Roadside markers in the Pennsylvania Wilds
- by Lou Bernard
- March 29, 2023
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If you’ve done any sort of traveling in Pennsylvania, you’ve definitely seen them: the roadside historic markers. Invariably dark blue with yellow lettering, these markers stand beside the roads in Pennsylvania to capture the stories and tell the history of specific locations. They are created and maintained by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission in Harrisburg, and they’re found in every county.
This includes the twelve and a half counties that make up the Pennsylvania Wilds. Just by taking a random drive, you’d likely encounter a couple of these; a fairly interesting driving tour could be created by compiling a list of them and the routes that connect them. I thought I’d list a few of the more interesting ones in this article, county by county, and give people a sense of the sites they could visit.
Cameron County
The Pepper Hill Fire of 1928 was an amazing story, and the marker along First Fork Road tells it. The marker states,” Seven teenage Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees and a forestry foreman lost their lives attempting to extinguish a 134-acre wildfire here. The crew had insufficient experience and training and were exhausted from fighting a previous fire. The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center incorporated these tragic events into a case study for training fire-fighters nationwide. This ongoing training has saved many lives.”
Centre County
The Bellefonte Air Mail Field once stood on the site of Bellefonte High School, and it’s marked by a historic marker that was placed there in 1969. The marker mentions that the site was chosen by pilot Max Miler, the first scheduled westbound air mail flight was made there in 1918, and the field was in use until 1925.
Clearfield County
The Native American village of Chinklacamoose, named after the chief, once was located on the south end of Clearfield. A marker at the site comments that the county of Clearfield was named for the bison grazing in the local fields.
Clinton County
Along Route 150 in Dunnstown, one sign shows Great Island, which was once a Native American meeting ground and a noted landmark during Colonial days.
In Clinton County, there are also two interesting examples of the PHC placing a marker when the location was not fully known. There are markers for both Fort Reed and the Tiadaghton Elm, both said to be historic sites in the 1770s. However, the actual location of both sites has been disputed, and the vague wording of the markers reflects this. The markers are placed at least half a mile from the historic location, and the signs use vague phrases like “a few blocks ahead.”
Clarion County
The Clarion County marker was placed in front of the Clarion courthouse in 1982, and it describes the founding of this scenic county. The marker reads,” Formed March 11, 1839 out of Armstrong and Venango counties. Named for the Clarion River. Early center of iron industry. Noted also for its coal resources and lumbering. The county seat, Clarion, was incorporated as a borough on April 6, 1841.”
Elk County
Dedicated in 1967, the marker for Saint Marys stands near the intersection of PA 255 and PA 120. It notes that the community, founded in 1842, was originally known as Marienstadt, meant to be a haven from religious persecution.
Another fascinating marker stands along SR 1001 and notes that Elk County had the first State Game Lands in 1920, measuring 6,288 acres.
Forest County
The story of an early settler named Zeisberger is told on two neighboring markers, both on US 62. The first one mentions Goschgoschink, the name of the area when Zeisberger arrived in 1767, and talks about the three Native American towns he visited. The second one explains Hickory Town, across the river, and talks about the three Native American paths that ran into the area and Zeisberger’s “noted dispute” with a Native American chief.
Jefferson County
The marker at 42 South Pickering Street in Brookville is all about Lewis Earle Sandt, a pioneer aviator from the county. Sandt was the first American to make an international flight, flying from Erie to Canada in 1912. He died in a crash a year later.
Lycoming County
Obviously, one of the big ones in Lycoming County would be the marker in front of the Williamsport courthouse. It mentions that Lycoming County was founded in 1795 from part of Northumberland and that it is the home of Little League baseball.
McKean County
Most of the county courthouses seem to have a marker describing the founding of the county, and the one in McKean County is no exception. It describes how the county was founded in 1804 and named for Governor Thomas McKean.
Potter County
Whenever I’m up in Potter County, it’s always nice to visit the Austin Dam ruins. These gigantic ruins of a once-powerful dam were formed when the dam broke during a flood in September of 1911, and the marker reflects that fact. It stands along Route 872 as it passes the ruins from above.
Tioga County
In a way, one of the markers in Tioga County tops them all. Standing along Route 15 half a mile south of the state line, it contains the history of the entire state of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1681 by William Penn, Pennsylvania was the birthplace of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The marker has stood in that location since 1949.
Warren County
In Soldiers and Sailors’ Park along Pennsylvania Avenue, we can find a fascinating example. A marker for Celeron’s Expedition, placed in 1947, states, “In 1749 a French force under Celoron de Blainville entered the Ohio valley by way of Chautauqua Lake and Conewango Creek. A lead plate was buried at the mouth of the Conewango claiming the area for France.”
These are far from the only markers out there – they’re just ones that happened to catch my attention. Sometime, when you’re out there in the Pennsylvania Wilds, stop and see which ones catch yours.
