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West Branch of the Susquehanna River, looking toward Canfield Island. |
By James Bressler
Northcentral Chapter 8, SPA
The following elements comprise a listing of
sites and events that chronicle the human experience in the designated area
over at least 7,000 years and contain much that is worthy of commemoration.
From this list can be drawn those that collectively make this section of
Lycoming County unique in character and historically important in our state and
nation.
The
Loyalsock Historic Complex
A Rationale for Commemoration
Defining and Understanding
From
a hypothetical point in Loyalsock Creek where it merges with the West Branch of
the Susquehanna River we scribe a two-mile arc
beginning on the river bank to our west and thence the arc till we touch the
river again to our east. The area enclosed, then, is here going to be referred
to as the Loyalsock Historic Complex. It is indeed a special place, as we shall
see, that deserves to be recognized as part of our historic heritage.
Often,
when we think of historic places we immediately visualize such sites and events
as Gettysburg
where the thought of the horrors of a three-day battle of the Civil War have a
profound effect on all the generations.
Or,
perhaps, Valley Forge comes to mind where the depressed forces of the rebel
Americans under Washington spent a grueling
winter while General Howe and his British forces regaled in comfort in nearby Philadelphia.
Or
it may be Bushy Run, where Colonel Bouquet in a clever military maneuver routed
the attacking Indian forces and thus effectively ended Pontiac's rebellion.
There
maybe others important to you, but they all have one common element, they are
singular events occurring at one time and important to the development of our
nation and its people. Our complex is different, for we not only honor the
singular events that in themselves merit our attention, as they relate to the
founding and growth of a County and Nation; but also the unfolding story of
man's coming to this land and the evidence he left behind. For man first set
foot on the Complex some 12,000 years ago as compared to our appearance
scarcely more than 250 years ago. It seems reasonable, then, that here we
should include in our recognitions of heritage the people who occupied this
land 98% of human time to our 2%.