News & Updates
Is the lumber industry the last American industry, or is it the one with the most experience and potential for growth? At the Rossi Group, we believe in creating good jobs for people, not just staying in business and limping through year after year. Our commitment to this belief is evident in the stories and experiences of our dedicated employees and partners.
One of our long-standing employees, who has been with us for 47 years, embodies the passion and dedication that define our industry. “I like the business,” he says, recalling how he first got sawdust in his blood at an early sawmill and continued his journey with us. It’s the people who make our industry great, and everything we do is to take care of our customers, our precious resources, and most importantly, our employees. They are part of our family, and we are committed to ensuring their well-being and success.
Our sawmill, rebuilt in 2017 and 2018, came back online in the summer of 2018 with state-of-the-art technology. This modernization included the installation of a dry line, the most advanced in the industry, set to go online in Emporium within the next four to five months. Our optimization capabilities surpass most other sawmills, utilizing photo eyes and lasers to automate processes that were once manual. This technological advancement not only increases efficiency but also enhances safety and product quality.
At the heart of our operations is a commitment to sustainability. “Nothing goes to waste,” explains one of our foresters. Every part of the log is utilized, from sawdust fueling our mills to lumber being crafted into beautiful products. Lower grade materials are used to create pallets and railroad ties, while chips are processed into paper and other products. This holistic approach ensures that our natural resources are treated with respect and used efficiently.
Our region, renowned for its cherry hardwood and other species, is a testament to the diligent work of our foresters. They ensure that our forests are well-maintained and continue to thrive, providing a renewable resource for generations to come. This dedication to forestry ensures that our industry can endure and prosper.
The culture at our mills is one of family and mutual respect. From shaking hands and greeting employees to celebrating milestones together, we foster a strong sense of community. Our employees are proud to be part of an industry that values their contributions and offers a stable, rewarding career.
“We want to be the best, not just meet the standard,” says one of our leaders. This philosophy drives us to continuously improve and innovate, ensuring that we remain a premier hardwood producer. Our partnership with Lime Timber, the largest private timberland owner in Pennsylvania, and our use of the most advanced technology and equipment, set the stage for continued growth and success.
Our goal is to leave a legacy of sustainable forestry, strong communities, and a thriving industry. We are proud of the work we do and the lives we touch. As one employee reflects, “It’s not just about making a buck; it’s about making a life and passing on a legacy.”
As we look to the future, we remain committed to our mission of supporting the Lumber Heritage Region. Through our efforts, we aim to ensure that the natural and human resources of our region are preserved and celebrated. We invite you to join us in this journey, as we continue to build a legacy of growth, sustainability, and community.
For more information about our programs and initiatives, visit our website at www.lumberheritage.org. Join us in celebrating the rich heritage and vibrant future of the Lumber Heritage Region.
News & Updates
Nestled in the rugged hills of Potter County, where the Austin Dam’s concrete ruins tell stories of resilience and rebirth, volunteer Alvie Flouress stands as a living bridge between history, nature, and community. A native of Odin—just north of Austin—Alvie embodies the spirit of stewardship that defines the Lumber Heritage Region.
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News & Updates
SPOOKY STORIES FROM THE LHR October was traditionally a period of intense activity in logging camps. The “wood-hicks” would work throughout late summer and early autumn felling timber, preparing for the winter freeze to solidify the ground for smoother transport. October is also a time when the forests begin to enter a period of stillness…just in time for sharing spooky stories and tales of the macabre. Pennsylvania is well known for having many cryptids, hauntings, and gruesome tales. The Lumber Region is especially rich with these legends; many rooted in the rough-and-tumble lives of 19th-century loggers. In last year’s October article, we delved into a few of these tales, but many more exist. Now, we venture deeper, exploring more of these frightful and mysterious occurrences from our very own forest communities. Haunted Hotels Some of the haunted hotels in the region are featured prominently online, like the Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge of Wellsboro and Medix Hotel of Benezette on sites like Visit PA. Others are a little less prominent…like the Germania Hotel in Potter County. Built in 1856 by the Mueller family, it still stands nearly 170 years later. German immigrants working in the lumber industry settled in the area. The hotel rented rooms for loggers, hunters, and other transient travelers through the area. There are said to be at least three distinct spirits haunting the hotel and different paranormal investigators have inspected the establishment. One group picked up what appeared to be human legs walking back and forth on their equipment in what appeared to otherwise be an empty room. Stories claim that during another investigation a spirit actually made physical contact with an investigator…when it bit them. Haunted Homes Even more stories of haunted homes exist throughout the region. Recently, LHR staff were taking a tour of the mansion-turned-museum at Eagle Iron Works in Curtin Village. There, on the second floor, the guide pointed out the bedroom of “Aunt Sarah”. This truly was the room that Aunt Sarah stayed in when visiting the mansion. Sarah Catherine Larimer was visiting