Culture

April 15, 2024

Elliott’s Park in Clearfield: John Crissman’s love for his dog and his community

Along River Road in Clearfield, within the I-80 Frontier landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds, sits a narrow park that overlooks the West Branch Susquehanna River. Decorated with a Bigfoot statue, a totem pole, wooden carvings, a stone Ford truck, a cabin used for storage and lots of images of a labrador, the park is one man’s testament of his love for his dog and his community.

March 21, 2024

The Once-and-Future “Johnsonburg Press”

For sale—130-year-old, independent newspaper, in a historic, PA Wilds, Boomtown Borough. Everything is on the table—the name and mailing list; the spacious, 1901 office building and upstairs apartment with nice woodwork; antique-and-recent office machinery and furniture; archived local, regional, national, and world news stories (microfilmed and digitized from 1897 to present day); and, on-site printing contracts for booklets, tickets, membership cards, and the like.

March 14, 2024

Discover public art and murals along Scenic Route 6

Tucked away among the beautiful scenery of the PA Route 6 corridor is a vast collection of creativity and imagination. Sometimes “hidden” in plain sight, other times camouflaged as parts of larger works, dozens of murals and public art pieces are waiting to be discovered. Now the PA Route 6 Alliance has made it even easier for you to locate and appreciate these many exquisite works of art with the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail.

March 11, 2024

Apply for the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Allegheny National Forest

The USDA Forest Service is once again accepting applications for the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Allegheny National Forest. Applications for the 2024 summer and fall residencies will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024. The Artist-in-Residence Program provides artists of all mediums the opportunity to pursue their craft outside of their normal environments, with free housing in the ANF and a stipend for those three weeks.

March 4, 2024

Flagstone from the PA Wilds graces the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

“Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God.” These hallowed words are emblazoned on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for America’s unidentified service members, providing a place for reflection on those who have served our military and made the “ultimate sacrifice.” The Tomb is one of the most recognized in the United States, up on a hillside overlooking Washington D.C. But 250 miles away on a hillside in Cameron County in the PA Wilds is a quarry where flagstone for the paved walkway of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was mined.

February 27, 2024

Studying diversity in Pennsylvania’s lumber industry

Last year, the Lumber Heritage Region released a two-part report that studied the historic role of women and diverse or marginalized ethnic and cultural identities in the history of northcentral Pennsylvania’s lumber industry. Working with historic researcher Hilary Jebitsch, the Lumber Heritage Region sought to document these stories to tell and preserve a more complete and inclusive history of northcentral Pennsylvania.

February 16, 2024

The Golden Axe: Embracing the thrill of axe throwing

Clinton County’s entertainment scene has just been infused with a dose of exhilarating competition and shared laughter: The Golden Axe. This isn’t your rustic backyard axe toss! Located along the I-80 Frontier right in downtown Lock Haven is this state-of-the-art venue meticulously designed for an unparalleled axe-throwing experience. Owners Travis and Beth Moyer welcome both seasoned competitors and curious newcomers.

February 14, 2024

Reasons to love the PA Wilds

As we celebrate Valentine's Day, our hearts are filled with love... not just for our sweethearts, but also for the special place we call the PA Wilds! There are plenty of reasons to love this region: the awe-inspiring landscape that surrounds us, the family and friends we can share memories with, the creative endeavors of our PA Wilds entrepreneurs, tasty food and drinks, and all of the experiences you can have within a three-hour drive. Let’s take a moment and show some adoration and appreciation for the PA Wilds!

February 12, 2024

The Death Shout: A legend from the Pennsylvania Wilds

A legend in the PA Wilds says that when a Native American warrior was killed in battle, he would cry out a “Death Shout” which was heard in the afterlife and warned his predeceased friends that he was coming. Writer Lou Bernard shares the story of the Death Shout as told by Henry Wharton Shoemaker, a Clinton County writer and folklorist. Shoemaker wrote, “There were many strange stories clustered around the ‘Death Shout,’ some of them beautiful, others painfully sad.”

February 2, 2024

Groundhog Day: The history of our favorite prognosticating whistle-pig

Each year, thousands of people flock to Punxsutawney on February 2nd, braving cold temperatures on a cold winter morning to see their favorite groundhog: Punxsutawney Phil, who predicts either an early spring or six more weeks of winter. If you ask anyone around Punxsutawney whether the tradition is real, they’ll give you a sly smile and tell you they’re a true believer. But whether this rodent really has mythical weather-predicting abilities or not, how did this strange tradition come to be?