A new interpretive panel near Austin Dam tells the story of how one incredible woman, Cora Brooks, spread the word of the breaking of the Bayless Paper Mill Dam – saving lives of many of those in the path of destruction.
The Austin Dam Memorial Association worked with the Lumber Heritage Region and their local Scout Club to install and unveil the Cora Brooks / Bayless Paper Mill sign at the Austin Dam Memorial Park in Potter County, in the Dark Skies landscape of the PA Wilds region.
Alvie Fourness of the Austin Dam Memorial Association stated, “We placed the panel so that when standing to read it, if you look upward, you will see the hillside where Cora Brook’s boarding house was.”
From this vantage point one can imagine the clear view of the dam (and its wreckage) Cora would have had before the trees grew in. Directly in front of the panel is a large piece of the dam that broke away as the water pressure became too great to bear.
The dam had been constructed by the Bayless Paper Company to control the water supply to the paper mill built downstream of the dam. On Saturday, September 30th, 1911, Cora Brooks heard the piercing crack of the dam and the thundering sound of the water as it rushed through the breach. Acting quickly, she initiated the spread of the word to the community that the dam was breaking.
Lumber Heritage Region believes it is vital to elevate these stories.
Starting with in-depth research in 2020, this is part of an ongoing initiative for the LHR. It is important to include stories from people of various backgrounds to compile and share a more complete history of the region. Many of the contributions from marginalized groups have long gone underrepresented when sharing stories and history of the region – especially regarding lumber-related histories.
Now that the initial findings have been reported, the next phase is sharing those findings. One of the ways the Lumber Heritage Region is accomplishing this is with the creation and installation of interpretive panels, such as the one at Austin Dam.
Click here to read the full Lumber Heritage Region Diversity Report. (Cora’s story can be found on Part 2 of the report, on starting on page 110 of the report / page 30 of the PDF.)
In addition to the unveiling ceremony on July 25, the Austin Dam Memorial Association hosted chainsaw carvers and a movie at the park.
Lumber Heritage Region gives their sincere thanks to the Austin Dam Memorial Association and Alvie Fourness for installing the panel and orchestrating its unveiling. Another big thank you to Jennifer Leightley and the Scout Club girls for their help with installation and for reading the story of Cora and the other heroines involved in the Austin Dam Disaster and aftermath.
The Lumber Heritage Region (LHR) is a 15-county region in North West/North Central Pennsylvania that accentuates the importance of the lumber industry for the past, present, and future. The goal of the heritage region is to market its assets to potential visitors, to serve as a resource to the PA hardwood industry, and to keep the economic impact of the region at the forefront. LHR is a 501C3 organization that is dedicated to helping the region make an impact internationally. It is their mission to serve the region with technical, educational, and financial assistance through the coordination of networking and communication initiatives.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.