The turn off Old Rt. 322 onto Crowfield Road is innocuous. The road passes under the bridges and takes a sharp left, headed towards a small cleft in the valley. Cruising in my Jeep Patriot that day, the abrupt change from pavement to gravel woke my partner up from his nap. The 6-mile road up valley was a beautiful drive- one I had never seen before.
Up the mountain we climbed, passing many tidy hunting camps. The road reminded me of the way to my great-grandfather’s hunting camp. I mused on childhood memories while driving, and partner fell back asleep. Far too soon, we reached the rear entrance of Penn-Roosevelt State Park.
From behind, there are only signs to signal the entrance to the Park. The road splits off in two directions: a hard left turn over a bridge, or a gentler right turn downhill. First, we took the right-hand road, passing by the impoundment lake, picnic area, and CCC ruins. I turned around in a pull-off and headed back up to explore the other side- the tenting area.
We decided to picnic in the tenting area, as it was close to the vault toilets and a bearproof trash can. A few families were camping- the Park felt empty in comparison to Bald Eagle State Park. Yet, there was a subtle bustle and we had our meal and played card games in the quiet of the woods.
After a while, we hiked over to the impoundment lake, the largest remnant of the CCC camp which was here in the 1930s. S-62-PA, otherwise known as “Stone Creek Kettle” or “Penn-Roosevelt,” was 1 of 12 Black CCC camps in PA. Despite legislation calling for integrated facilities, CCC camps were segregated. Many, like Penn-Roosevelt, were purposefully placed in remote areas.
When the CCC workers arrived, there were no improvements. They had to build their lodgings themselves, camping in old Army tents. Throughout the CCC era, the men helped fight forest fires and aid in rescue during floods. Their work made a lasting impact on the area; some of the facilities they built are standing today.
The facilities here are simple, but beautiful. The impoundment lake has started to silt in, with the forest taking over. In the 1960s, the DCNR covered the original dam and created the small side spillway visible today. The restored hearth of the original recreation building is close by the day-use area. Other ruins were nearby, but we didn’t have the chance to explore them.
While ambling through the Park, I thought a lot about the geomorphology of the area. Stone Creek Kettle is not an actual kettle; a type of depression formed at the edge of glaciers. After some research, I couldn’t find any explanation for the name. DCNR recommended to contact Mr. Fagley, retired Greenwood Furnace State Park educator. He shared with me that in early America, folk considered any bowl-like feature a kettle. Mr. Fagley also mentioned in his e-mail that “neither the First nor Second Geological surveys of PA, both conducted in the 19th century, don’t mention the “Stone Creek Kettle” by this name, though do briefly mention the area and noted its geologic structure.”
After hiking around, we packed up for the day and headed back out Crowfield Road. Six miles later, we were on Old Rt. 322, headed for home. I wondered what the men of S-62 would have thought about the changes… what may have taken them hours or days to hike into the woods cost us an hour and a few dollars in gas.
Works Cited
DCNR. (2018, February 21). Recognizing the Conservation Work of Black CCC Companies in PA. Good Natured; Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/GoodNatured/pages/Article.aspx?post=33
DCNR. (2019). Penn-Roosevelt State Park. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/Penn-RooseveltStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
Fagley, P. (2024, September 11). Stone Creek Kettle Question [E-Mail to Autumn Dannay].
McNeil, A. (2022). Moving Forward Initiative: The African American Experience in the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Corps Network. https://corpsnetwork.org/moving-forward-initiative-the-african-american-experience-in-the-civilian-conservation-corps/#:~:text=To%20reduce%20community%20outcry%2C%20many
Pennsylvania CCC Online Archive. (n.d.). Camp Information for S-62-PA. Pennsylvania CCC Online Archive. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www.iframeapps.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/ccc/Camp.aspx?ID=88
autumn's country diary 