This Month In History on the Allegheny
Throughout our centennial celebration, we will be sharing histories, stories, and highlights from our Forest each month. Check back to learn more about the Allegheny and its history!
April 20th, 2021 – Public Law 102-271 is passed, designating sections of the Allegheny River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
January
Carl Stoltz lands the Pennsylvania record Northern Pike on the Allegheny Reservoir. The lunker weighed in at 35 pounds! (Photo from PA Fish and Boat Commission fishandboat.com)
Representative John D. Clarke (NY) introduces legislation to the House identical to the bill presented to the Senate by Charles M. McNary’s (OR). The Clarke-McNary Act, signed into law later that year, broadened the purchasing power of private lands by the Federal Government and created new pathways for reforestation, timber programs and fire protection.
Tionesta Lake (operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and bordering Allegheny National Forest) became fully operational.
February
Touted by the Kane Republican as the “Greatest long-range wildlife management program in history of this region,” a cooperative agreement between the Allegheny National Forest and the Pennsylvania State Game Commission launched on this day. The initial crew of five men began the project by pruning apple trees to create higher yields of fruit for wildlife.
The Kane Republican reports that funds have been made available to build the road that will connect route 321 to route 59. Previously, there had been 3 miles of road missing between Jakes Rocks and Kiasutha Recreation Area. Once completed, this will be the quickest access for people travelling from Kane to the Kinzua Dam.
The Warren Times-Mirror Observer reported that the route approved for construction in 1966 has been completed and will be dedicated sometime in May of 1970. The 11-mile route connects route 59 and route 321 with Dewdrop Campground and Jake’s Rocks at the north end and Kiasutha Campground at the south end.
The Kane Republican publishes the public debut of a map of what will become the Longhouse Scenic Byway five years later. The month of February contained a number of milestones for this project!
March
Extraordinary flooding is the result of torrential rain and above average temperatures causing rapid snow melt into the Allegheny River and its tributaries. Cities along the Allegheny River flooded, including Pittsburgh in an incident called The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood. In the wake of the historic flooding, Congress took up legislation known as the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938 which would eventually lead to the construction of the Kinzua Dam.
The record single day snowfall for one of the Allegheny National Forest counties was measured just east of the Forest boundary at the Bradford Airport in McKean County. According to National Weather Service, the single day total was 30.2 inches.
The land for the Kane Experimental Forest is formally dedicated to scientific research. 1,737 acres were set aside for the Allegheny Forest Experiment Station. The station continues to conduct research and is presently known as the Northeast Research Station.
April
The Cobham Hill wildfire is reported at 12:24 pm. At 227 acres it became the largest wildfire in Allegheny National Forest history. The wildfire is declared out on 4/22/2021.
Public Law 102-271 is passed designating sections of the Allegheny River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The staff of Allegheny National Forest unveil a 42-point impact plan for the development of recreation, wildlife, infrastructure, and undertakings to maximize the economic benefits around the future Allegheny Reservoir.
The official name of the Longhouse Scenic Byway was announced at the Kinzua Dam Vacation Bureau. The dedication of the byway would occur exactly one month later.
The First Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp on the forest, and second in the nation, opens its doors to jobless men. Duhring CCC Camp ANF -1 opened less than one month after President Roosevelt signed the law creating the CCC. Camp One was the first CCC camp in Pennsylvania, and the second in the United States. Within the first two months of operation, the enrollees of Camp One established the first CCC tree plantation. Photo courtesy of Bob Imhoff.
May
Civilian Conservation Corps camp members begin tree planting in the Spring Creek area. The 781 acres planted between May 5th and June 3rd of 1933 became the first plantation completed by CCC members.
Nearly 100 years prior to the Cobham Hill fire and only months before the “birth” of the Allegheny National Forest, the Farnsworth Fire blazed in the area that would eventually become the ANF. The Farnsworth fire was estimated to be over 1000 acres and started on May 20th, 1923, when it was reported by the Wheeler Lookout Tower at 2:45 pm.
The new Red Bridge Campground opens just in time to host campers for Memorial Day weekend.
The Longhouse Scenic Byway is officially dedicated.
The first acquisition of forest land within the Allegheny purchase unit was made when the National Forest Reservation commission approved the purchase of a 74,025-acre parcel.
Deadly tornadoes tore through Allegheny National Forest and other areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Ontario killing 89 people. The tornadoes took the lives of 10 people in Forest and McKean counties and destroyed many of the old growth trees in the Tionesta Scenic Area. Many Forest Service employees were at a retirement party for Don Dorn, Region 9 Geneticist, which was being held at the Sheffield Rod and Gun Club at the time of the tornadoes.
June
Kiasutha Recreation Area opens for the first time with a “soft opening”. At this point, Kiasutha was ready to offer recreationists camping, boating, and picnicking.
The memorial plaque dedicated to the leaders of the Wheeler & Dusenbury Lumber Company is presented during a gathering of family, friends, and Forest Service officials at Heart’s Content. Wheeler & Dusenbury donated the 20-acre virgin forest that is now a Natural Landmark known as Hearts Content Scenic Area to the Forest Service.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs the Flood Control Act which would eventually allow for the creation of the Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir.
