As we wrote in our blog “Crossing the Divide; The Challenge of Bridging Elk Creek,” the dedication of a new concrete bridge across Elk Creek was an auspicious occasion in early August 1926. On hand were over 100 dignitaries and local residents. One of those residents in attendance was George Howard, who had been askedContinue reading “Route 98 Dedication, 1926”
Author Archives: Howard Falls
Crossing the Divide
The Challenge of Bridging Elk Creek Prologue:In early August 1926, over 100 people gathered at Elk Creek, where the state highway connecting Fairview and Franklin Township crossed the stream as reported by The Erie Daily Times. In attendance were Fairview and Franklin residents as well as county and local officials. It was a momentous occasionContinue reading “Crossing the Divide”
Moses and Philena (Whiting) Baker
Prologue: In an earlier blog, Howard Falls vs. Suburban Sprawl, we discussed how the population of Franklin Township grew exponentially in the latter half of the 1800s, peaking at about 1,000 citizens by 1880. Even in the most remote parts of the township, such as where Henry and Levi Howard lived, neighbors began to settleContinue reading “Moses and Philena (Whiting) Baker”
American Chestnut
In an earlier blog, Old-Growth Forests, we described how an unbroken forest stretched across eastern North America from Canada to Florida and west to the Great Plains before America was settled by Europeans in the 1600s. In that forest, the predominant tree was the American Chestnut, Castanea dentata, dominating vast portions of the eastern U.S.Continue reading “American Chestnut”
Early Scientific Research at Howard Falls
Over the past 200 years, Howard Falls and the Falls Run Gorge have attracted scientists of varied interests. Most recently, the Falls Run area has been investigated extensively by the Western PA Conservancy, resulting in The Falls Run Gorge being named a Natural Heritage Area of Pennsylvania. But in the 1800s and early 1900s, severalContinue reading “Early Scientific Research at Howard Falls”