History

Much of the Loyalsock State Forest was purchased from the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company in the early 1930’s following the great lumbering era. Climax, Shay, and Heisler locomotives steamed along a network of narrow gauge railroad tracks, pulling flatcars loaded with logs to sawmill towns that grew up overnight and disappeared just as quickly. These now ghost sawmill towns have names like Masten, Laquin, and Sonesville. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a work program for able bodied and unemployed males, developed camps which replaced the sawmill towns and logging camps of the early 1930’s. CCC Camps 80, 95, 96, 126, 128, and 145 were all located within the Loyalsock State Forest. History buffs and others researching their family history often visit Loyalsock State Forest seeking out locations of the logging railroads, sawmill towns, logging camps, and CCC camps. The Hillsgrove Ranger Station, located two miles south of Hillsgrove and one-quarter mile from Pennsylvania Route 87 along Dry Run Road, was the site of CCC Camp 96.