Old-Time Tales

Dec 9

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Jeffrey R. Frazier Author Interview

Pennsylvania Mountain Landmarks Volume I is a delightful exploration of hidden mountain treasures that are seldom visited yet rich with history and folklore passed down from pioneer days. What inspired you to write this book?

My inspiration was both homesickness and books by an early collector of central Pennsylvania mountain stories named Henry Shoemaker. After graduating from Penn State in 1967 I ended up working in New Jersey. I missed the mountains of my central Pennsylvania Tom Sawyer boyhood, and when browsing through books in Princeton’s Firestone Library I found many books by Shoemaker. His stories and descriptions brought home right into my lap since I recognized many of the places and family names he wrote about. After I had read all the Shoemaker materials I could find, the thought occurred to me that I could collect similar tales on my own and write about them. Not only would it give me a chance to roam the mountains I loved once more, but it would also alleviate my homesickness. And it did!

What started your passion for hiking and exploring the less-known areas of Pennsylvania?

It was something I always loved to do, and that passion increased when I had to work in other states. Hiking and exploring Pennsylvania’s cloud-covered peaks and fog-shrouded glens is still my favorite pastime. I like to say that when the mountains call I must go! There is a mystique about those hills and I yearn to uncover their secrets!

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

My purpose was two-fold. First, I wanted to preserve these old-time tales before they were lost in the currents of time. Second, I wanted to instill in my readers an appreciation for our Pennsylvania forests and natural areas, and by doing so, I would in some small way help preserve those forests and natural areas too.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from your book?

A greater appreciation for Pennsylvania’s forests and natural areas and for its colorful history.

Author Links: GoodReads | Pennsylvania Fireside Tales | Sunbury Press Books | Website | Amazon

This volume, and subsequent volumes, include accounts of the author’s explorations of little-traveled byways and remote hilltops in the mountains of Pennsylvania. His descriptions and photos of the unique and unusual places he discovered will appeal to all those who seek adventure and who like to explore odd and mysterious places; places like the Devil’s Dining Room, the Indian Steps, the Thousand Steps, Ticklish Rock, Umbrella Rock, and many others that are highlighted in the Pennsylvania Mountain Landmarks series. Much to his delight he also found that there are human interest stories and historical accounts that cling to these same spots and which seem as old as the rocks themselves; tales, that are steeped in the spiritual charm of the Native American and imbued with the pioneering spirit of the Pennsylvania wilderness as it existed when the earliest settlers penetrated its dark interior. Such accounts are the stuff of which legends are made and which add color and mystique to the mountains, forming their very soul. It is this breath of life, hints of a less-complicated and more compelling past that led the author to find the spots where it still survives, and to bask in the local color and lore that surround those places.
In this volume:
The King’s Stool (Dauphin County)
Stairways to the Stars (Berks et al.)
Umbrella Rock (Elk County)
The Three Sisters (Huntingdon County)
Lewis’ Rock (Cumberland County)
Infernal Evidence (Clearfield et al.)
Memento Mori (Jefferson et al.)
Picture Rocks (Lycoming County)
Boxcar Rocks (Lebanon County)
Warriors’ Mark (Huntingdon County)
Vampire Rock (Clinton County)
More of the Same (multiple counties)

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