Halfway between Ferndale (on 611) and Upper Black Eddy (on 32), several hundred feet above the Delaware River in BridgetonTownship, you will find the Ringing Rocks. We wrote about these rocks in this column in April, 1962. However we feel justified in calling them to the attention of our readers again, this time however as one of Bucks County's leading attractions. In one sense this was a hard choice to make for there are so many things that we might have chosen. We selected the rocks because in a TV program on KYW called "Evening Magazine," they were described as of unknown origin and it was even hinted that they might be the ruins of a landing pad for visitors from outer space! The fact that their origin is known, as well as the reason that many of them give off bell-like tones when struck with a hammer, has been explained in earlier descriptions published in 1962. We need not repeat this information, however, the rocks are interesting to visit and it's a lot of fun trying to play a tune on them. So take the youngsters along and pack a picnic lunch. Don't forget to take a hammer with you.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "prairie?" We are sure that you immediately think of the grassy plains of central North America. We are just as sure that you do not associate that word with Pennsylvania. However in Butler County you will find a true prairie in every detail, presenting the same natural fauna and flora found in the great Midwestern plains of the continent. We first visited Jennings Prairie with the Pennsylvania Academy of Science at one of their summer meetings. It is located along Highway 8, a mile or two north of the Stone House, a popular wayside inn of the early 19th century. Known as the Jennings Nature Reserve, it was named for Dr. O.E. Jennings, the scientist who first recognized the unusual environment of the area and identified it as a true prairie. Several miles of nature trailsmake the reserve readily accessible. There is nothing like it anywhere else in Pennsylvania.
Last week we wrote that the horseshoe curve was built to eliminate the use of the Portage Railroad hauling canal boats over the Allegheny Front. Today we are suggesting a visit to the right-of-way of the Portage Railway, at least the portion that lies in Cambria County. Highway 53 follows the route from Cresson into Johnstown. Considerable remains of the old workings can be observed and just east of Cresson plane, No. 5 can be seen and explored. Nearby is the famous Skew Arch Bridge which was built on a skew oval bleak angle. This structure allowed the railway to pass under a highway, which today is U.S. 22. Four miles east of Johnstown the Portage tunneled through solid rock and is now open for inspection. It is too bad that the old railway and its planes could not have been preserved to operate as a tourist attraction.
Back in the days when we were working for the Pennsylvania Water & Power Co. we were sent up to Cameron County to have a look at the proposed site for a flood control dam on the Sinnemahoning above Emporium. (We might add that this proposed dam was never built.) Driving along U.S. 20, just west of Emporium, we were surprised to see a group of young men hammering at the rock exposed along the highway. Obviously this was a group of geology students, so we pulled aside and quickly learned that they were from Penn State and their professor turned out to be a chap I had known a few years earlier when I was a graduate student at State College.
The fossils found here are marine creatures, mostly sea shells but some lace-like Bryzoa and a few flower-like crinoids are also there waiting to be excavated. The outcrop is on the north sideof the highway about 200 feet beyond the bridge at the western boro line. We suggest it as Cameron County's offering to our list of unusual places to visit because it is something quite different from the usual "tourist attraction." As a bonus, drive to Emporium by way of Driftwood. The road from Driftwood north follows the Sinnemahoning Valley for a delightful ride.
Next week: A ghost town in Carbon County and the King Ranch in Chester County.