Those who have made the drive from State College to Philadelphia know that just east of Penn State University beyond the Nittany ridge is a beautiful forest. Much of the woodland that can be seen from the 322 is part of Rothrock State Forest, a 215,000 acre tract of land purchased by the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters in 1898. Rothrock State forest is considered to be the beginning of the state forest system.
Rothrock was not always densely wooded and pristine like it is today. During the 19th century, Pennsylvania’s iron industry demanded coke, a form of charcoal, to run the furnaces. Iron companies cleared most of Central Pennsylvania’s Forests to produce fuel for the blast furnaces. Pennsylvania’s many coke ovens converted the raw lumber into valuable charcoal. The closest blast furnace, Centre Furnace is still standing and is right next to route 26 just north of State College. Ruins of hundreds of coke and iron furnaces still dot the state to this day, a tribute to the days when Penn’s woods fueled one of the most lucrative industries in the United States.
The Old Growth Forests of PA were almost totally elminiated in the 1800s thanks to the iron Industry in our state http://www.jaha.org/edu/flood/why/img/lumber_gallery/images/timber07.jpg
When the hills east of State College were clear cut, only stumps and dried tree tops were left. The dry, brushy land was very susceptible to wildfires. Sparks from passing locomotives set the hills on fire on several occasions, preventing the regrowth of the forests.
Dr. Joseph Rothrock, the commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters recognized how important it was to protect our natural resources by allowing the forests to regenerate. An avid outdoorsman, he also had a soft spot for the woods of Pennsylvania, as he spent much of his childhood hiking in the forests near McVeytown, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. In 1897, the purchase of both Sproul and Rothrock State Forest was approved, and in 1898 they became the first state forests in the country.
In order to prevent forest fires, during the 1920’s fire towers were built along Tussey Ridge. Some of these towers still exist, although they were replaced several times over the years. In the 1930’s the CCC built infrastructure in the park, including paths roads, and recreational facilities. Some of these are still in use today. 50 years after the purchase of the tract, the forest had regenerated to the point that lumber could be harvested again. A sustainable forestry initiative began in the 1950’s to manage the hardwood timber in the forest.
Rothrock became a popular hiking, camping, fishing, and mountain biking destination for locals, especially Penn State Students. In 1969, the Penn State Outing Club began work on a trail on the ridgeline in Rothrock. This trail, called the Mid State Trail, was expanded over the years and today it stretches hundreds of miles from the Maryland border to the New York Border. It is hailed as PA’s “wildest trail”. In 2006, a wildfire burned a large area of land just east of Tussey, today the land is regenerating, but charred stumps are still visible in the new growth forests.
View of Bear Meadows in Rothrock http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/View_of_Bear_Meadows,_Pennsylvania_in_Rothrock_State_Forest_from_the_northwest.JPG
I am a huge history nerd and loved reading more about the State College area. One note, though– coke is made from coal, not lumber. In general this post was really interesting and informative. I was at an archival research workshop the other day (like I said, big nerd) and we were working with documents in the Special Collections Library relating to the conservation movement in Central Pennsylvania. I am almost positive some of Rothrock’s papers were included, if you are interested in more information in the form of firsthand accounts.
Such an interesting blog! I had no idea that the forest near State College had such a cool history. Personally, I thought it was just some random forest near Penn State. My question is, what prompted your interest in nature and its history? I can see you are quite the outdoor enthusiast, so does interest in the history just come with the territory?