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| Balance Rock |
Trough Creek State Park is one of
Pennsylvania’s smaller state parks but that doesn’t stop it from having some of
the best views and natural attractions. This rustic state park is situated in
the middle of Huntingdon County and just a short distance east from Raystown
Lake. The over 500 acre park offers camping, fishing, hiking, picnic areas and
even and old stone mansion you can rent.
Through Creek was founded like so
many other state parks in Pennsylvania. Early pioneers trying to get ahead in
the late 1700’s built small iron furnaces and cleared land to conquer the new
frontier. In the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC camps)
were made to employ young men and revitalize the land that was stripped from
its resources. Later many of the CCC camps were made into the state parks we
have today.
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| Paradise Furnace |
The area of trough creek attracted
the attention of the iron master Rueben Trexler in the early 1800’s. The area
was rich with iron, trees, and water to power mills; everything needed for a
profitable iron smelting business. Trexler built his first furnace in 1818 and later
built the Trough Creek Furnace that increased production. In 1832, John Savage
leased the furnace and renamed it the Mary Ann Furnace and built a forge. The furnace production
died down for a few years until the American Civil War. At that time iron was in high demand
again and the furnace flourished again.. The son of Rueben Trexler, Horatio, took over his father’s furnace and
renamed it Paradise Furnace after the war. By the early 1900’s the Iron production had taken
its toll on the surrounding land. The forest had been depleted to make charcoal
and floods and forest fires were prevalent and the area was vacant.
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| Side view Paradise Furnace |
In the 1930’s many young American
men were unemployed due to the Great Depression. One attempt to correct this
problem was the building of Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC). This allowed young men to learn new skills, earn some money, and fix the ecosystems that
were destroyed by tree and mineral stripping. The CCC camp S-57 of Trough Creek
was also known as Camp Paradise Furnace and built Trough Creek State Park. The state park officially opened
in 1936.
So what makes Trough Creek unique
compared to other State Parks? Well this park has plenty to offer in its rich
history in the iron industry; as well as, many natural landmarks. Paradise
Furnace still exists and can be visited today.
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| Paradise Cemetery |
The Furnace still stands about 20
feet tall but part of its wall has fallen in. Across from the furnace the
original Iron Master’s home sits atop a hill overlooking Paradise Furnace. The
Iron Master's mansion, Trough Creek Lodge, was renovated and available for year round renting. A short walk along Cemetery Trail will lead
you to Paradise Cemetery. Along this trail remains of the mill can be found if
you look hard enough. Paradise Cemetery is an old pioneers cemetery with mainly
fieldstones marking the graves of the interments. Rumor has it that an Indian
was buried in one of the corners of the cemetery. Tales tell of the Indian's ghost haunting the cemetery at night.
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| Looking down into the mine |
Another part of man’s mark on
trough creek can be visited at the Ice Mine. The mine was believed to be dug by
early pioneers prospecting for iron ore. No iron was found but unintentionally
a fascinating geologic area was made. The Ice Mine is believed to work when
cold winter air seeps into the mountain above the mine in the winter. During
that time the air is collected and through the summer the cold air escapes down
the mountain and into the mine. This allows freezing temperatures in the mine
during the summer and through condensation ice to form on the roof of the mine
even through the hottest summer days. This is a great spot to stop after a long
hike to cool off.
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| Rainbow Falls |
A short distance from the Ice Mine,
one of the most visited places in Trough Creek is Balance Rock and Rainbow
Falls. Along Trough Creek Drive,
before the Ice Mine, there is a small pull off to
the right to park. Directly across from the parking area if you look upwards
you will see Balance Rock hanging over the Great Tough Creek. Following
Balanced Rock trail down into the gorge, you first have to cross the creek over
a suspension bridge. Continuing up the trail Rainbow Falls is seen to the left
of the trail. The best time to see this waterfall is in the spring or fall when
the water level is at its max. During the summer months the stream feeding into
Rainbow Falls tends to dry up. After passing Rainbow Falls a short hike up the
hillside leads you to Balance Rock. After thousands of years of erosion,
Balance Rock was cut from the different rock around it and appears to dangle
over the gorge below.
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| Balance Rock |
Another geographical wonder is
Copperas Rock. This out outcrop of rock was also made by years of erosion and
many different rock layers can be seen. Trough Creek Drive will take you past Copperas Rock on your way to Balance Rock and the Ice mine. Some Folklore
pertains to Copperas Rock. Some believe Edgar Allen Poe visited this area and
after seeing the many ravens that live in the rock formation he was inspired to
write one of his most known works. No real factual evidence lends creditably
to this claim but it is still fun to think about.
Trough Creek Sate Park is a great
place to plan a day visit or camp for a long weekend. The many sights, hiking
trails, and fishing is enough to make any outdoors person happy. The easiest
way to reach Trough Creek is by taking route 994, Old Plank Road, and watching for
the signs direct you to Trough Creek.
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| Inside the Ice Mine |
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| Along Balance Rock trail |
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| The Suspension Bridge |
John Barner was a newly appointed constable for the area and
made a promise when he got the position that he would bring Ettlinger to
justice. Trying to make good on his promise, Barner went to serve Ettlinger his
warrant with two deputies but was met at the door by two blasts from a shotgun.
Ettlinger then stepped out and slit his throat for good measure and began to
fire at the deputies who ran for help. Sheriff Condo was called in from
Bellefonte with a few armed men to stop Ettlinger. A standoff developed with
volleys of gunfire and Ettlinger throwing an occasional stick of dynamite. The
Sherif and his men lit Ettlinger’s house on fire in an attempt to smoke him out.
Eventually Ettlinger came out of his home firing and then took his own life.
After Ettlinger was dead, John Barner was laid to rest in
Woodward Cemetery and William Ettlinger was thrown in a shallow grave in a near
orchard. Years later, descendants of Ettlinger moved his remains to Woodward
Cemetery only a couple years away from Barner. To this day people have reported
hearing and smelling gunfire in the cemetery and strange shadows. On my visit
to the cemetery, I found it quite peaceful and had no difficulty finding the grave sites of the two men. Please be respectful if you plan to visit this
location.
