Little Buffalo State Park

[N4speed77]

Just wanted to share a couple pictures (I have more but need to resize them) of this park that the family went to for a picnic. It's is a really old park with and old mill on the grounds (sorry didn't get pictures of it this time). Great walking trail and great area. 

[DeniGu]

Hi @N4speed77,

Thank you for sharing these serene photos! This park looks like the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

How long does it take to go around it?

[N4speed77]

@DeniGu@ If you would try to walk around the whole lake it would take you hours as it is a couple miles around, but it is worth it to do at least just the one side from the pool area to the dam and mill. Glad you enjoyed the pictures, I will still try to add some more, just didn't find the time to reduce them yet. 

[DeniGu]

Hi @N4speed77,

Thank you for adding some more beautiful photos! I'm looking forward to seeing what else you have captured.

Do you know if camping is allowed on the grounds of the park? If the lake is indeed that wide, spending a whole weekend there would be magical. 🙂

[N4speed77]

@DeniGu@ yes, they do have camping at the park ,but in a different section from where I took the pictures. I think it would be fun too. I wish I wasn't always so busy so I could do things like this, but I work alot, so I make good money, but then to make the money I don't have much time to do fun things. 

[DeniGu]

Hey @N4speed77,

Yes, I totally understand what you mean.

It's always important to find some time for yourself and your family, though, so I hope to see more posts from you dedicated to such great places. 🙂

[Rezgar]

Hi @N4speed77

Please share more information about this place, dear friend so that your colleagues will understand why this post is published.


Best Regards
Rezgar

[N4speed77]

@Rezgar here is the best way to have this park described. I pulled this from WIki-pedia;

Little Buffalo State Park is named for Little Buffalo Creek which runs through the park. The creek and the nearby Buffalo Ridge are named for the bison that are believed to have once roamed the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania. Humans have lived in what is now Pennsylvania since at least 10,000 BC. The first settlers were Paleo-Indiannomadic hunters known from their stone tools.[2][3] The hunter-gatherers of the Archaic period, which lasted locally from 7000 to 1000 BC, used a greater variety of more sophisticated stone artifacts. The Woodland period marked the gradual transition to semi-permanent villages and horticulture, between 1000 BC and 1500 AD. Archeological evidence found in the state from this time includes a range of pottery types and styles, burial mounds, pipes, bows and arrow, and ornaments.[2] Perry County was part of the Albany Purchase of 1754 when the colonists purchased a large tract of land from the Iroquois League of Six Nations.[4]

Settlement of the area did not begin in force until after the American Revolution. The early settlers cleared the land for farming. Much of this land is still farmed today. John Koch, one of the first to farm the area in the 1790s, opened the Blue Ball Tavern in 1811. This tavern served travellers on the Carlisle Pike between Carlisle and Sunbury. The tavern offered food, drink, and a sleeping loft. It became a gathering spot for locals as they discussed the news and gossip of the day. The Blue Ball Tavern served as a rest stop for messengers who travelled between Carlisle and Sunbury during the War of 1812. Rumor has it that the tavern was where the plans for the creation of Perry County were made in 1821. The tavern was closed in 1841. A farmhouse was built in 1865 on the foundation of the tavern. Some recycled boards and hardware from the tavern were used in the construction of the farmhouse which currently houses the Blue Ball Tavern Museum and a library that are operated by the Perry County Historical Society.[4] The early days of the Newport area are tied to the charcoal industry. Before the discovery of coal, charcoal was used to fire the furnaces of the iron furnaces. The demand for charcoal was great. One iron furnace could consume 1 acre (4,000 m2) of forest in one day. Massive charcoal furnaces were built near Newport to meet these needs. The charcoal was created by stacking timber around large hearths. The hearths were fired by a collier. The collier tended the hearths for 10 to 14 days until the charcoal was ready. The charcoal was then sent to the Juniata Iron Works which was in operation until 1848 when all the wood in the surrounding area had been consumed. Reminders of the charcoal industry are visible today at Little Buffalo State Park. Large circular areas of mostly barren land are located at the sites of the former furnaces and pieces of charcoal can still be found in the woods of the park.[4]

The land was not left to waste after the Juniata Iron Works was shut down in 1848. Farmers stayed on the land and it was actively farmed until the 1960s. William Shoaff bought 63 acres (250,000 m2) of land and a gristmill from the Juniata Iron Works in 1849 after it had been shut down. The local farmers brought their crops to Shoaff's Mill until the 1940s. The mill has since been restored and is back in operation. Visitors to the park can observe the milling of cornmeal, cracked corn and the grinding of apples for apple cider.[4]

Little Buffalo State Park was opened to the public in 1972. The effort to create the park was led by Allan W. Holman, Jr. Holman was a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and represented the area. Holman Lake is named in his honor.[5]

[Rezgar]

Thank you for sharing @N4speed77


Best Regards
Rezgar

[James8Arthur]

Awesome! I would quite happily walk all way around that lake for some peace and quiet... even if it did take me all day 🙂 Good info to go with the photos too, THANK YOU @N4speed77