her family home when a tragic mishap struck. As Sarah prepared for bed, she attempted to blow out an oil lamp instead of turning it down. The action forced the flame into the oil basin, causing it to explode, severely burning Sarah. She succumbed to the burns and infection only days later. According to the guide, Aunt Sarah’s spirit remains gentle but ever-present. Her rocking chair sometimes moves on its own, and the room occasionally appears mysteriously disturbed. She also seems to take particular offense to the vacuum cleaner. Mysterious Waters The Susquehanna River is ancient…predating the formation of the Appalachian Mountains and separation of Pangea. There are a variety of eerie stories surrounding this waterway. In the West Branch, there are stories of cryptids that call these waters home. Referred to by a number of names, there is one cryptid that has been discussed in hushed tones for over a century. Kettle Creek Monster/ West Branch Dugong/ Susquehanna Seal are some of the names given to this mysterious creature said to lurk in the Lock Haven area of the river in Clinton County. Sometimes blamed for disturbing lumber rafts in the 1800s with its howling and thrashing, the cryptid has been described as being similar to a sea creature and of a size comparable to a hippopotamus, though it was also noted that it appeared unlike any other known creature. Ghostly Serenade Not every mystery has a monster. In the 1850s, a talented Norwegian violinist Ole Bornemann Bull tried to establish new communities, in the area of today’s Ole Bull State Park. These communities were Oleona, New Norway, New Bergen and Valhalla. He also began building a “castle” on the overlooking mountainside. The settlements faded, but park rangers and visitors continue to experience a phenomenon that remains. It is said that on certain blustery nights near the stone remnants of Ole Bull’s “castle” above Kettle Creek, one may hear faint violin strains through the pines. Maybe it’s only wind, trees, and memory working together, but on quiet evenings, the forest here offers a ghostly serenade. There are a few variations of the legend that have been passed around through the years. According to one legend, a white-haired fiddler appeared at a lumber camp on Kettle Creek as tempers flared, played a strange, beautiful tune that calmed the dispute, then slipped back into the pines. While that version is hard to source directly, the broader ‘ghostly violin’ tradition at Ole Bull State Park is widely told today. One could fill a book on the strange occurrences throughout this region, in fact, several have! What are some of your favorite spooky stories from the Lumber Heritage Region? Sources/Further Reading https://www.visitpa.com/blog/post/haunted-hotels-pennsylvania/ https://www.tiogapublishing.com/free_press_courier/news/local/three-ghosts-haunt-germania-hotel/article_919a3ff4-5146-11ed-b254-83be060811cc.html https://pawilds.com/ghosts-pa-wilds-dark-skies-germania/ https://sites.google.com/site/kwwdavis/potterco https://www.sungazette.com/life/showcase/2013/05/the-song-of-ole-bull/#:~:text=They%20asked%20a%20white%2Dhaired,park%20that%20bears%20his%20name. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-history-composers-and-performers-biographies/ole-bornemann-bull#:~:text=Ole%20Bull,a%20household%20name%20for%20decades. https://pawilds.com/ghostly-music-of-ole-bull/ https://www.sungazette.com/news/outdoors/2019/10/spooky-susquehanna-haunted-legends-of-the-river-wilds/
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Beginning in the early 1860s, river rafting and logging found a new rival in coal as a contributor to Clearfield County’s economic, ethnic and social life. Initially, in the early 1800s, coal was shipped down the West Branch in arks. By the 1860s, however, methods were modernized when eastern capitalists and the railroads moved into the county to mine and transport coal from the region for use in steamships, locomotives, steel mills and other industries. The first mines opened in the Philipsburg (Centre County), Osceola Mills and Houtzdale areas, where coal averaging four and one-half feet in thickness and singularly free of sulphur was found. By 1900 and later, coal mining had spread to virtually all parts of the county with whole new communities developing by the peak year of 1918. Some survive today – others died when the coal veins were exhausted. Coal changed Clearfield County’s lifestyle; fortunes were made and lost in mining operations. One inevitable development stemming from these mining operations was the unionization of workers by the United Mine Workers of America. Due to the heavy strength of unionized mine workers in the county, the UMW District 2 headquarters was located in Clearfield for many years, until the 1950s. The dominance of coal continues today, but in a different way. Shortly before World War II, the new method of surface or open pit mining was introduced and today has surpassed in importance the one-time dominant “deep mine” method. In 1979, Clearfield County ranked first in Pennsylvania in tonnage produced by the surface mining technique. It was no coincidence that the development of coal mining was matched by the entrance of railroads into the county, further opening this north-central “wilderness” to the east and west. Coal was the goal of the rail roads as they came to Clearfield County, and come they did – from the south, the east, the north and the west – to gain the rich coal traffic, along with passenger and other freight business. The Pennsylvania was the first railroad to arrive, reaching Clearfield Borough in January 1869. The Allegheny Valley Railroad was next, connecting DuBois with Pittsburgh in 1874. In 1883-84, it was the New York Central which breached the county from the east, followed by the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh. reaching DuBois from New York State. Ten years later a branch line was run into Clearfield and the company constructed big car repair shops in DuBois. Other railroads seeking the coal of Clearfield County included the Buffalo & Susquehanna and the Erie from the north, and the Pittsburgh, Shawmut and Northern from the west.
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