February 14, 2020

Henry Shoemaker and the Lost Chord

I’m sure when my editor asked me to write a Valentine’s article for the blog, she was thinking of something different. It’s certain that she expected “Six Romantic Getaways in the Pennsylvania Wilds” or “Romantic Bed and Breakfasts To Take Your Valentine To” or something like that. But that kind of thing just isn’t in my wheelhouse. Fortunately, Henry Shoemaker is there for me.

February 5, 2020

Celebrating the Legacy of the Mills Brothers

If you’re interested in music, you’ve likely been influenced by the Mills Brothers. Even if you’re not aware of it, chances are your musical tastes have been shaped by them. This group from Bellefonte was groundbreaking, paving the way for many musicians to come. And they began in the Pennsylvania Wilds, in what is today the Centre County portion of the I-80 Frontier.

January 28, 2020

The Jersey Devil’s visit to the I-80 Frontier of the PA Wilds

Every year, people come to visit the Pennsylvania Wilds. Thousands of people travel from out of state to visit the various landscapes and come see all that this area of Pennsylvania has to offer. And in 1909, the Jersey Devil did it, too.

January 16, 2020

Red Hill: Prehistoric Discovery in the Pennsylvania Wilds

Ted Daeschler and Neil Schubin were paleontologists. They were surveying an area on the north side of the Bucktail Scenic Byway for fossils. They found one. In fact, they found much more than they’d bargained for.

December 23, 2019

Shoemaker’s Gift

A century ago, in December of 1919, Henry Wharton Shoemaker presented a Christmas gift to Clinton County.

December 9, 2019

The Legend of the Thunderbird

The legend of the thunderbird goes back to the Native Americans. These oversized birds were said to hide out in the forest, and if one was spotted, it meant there was a storm on the way. Over the last hundred years or so, there have still been sightings along the I-80 Frontier, Pine Creek Valley, Dark Skies, and Elk Country landscapes of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

November 25, 2019

Route 120: The Impossible Road

Route 120 connects Lock Haven all the way to Ridgway. It's a part of two scenic drives: It begins the Bucktail Scenic Byway and is part of the Elk Scenic Drive.

November 21, 2019

Explore the historic ruins of the Pennsylvania Wilds

The Pennsylvania Wilds is full of ruins to explore. There are old communities that thrived when an industry was important, and then went out of business when it failed. Foundations, partial buildings, roads, and cemeteries are left behind in the forest.

November 13, 2019

PJ Piccirillo and ‘The Indigo Scarf’

If you’re interested in historical fiction, Pennsylvania, or good stories, you have to read “The Indigo Scarf” by PJ Piccirillo.

November 2, 2019

National Adoption Month: Two brothers in the Pennsylvania Wilds

There are two brothers who each live in a corner of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Though not geographically close, they are very close emotionally, and they get together occasionally throughout the region. For National Adoption Month, Lou Bernard chose to write about them.