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from 2021 |
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From Potter Enterprise, 1959 |
The magnificent lodge that served skiers during the heyday of Denton Hill State Park will be the setting for Potter County Creative Council's first concert of 2025.
Denton Hill State Park was a big deal for Potter County from its inception until it was shuttered in 2014. W.D. Fish shared this in his weekly newspaper column in 1960:
Times change – and how!
The song of the cross-cut saw and the singing sound of the axe in the hands of the lumbermen may still echo very faintly in the Nine Mile Valley.
If they do, they were lost entirely over the weekend by the laughter and happy shouts of the gaily clad skiers who came to Denton Hill State Park.
Golly wonders what may have been the reaction of the late Harve Root, Bill Hart and Bill Phelps could they have seen in their lumbering days what is transpiring in the Nine Mile in 1960.
The lumber camps are gone. There are left but slight traces of the log railroad that took the hemlock logs out of the valley to the huge sawmills at Galeton. Where lumbermen left only barren mountains, burned and blackened over after the timber was removed, the mountainsides have reforested themselves.
Deer in numbers and occasionally a black bear are at home in the woods once more; song birds are plentiful in season and bees hum and gather honey from the flowers. Newcomers to the deep valley amid the lofty hills are beavers and wild turkeys and the not-overly-welcome opossum.
Instead of crews peeling bark, cutting logs, and men with teams hauling them to the landings, Gobbler's Knob now looks down upon a joyous scene of gaiety. A ribbon of concrete replaces the old dirt trail, traveled only by horses or men on food in the days before the advent of the 'horseless carriage' or the 'benzine buggy'.
Progress – How dreary life would be without progress.
And here we are in 2025 sharing the vision of the folks breathing new life into the old park (Denton Go LLC). This from their website.
At Denton Go, we envision transforming Denton Hill State Park into a premier year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. By enhancing multi-use trail development and access, improving the lodge, and revitalizing the downhill skiing infrastructure, we aim to offer diverse recreational opportunities that cater to both residents and visitors. Our commitment to fostering four-season activities is designed to not only enrich the park's natural beauty but also to stimulate the local economy, supporting nearby communities and businesses in the Pennsylvania Wilds region. Our team, deeply rooted in the local area, brings extensive expertise in business, mountain recreation, and hospitality to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for Denton Hill State Park.
My grandfather and I share more about Denton Hill State Park in this blog post from 2021.