This from W.D. Fish's Golly column in 1960:
Preston Croyle came in from Laurel Bottom Friday to the capital city of the Black Forest, and while here he dropped in at the Enterprise sanctum.
Laurel Bottom? You don't know the location of Laurel Bottom?
O.K. It is midway between Ole Bull State Park and Cross Fork on picturesque Kettle Creek.
Mr. Croyle is a nature lover. He is feeding a herd of deer as Golly feeds the birds, and just about as many. It might be said, however, that a deer eats more than the most ravenous Grosbeak.
During Golly's sojourn at Cross Fork – 1902-1906 – Ira Kinney, a Civil War soldier, resided in a small house at Laurel Bottom. Ira had gathered such metal as roofing and steel ceiling from the ruins of a fire at Cross Fork and covered the abode. He dubbed his house – or someone else did – 'The Tin House'. The name, Laurel Bottom, came from the dense growth of Mountain Laurel that grew in the narrow valley.
Quite naturally, the scene has changed in a half century...
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| Friendly Deer In Potter County Visitors to Potter County who can't find deer just haven't been looking in the right place! Each day a few miles above Cross Fork between 80 and 100 deer turn out for their rations of corn from sportsman Preston "Slim" Croyle. The deer come when Croyle blows a whistle announcing feeding time. Some will take the corn right out of his hands; others stand back and let it be tossed to them. But one, Teeny, doesn't mind giving Croyle a smooch for an ear of the good golden stuff. Croyle reports that Teeny has shown up year after year– nine times with a set of twins. From Potter Enterprise, 1964 |
How many of us made the trip down the Pike to watch Mr. Croyle feed his deer in the 1960s? Locals and tourists alike lined the sides of the road (Rt. 144) night after night to watch the spectacle. And, of course, the pages of The Potter Enterprise were filled with stories of the deer and the watchers and Mr. and Mrs. Croyle and their Laurel Bottom deer feeding project.
From May 1964:
Television cameras from the Lancaster station were here Sunday night to photograph deer feeding at Slim Croyle's place in Cross Fork. The pictures and accompanying sound track taken here are for a Saturday evening sports program mc'd by Harry Adelman.
Mr. Croyle said one of the scenes taken was that of Dolly, one of last year's fawns, who places a hoof in Slim's hand when asked, before she is fed.
August 1964, from the Mills (Pa.) Correspondent
Twelve members of the Mills Youth Choir, accompanied by Miss Gladys Swetland, director, Mrs. Beverly Hess, Miss Kay Cole and Miss Edna Nelson, enjoyed a picnic at Ole Bull State Park Wednesday. After swimming and picnicking the group visited the Preston Croyle farm and watched the feeding of the wild deer. A climb to the top of the fire tower near Cherry Springs completed the day's outing.
Golly, January 1964:
Deer pictures– The Enterprise has published scores of 'em in the last few weeks but most of them were of dead deer. But last week there was a deer picture liked best of all by Golly – live deer!
More than 30 of the animals were shown in a picture with Slim Croyle, who makes it his business to feed and pamper the herd, three or four miles above Cross Fork on Kettle Creek. The count each day runs from 75 to 100 of the fleet-footed quadrupeds. Wonderful is the Black Forest!
From Del Kerr's pen, 1969
If anyone travels through Potter County and fails to visit Slim Croyle's deer feeding station, located between Ole Bull State Park and Cross Fork on Rt. 44, they have missed a real experience. Near six o'clock each evening, at the sound of a whistle, wild deer come down from the hills to frolic around Slim like calves in a barnyard.
We stopped to talk with the famous deer man Sunday evening. More than 20 deer were already milling around the grounds awaiting the nightly handout. Several deer were standing at the long line of tourists taking corn from the hands of children.
These are not tame deer. They will flee from the sight of man anywhere except the feeding station grounds.
It all started many years ago when Slim rescued several deer which had been stranded in deep snow and were near death. He placed the animals in his barn and brought them back to good health through careful feeding. After release to the wild, the deer scampered off, only to return at feeding time.
Each evening the deer would return. One day two fawns appeared with the does and quickly joined in for feed. Before long, Slim was feeding a whole herd of deer. He has had as many as 150 deer at one time.
Slim has the uncanny ability to walk among the animals. Some even take bread from his mouth. A few of the animals stand on their hind legs at his command, some reward him with a kiss. Most, however, depart for the woods as soon as the grain is finished.
The deer man has names for most of the animals and can tell them apart at a fair distance. "That's ol' Red's youngest" Slim said pointing to a yearling. "He's coming along in good shape." He walked over, waited for the animal to stand its full length in salute, then gave it a piece of bread.
All feed is paid through donations. "It cost $15 a week to keep the squirrels going last winter when the mast crop failed," he said. Then there is Elmer the chipmunk, the family of young raccoons, and a host of other animals that have found a friend in Slim. And all come for dinner!
Slim Croyle lost his wife in 1961 and ran into some legal difficulties as a bold hunter attempted to hunt near his property, which bordered State Forest, and fisticuffs ensued. Mr. Croyle died in 1974 after a long illness. Snippets from the Cross Fork news column penned by Harry Kinney give a glimpse of his sad final months.
June 1974: I stopped to see old Bill (Lehman) at the Black Forest Trading Post and Deer Park. He sure is making a mint with his crackers that he sells to tourists to feed the deer. Slim Croyle should have taken a lesson from Bill and sold crackers to feed his deer. Poor old Slim. He is broke and sick int eh Veterans Hospital at Altoona and his deer miss him bad.
July 1974: I was up to see Slim Croyle tonight and I would say he needs help and quick. There are people that don't like Slim and there are people that don't like me too. You can't please everybody and don't try it. Slim has made a lot of little kids happy with his deer feeding and there have been thousands of pictures taken of him and kids. If Slim doesn't get help soon it will be too late. Let's see what the public will do for old Slim. Slim is feeding two dogs and I don't think he is feeding himself.
From the obituary ...
