WCH
Those old boys wanted to hunt Deer. My Step Dad was one of them. Leave for camp in Clinton County which was a tent and stay for 2-3 weeks. Took the railroad from Wilkinsburg that dropped them of along the track in Sinnamohoning. A guy with a mule wagon would pick them up and take them over and down the mountain about 10miles. And it was on a road they cut themselves. Fortunately most of the big wood had been previously clear cut and the timber at that time was just coming back. Who owned it? Nobody cared, they just did it.
Later on paved roads opened up and they took their Model T's and A's. Band brakes which needed changed frequently and gravity fed gas tanks that required them to backup the steep hills to keep the gas flowing. Cars broke down; they handled it themselves. Essential parts was part of their gear.
Later on they bought one camp, eventually sold it and bought a couple hundred acres and built their own. That land eventually became surrounded by State Forest and the State wanted it bad. They told the State to kiss off. The State hassled them for the longest time, but a couple of them eventually became extremely successful in construction and they pulled their IOUs in and the State left them alone.
Dug out a big lake. Permit? Don't need no stinking permit. Today it would be a big problem.
The old camps have been tore down and rebuilt a couple times. Today there are two camps on that property and both would make a fairly nice home. Some of the original bloodlines still flows in them.
Addition: Built a really well done foot bridge across Cooks Run from their side onto State land. Some lady forester came in and told them to tear it down. They didn't and she had it done. They rebuilt it. Eventually it reached a head and she was transferred and it is still there.
Last edited by battue; 02/03/16.
