Ghost Town of Alvira

Some call Alvira a ghost town; however, the town itself has been gone for the past 70+ years and is now part of State Game Land(SGL) 252. Originally named Wisetown, the area had been populated since the early 1800’s, and by the early 1900’s it was a booming American small town with the entire infrastructure. All that would come to change after the start of World War II. The government fearing there would be a huge need for explosives seized over 8500 acres by Eminent Domain in Gregg, Union, Brady, and Clinton Counties. Unfortunately the town of Alvira was part of the over 200 farms and properties seized. At the time of the land seize, it was paid for at market value and even promised back to the owners once the need for the land was finished. Later after the war, the residents of the area would come to known the false hope the government gave them. Most of the property was never distributed back to the people. Some of the land went to build a prison, some sold to build a golf course, and the  3000 acres that  was left went to be known as SGL 252.

After the land of Alvira was seized, the Susquehana Ordnance Depot was built to manufacture and store explosives. A TNT factory and 100 some bunkers where built to hold the explosives. Only after 11 months of operation, the need for TNT was greatly over estimated and the Ordnance was closed. In the 1950’s the land was distributed and the factory torn down, but the TNT bunkers still remained and are now part of SGL 252. As for the town of Alviria, no buildings were left after the government came in, but two cemeteries still remain on the border of the SGL.

This past year, hunting season was quickly approaching and I wanted to explore what was left of Alvira. A friend of mine and I set out on an early autumn day and thankfully didn’t run into or upset any hunters. To get to SGL 252, we came from the west on Route 220 and took the exit at Jersey Shore to get onto route 44. After a few miles we took a left onto mill road then a right onto Alvira Road. Soon we were greeted with SGL signs and a parking area. The first thing we noticed when we parked the car was a sign that paid homage to the town of Alvira. Only a few feet away we found our first bunker. Unfortunately it was locked up but nonetheless it sparked our curiosity even more. Hopeful, we began to walk into the game lands.

 

It was not long until we found another bunker. I had downloaded a SGL map that had many of the bunkers marked, it was just a matter of finding one that was open to explore. After about 100 yards, we came across our next bunker. The bunker was in a dome shape and looked like a small hill. A large steel door was the only entrance and to our luck was open. The first thing we realized as we stepped into the bunker was its amazing acoustic ability, probably due in part to its shape. Besides some junk, nothing else was really found in the bunker. A small exhaust hole was at the top. We continued to walk the game lands and stumbled upon many other bunkers.

After we got our thrill of finding several bunkers, we made our way back to the car. I knew from research that there were 2 cemeteries supposed to be near by. We continued down Alvira road and soon came across one of the cemeteries to our right. There looked to be a horticulture class walking along the road and cemetery, observing the trees and plants, so we didn’t stop and continued on. At the end of Alvira road we found a dead end; however, it was also a parking area for the Washington Presbyterian Church and cemetery. One stone pillar and another foundation of one marked the entrance. To the right, a small grade could be noticed that was once the foundation to the church that sat adjacent to the cemetery. I was surprised to see the cemetery it such good condition. From the far end of the cemetery, the fence and tower of the nearby prison could be seen. We walked the cemetery and took a few pictures and then headed back to the car. All in all it was a well worth drive to witness this bit of history.