on the McClure division, Laurel Rum, Blain Run, Kansas Creek, and Horse Valley Creek. Blain Run rises between the Conococheagne Mountain and the Big Knob, and flows in a northwesterly direction, emptying into Kansas Creek near the west base of the Big Knob. Laurel Run rises at the head of Liberty Valley and flows eastward to near where Mohler's tan- nery stood, where it turns northwest and passes through the Honey Grove narrows, emptying into Tuscarora Creek near Honey Grove, in Juniata County.
The Ohio Oil Company has a right of way twenty feet wide, entering the forest near the Juniata County line, in the Waterford narrows. Two long-distance telephone lines cross from east to west. It has practically no virgin growth, except a few over- mature chestnut and rock oak.
878
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Such timber as arrives at maturity or is impaired by disease or fire is marketed from time to time, under the supervision of the district forester. During a single recent month, about 150,000 staves for nail kegs were manufactured and shipped. The staves were produced from chestnut timber that was dead or dying as a result of the chestnut blight. This stave-mill operation is located at the Hockenberry tract, in Horse Valley.
Forest fires sometimes become almost a tragedy in more ways than one. A few years ago when a fire was raging in that part of the Tuscarora Forest known as the Pennypacker Division, the wife of a recluse, whose cabin was in the woods, lay dead. The flames were within 200 feet of the house and were gradually forcing their way towards it. The forester had planned the removal of the body should it be necessary, but fortunately the fire was gotten under control in time.
In June, 1894, 1,500,000 acres of Pennsylvania woodland, most of which had been cut over, was advertised for sale for unpaid taxes. To the credit of Perry County, not a single acre was within its borders.
A few facts about general Perry County forestry may not be inappropriate here. In 1896, 545 acres were cut over, 150 of which were to be used for farming. The following product was mar- keted :
Feet (board measure) of white pine, 335,000
66 hemlock, 200,000
.6
" other woods, 2,552,000
Number of cords of bark peeled, 660
In 1902, 2,867 acres were cut over, none of which were to be utilized as farm lands. During that year the marketed product was as follows :
Feet (board measure ) of white pine, 275,866 66
.6
" hemlock, 55,000
66 66 66
" other woods, 3,131,000
Cordwood, 30,950
Pulp wood,
299
Number of cords of bark peeled, 1,507
In 1903, 1,459 acres were cut over, from which were taken the following product :
Feet (board measure) of white pine, 515,209
66 : hemlock, 102,000
66 other woods, 1,605,425
Cordwood,
28,777
Pulp wood.
180
Number of cords of bark peeled,
844
879
THE TUSCARORA FOREST
In 1904, 2,338 acres were cut over, twenty-five of which were cleared for farming, with the following result :
Feet (board measure) of white pine,
321,279
..
hemlock, 20,000
other woods, 1,798,210
Cordwood,
34,093
Alcohol wood,
21,762
Number of cords of bark peeled,
40
In 1905, 910 acres were cut over, none to be cleared. The prod- uct was as follows:
Feet (board measure) of white pine, 160,000
6.
hemlock, 10,000
other woods, 230,000
Cordwood,
8,343
Alcohol wood,
8,343
Number of cords of bark peeled,
IO
In 1916, 1, 121 acres were cut over, ninety-five being cleared for farm lands. The product :
Feet (board measure) of white pine, 1,242,000
hemlock, 175,000
16 66
66 other woods, 2,553,400
Cordwood, 8,554
Alcohol wood,
8,179
Number of cords of bark peeled,
446
In 1907, 1,223 acres were cut over, none to be utilized for farming. The product :
Feet (board measure) of white pine, 1,260,000 66 :
hemlock, I30,000 66
66
other woods, 1,995,000
Cordwood,
7,078
Alcohol wood,
6.978
Number of cords of bark peeled, 521
Forest fires sometimes play havoc and burn over large acreage in Pennsylvania. For the period of 1902 to 1911, inclusive, the acreage in Perry County burned each year was as follows :
1902-689 acres
1906-1,172 acres 1909 -- 1,097 acres
1903-574 1907- 61 66
1910-1,840 6 1904-325 66 1908- 260
19II- 14
1905-331
Other products from the forests of Perry County are railroad ties, mine props, trolley poles, telegraph poles, etc., over three mil- lion mine props being shipped in a single year. Trees that grow best are white pine, white oak, rock oak, red oak, hickory, black walnut and locust. Gravel and limestone are best for walnut, chestnut, oak and locust ; bottom lands surpass for hickory.
The rangers of Tuscarora Forest at this time are F. P. Sunday, residing in Henry's Valley; Leroy Koontz and H. N. Hart, resid-
880
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ing in Toboyne Township proper, and John H. Zeigler, residing in Horse Valley.
In August, 1921, the entire state was divided into twenty-five clistricts and a forester placed in charge of each. On September 14. 1921, the State Forestry Commission approved the report of Col. Henry W. Shumaker, which recommended that each district be given a name which would also apply as the name of all state forest land within the district. The separate units in the district are designated divisions of the forest.
The Tuscarora District is so named because of the Tuscarora Indian path, which ran through the eastern part and the lofty Tus- carora Mountains, which bisect it. Perry County is included in the Tuscarora District, which also includes about one-half of Cum- berland County, two-thirds of Juniata County, and a small portion of Franklin County. The total area of the district is 1, 173 square miles.
The Tuscarora State Forest includes the Pennypacker and Mc- Clure Divisions. These divisions were so named because Col. Alexander K. McClure was an early editorial advocate of conser- vation and a native of this region. Governor Pennypacker was during his entire term of office an earnest advocate of improved forest methods. This district comprises 37,500 acres of state- owned forest land, of which 29,467 acres are in Perry County, 4,365 acres in Cumberland County, and 3,668 acres in Franklin County.
The Tuscarora State Forest is well covered with a mixed growth of hardwood forests, although very little remains of the original forests which once covered this land. There are many places of great natural beauty and the landscape is highly diversified. The forest contains many ideal spots for outing and recreation. In and adjoining the state forest are numerous trout streams which afford sport for the fishermen. Small game is plentiful in the forest and each year, especially during the hunting season, hundreds of people avail themselves of the opportunity to use the forest as an outing ground.
A number of mineral springs containing principally sulphur and magneisia, are found on the state forest in Horse Valley, Perry County, and in Doubling Gap, Cumberland County. Many per- sons visit these springs. The White Sulphur Springs Hotel, located on a privately owned tract within the boundaries of the forest in Doubling Gap, is a famous summer resort.
The first plantation of forest trees on the Tuscarora State Forest . was made in 1908. Since that time extensive plantations have been in various parts of the forest, and 575,000 seedlings have been planted, largely white pine ; also sixty-eight bushels of seed, con- sisting principally of black walnut and red oak.
881
THE TUSCARORA FOREST
During the past two years the Tuscarora State Forest has been practically free from the curse of forest fires. This condition is largely due to the fact that the people using the forest have shown their appreciation of it as an outing ground, by being careful with fire in the woods. Constant care with fire in the woods will not only insure a better playground for the people, but will also add to the beauty and value of the land by producing valuable forest crops for future generations.
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