Racoon creek state park Beaver county

stevei48

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Oct 3, 2015
35
56
Mckeesport Pa.
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bounty hunter land ranger pro
vibra probe 580
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All Treasure Hunting
A few weeks ago, i was visiting my dad, he lives about 3 miles from the park office. we decided to go mding at the park swimming area. On the way we stopped at the office to see if a permit was needed. The lady at the desk said no, and gave us a map, with the closed historic areas highlighted, and another with the rules. Basically no digging, only a probe was allowed. She also said the evening before a local md club held a how to session. So there wasn't much to find. Now for some history about the park.

The park was built by the ccc. civilian conservation corp. in the 1930s, before that time there was the Frankfort mineral springs. People came from all over the world to drink the springs water and be healed and revitalized. This is one part of the park closed to mding.

Now for some family related history. My maternal great grandfather and his brother owned,farmed and logged a large area of what is now the main part of the park. I don't know much about his brother, but the government paid my great grand father $900 for his land. looks like he got the shaft.

I can not remember were exactly the 2 houses were. i was to them with my grandfather in the early 1970s. I do remember the house granddad was born in 1900 was located near campsite 17 in the camping area, and the other house he grew up in was located not far from the water tower at the top of the hill from rt 18. When i was there some of the apple trees from his orchard were still growing.

The government did give my grandfather work. He pulled the pine tree planter behind his farm tractor. So almost all the old pine trees were planted by him. He also mowed the sides of the road.

There is still an old iron bridge named the Keifer bridge now closed to traffic in the park, Also there use to be a small building off to the left of the main entrance. It was either an ice house or a milk house. I can't remember. I found an 1860s Hanover township map online. My relatives houses were marked on the map.

Steve
 

RON (PA)

Silver Member
Sep 9, 2004
2,847
61
Pittsburgh, Pa
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Tesoro Compadre & Tiger Shark
Great job on the research. I have heard that the ranger has a detector himself and has declared some parts of the park as "off limits". I don't know how true that is. If would be nice to search the mineral springs to see what was lost long ago....What did you and your dad find at the swimming area.
 

OP
OP
S

stevei48

Jr. Member
Oct 3, 2015
35
56
Mckeesport Pa.
Detector(s) used
bounty hunter land ranger pro
vibra probe 580
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great job on the research. I have heard that the ranger has a detector himself and has declared some parts of the park as "off limits". I don't know how true that is. If would be nice to search the mineral springs to see what was lost long ago....What did you and your dad find at the swimming area.

Sorry about the slow response, We only detected in the beach area i found some clad and dad found some little metal cars. That is about it. I use to know some of the rangers, but not any longer they have past away. There are a few cellar holes left on a rural road on the back side of the park. People lived in the houses when i was a kid. The park tore them down when the people past on. I will have to look at the map they gave my dad. I am pretty sure that both houses should be in the permitted area.

Steve
 

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