Dew Drop Campground opens with 63 of 84 campsites, flush toilets, roads, and a temporary boat launch ready for use by the public. The remaining 21 campsites would be of a “walk-in” or “boat-in” nature.
July
The Rainbow Family of Living Light National Rainbow Gatherings take place in the Allegheny National Forest, bringing thousands of people to remote locations of the forest.
Twin Lakes Recreation Area opens to the public. At this time, the recreation facilities include two picnic shelters with fireplaces, swimming areas, two parking lots, four toilets, a half-mile trail, and 75 picnic tables.
Microbursts and violent storms rage on the Allegheny Plateau toppling the Kinzua Viaduct and affecting roughly 10,000 acres of the Allegheny National Forest. Up to 60 percent of trees in the affected areas were toppled, leading to large salvage sales on the forest. The value of the blowdown was estimated at $50 million in salvage timber.
The first Youth Conservation Corps camp on the Allegheny National Forest is dedicated and known as YCC Camp Cherry Tree. Camp Cherry Tree was located at the site of Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Bull Hill (ANF-13). Bull Hill Camp was active from 1935 to 1946 and served as a German Prisoner of War camp from 1942-1946.
The recently opened Twin Lakes Visitor Center holds its first interpretive talk. The talk is held by Ridgway Ranger District and features guest speakers Leo Milford, a Game Protector with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Robert Carson, a Kane Senior High School biology teacher. Both were available at various times during the week to answer questions and hold talks.
The $50,000 Tidioute Overlook, built mostly by the boys of the Blue Jay Job Corps, was officially dedicated, and turned over to the Sheffield Ranger District (the Sheffield Ranger District is now part of the Bradford Ranger District).
A grand opening ceremony is held at Jake’s Rocks in celebration of the completion of the first ten miles of the Jake’s Rocks Mountain Bike Trails located in the vicinity of the overlooks.
September
The Elijah Run Boat Launch opens on the Allegheny National Forest for public use.
A new recreation opportunity is available to forest users as the Minister Valley Trail is completed. The trail is a seven-mile loop containing two primitive campsites and three bridges built by the Neighborhood Youth Corps.
The cornerstone is laid for the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery. The hatchery located on the west side of the Allegheny River at the base of the Kinzua Dam was dedicated with a day full of events including the first annual Kinzua Country Fishing Festival.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST!!! President Calvin Coolidge signs a proclamation creating the Allegheny National Forest. The proclamation states, in part, “…all lands therein which have been or may hereafter be acquired by the United States for National Forest purposes shall be permanently reserved and administered as part of the Allegheny National Forest.” After years of planning and property acquisition, the Allegheny National Forest if officially formed!
In September 1921 Loren L Bishop transferred to the Allegheny to secure land purchase proposals from the companies which owned large swaths of land within the forest boundaries. The largest was the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company. Other large landowners were the South Penn Oil Co., Wheeler and Dusenbery Lumber Co., T.D. Collins Lumber Co., McKean Chemical Co., Day Chemical Co., Armstrong Forest Co., M.W. Jamison and Elisha Kane.
October
Consisting of 17.1 Scenic miles and 34.6 Recreational miles, the Clarion River gains the designation of a Wild and Scenic River. The Clarion’s 51.7 miles gained their designation with the passing of Public Law 104-314, an amendment to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
The US Forest Service authorized land purchases within the Allegheny National Forest proclamation boundary.
Johnny Cash released “Bitter Tears”, a song in protest of the inundation of Iroquois land by the creation of the Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir.
Hickory Creek and Allegheny Islands Wilderness Areas are officially designated with the signing of the Pennsylvania Wilderness Act of 1984. The act also designated the Allegheny National Recreation Area.
November
The Kinzua Valley Trail Club held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the first seven-mile section of the Kinzua Valley Trail. This seven-mile section runs from the Westline Trailhead to the Red Bridge area of the Allegheny National Forest. The final goal of the trail system is to connect Red Bridge with the Kinzua Bridge State Park.
The city of Warren celebrated the opening of the new Allegheny National Forest facilities in the C.P. Spiridon building on Liberty Street in downtown Warren, Pennsylvania.
Replacing a much smaller “old swingin’ bridge” over the Kinzua Creek, the 200-foot-high Casey Bridge is formally opened. The bridge has gone by many names such as “Cornplanter Bridge”, “Kinzua Beach Bridge”, and is still used today by motorists on PA route 59 and formally known as the “James Morrison Memorial Bridge”.
Popular among folks traveling route 321 north of Kane, the “The Ghost” was an albino spike buck that came into the spotlight during the Allegheny National Forest’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Dave Hill, a Penn State student at the time, was the lucky hunter who was able to harvest “The Ghost” near the Greendale area a couple of months after the forest’s 50th birthday.
The Kocjancic brothers (John, Ed, Joe and Rudy) felled a large 50’ tall white spruce that was sent to the Nation’s capital to be set on display as the National Christmas Tree. The tree was harvested from the Allegheny National Forest just outside of Ludlow as part of the ANFs 50th anniversary celebrations.