Northcentral
Chapter 8, Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology
2008-2009 Archaeology Calendar of Events and Dig Schedule
OUR NEXT MEETING IS OCTOBER 14,
2008
at the Lycoming County Historical Society, 858 W. Fourth St., Williamsport, PA
Northcentral Chapter 8 of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Lycoming County Historical Society, 858 W. Fourth St. David Kagan, local historian and author, is the featured speaker and will discuss his book, “Pine Creek Villages” (Arcadia, July 2008). The archaeology chapter seeks new members and the public is invited to attend.
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Pioneer settlers began arriving in Pine Creek Valley after the Revolutionary War, drawn to the pristine wilderness filled with towering white pines and hemlocks. In the 1880s, descendants of those settlers began extensive lumbering operations aided greatly by the arrival of the railroad through the valley. Additional logging railroads were constructed up the tributary runs to the great stands of trees. Pine Creek’s villages flourished, with both large and small sawmills buzzing. Around 1910, when the large lumbering days ended, many of the village populations plummeted. Throughout the 20th century and into today, the area remains a popular tourist destination for fishing, hunting, and outdoor enthusiasts.
While writing his book, Kagan culled historic photographs from private collections of Pine Creek Valley residents, valley historians, local historical societies, and a professional photographer who lived in the valley until his death in 1963.
Kagan, 60, is a native Pennsylvanian, born in Harrisburg and raised in nearby Middletown. He is a fourth-great grandson of the founder of Middletown, George Fisher. Earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Elizabethtown College in 1970 and a master's in English from Marquette University in 1975, he taught both subjects at the high school and college levels during a teaching career that spanned 30 years.
Since 1991, he has lived with his wife, Beth, in Torbert Village, along the banks of Pine Creek. They have three grown daughters.
After retirement in 2004, he began a second career as a freelance writer focusing on the history and people of Northcentral Pennsylvania, specifically the Pine Creek region.
When not researching local history, interviewing people, writing or reading, Kagan enjoys bicycling along the 62-mile-long Pine Creek Rail/Trail and hiking mountain paths.
More information about the local chapter, Northcentral 8, also is available online at www.PennArchaeology.com, or by calling Robin Van Auken, 326-7872.
