Blue Knob State Park - History

History

The earliest settlers to the Blue Knob area were of German descent. They cleared and farmed the land soon after the American Revolution. They also built several distilleries, a lumber mill and gristmill.

The logging boom that swept over most of the mountains and forests of Pennsylvania drastically altered the landscape surrounding Blue Knob State Park. The old-growth forests of hemlock were clear cut. The timber was hauled away on trains that climbed the steep hillsides. A railroad that followed Bobs Creek used six switchbacks to ascend the mountain. Another railroad used five switchbacks to climb the hills near Wallacks Branch. These railroad grades are still used today to gain access to State Gamelands. The train tracks have since been removed and replaced with hiking trails.

The lumber industry abandoned the lands once all the salable timber had been harvested. They left behind a wasteland of dried out tree tops that were ignited by passing steam locomotives. The land was scarred by immense wild fires. The wildlife that had once thrived in the area was also gone due to over-hunting and deforestation.

The efforts of the National Park Service are largely responsible for the reforestation of Blue Knob State Park. Blue Knob National Recreation Demonstration Area was opened by the park service in 1935. The park was built by the men of the Works Projects Administration and the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The WPA and CCC were established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression to provide work for the unemployed. Ownership of the park was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on September 26, 1945 and Blue Knob State Park was officially opened.