Smiths Camp & the Swimming hole in Hicks run. 1903 Cameron County

[jeff of pa]

Smith's Camp & the Swimming hole in Hicks run. 1903 Cameron County

Cameron County press. (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.), 20 Aug. 1903.





Cameron County press. (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, August 20, 1903, Image 8 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress

 

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[kromar3336]

I do a lot of my medal detecting at Hicks Run. Guess I’ll have to look for remnants of a dam.
Thanks

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I do a lot of my medal detecting at Hicks Run. Guess I’ll have to look for remnants of a dam.
Thanks

You should head over to Dents Run and look for the Civil War Gold...oh wait, it's been found.

 

[A2coins]

cool post

 

[kromar3336]

[emoji23] been going to that area since the 70’s. Haven’t found it yet

 

[VonDigger]

Our camp isn't too far from there at all. I might try and look for it myself. As I siad in another post, I am heading up that way in May and to get to camp, we have to head the whole way up Hicks Run Road to a little bit past the split where East and West Hicks come together. I'm thinking it could be a possibility that the dam might have been upstream of the split on either of the branches.

 

[VonDigger]

Tonight I am going to refer to my ghost town book to see if I can narrow down where the dam was at. I am thinking that dam was put there because of the lumber industry that Mr Dubois started there. Yes the same person that founded Dubois. Hicks Run was established in 1904 not too far removed from the news paper article. Once I can get some info out of the book, well if, then I can jump on Google Earth and possibly narrow things down. The town of Hicks Run wasn't where I thought it would be, so that kind of tosses a small wrinkle in things.

VonDigger

 

[VonDigger]

This is what I came up with. I'm just working the main creek and not the branches. Between points a and b is where I am thinking the dam could have been which has been long lost to time by this point. I'm still thinking it could be up the West Branch, thats something I would have to go and drive aain, but I think there might have been a couple pools that could have been big enough to swim in up there. I just can't remember where. If one knew exactly where Smith's Camp was, then narrowing down where the dam is would be much easier. And since I am sitting 176 miles away from it right nw, it's not like I can just run up there LOL.

The book I have on ghost towns was somewhat useless, but it did give me a good idea of where the town was. That can be another post for another day.

 

[VonDigger]

One thing I didn't mention in the above post is that the East Branch heads up through the Whipporwill and there isn't much up that way in swimming holes or dams. As I said in another post, I am going to take a day or 2 and head up that way in May. So I might be able to check some things out. There are a couple of things I want to check out myself while I am up there.

VonDigger

 

[VonDigger]

I'm interested, but at this point I need to get boots on the ground so I can actually see what is going on. I did see on an older mad that there isn't a West Hicks run, just an East hicks run and that West Hicks run was just marked Hicks run as in the main channel and not a feeder. So I am thinking that the swimming hole could be up what is now called West Hicks Run. In fact, I do recall any remnants of a dam below the camping area.

 

[VonDigger]

One more thing that I came across in regards to the lumber industry is that it could of been what they called a splash dam. They used those dams to raise the water level to float logs down smaller streams but creating a swell of water from behind. Like I said before though, I need to get boots on the ground and check things out.

VonDigger

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I was thinking splash dam too. Hicks Run is too small to have a natural hole 16ft. deep. I have come across old splash dam remains. Just look for unnatural piles of dirt along both sides of the stream. But, over time, flood waters may have washed the dirt away.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I'm wondering if "Kellys bull pups" came from a lumber camp. There was a guy named Kelly who had a huge logging operation at the turn of the century in Hicks Run.

 

[VonDigger]

I'm going to have to look into that. Going to be up there in May. For some reason, I'm thinking that "hole" could have been up the West Branch and not on Hicks Run.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Tom Tabors "Whining Saws and Squealing Flanges" tells about Kellys logging and has a map showing his 2 camp locations. Some of this area is State Game Land. You can't dig or remove anything.

 

[Timbersnort]

Kellys 1st and 2nd camps, according to this map anyway.

 

[Timbersnort]

I was thinking splash dam too. Hicks Run is too small to have a natural hole 16ft. deep. I have come across old splash dam remains. Just look for unnatural piles of dirt along both sides of the stream. But, over time, flood waters may have washed the dirt away.

Ever seen this site on Bennets Branch upstream of mouth of Hicks Run, home foundation an dug well, very large splash dam location at one time.

Looking long ways.

Dug well, downstream dam breast view.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Ever seen this site on Bennets Branch upstream of mouth of Hicks Run, home foundation an dug well, very large splash dam location at one time.
View attachment 1693358
Looking long ways.
View attachment 1693359
Dug well, downstream dam breast view.

No,I've never seen that. A couple years ago I saw a photo of a huge slash dam across the Bennetts Branch. I don't remember where I saw it . It might be the same dam you're talking about.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

E. K. Kellys Lumber Camp I bought off Ebay years ago.

 

[VonDigger]

I'm going to have to look for that the next time I am up there. Jus on the splash dam deal. Going to look for one in the Quanna Wild Area. A Very interesting history up there around camp. Our camp is upmon Barr Hollow Road, so It's kinda central to a bunch of stuff.