Return Annually to Ricketts Several building foundations are all that remain of a once thriving logging town named Ricketts. However, descendents of the original lJumbermen still gather each year near the site of the old town for a reunion and picnic. At one time participants in the annual event numbered in the hundreds. At the Aug. 8 meeting, there were about 30 present—but these were inter- ested enough to come from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, as well as this area. The town of Ricketts was created in 1890 when Colonel Robert Bruce Ricketts, General Harry Trexler and Harry Turrell formed the Trexler & Turrell Lumber Company, and built a sawmill and town about three miles north of Lake Jean on Route 487. Remains of the ghost town’s building founda- tions are still evident where the Mountain Springs road leaves Route 487. The mill and log pond were southwest of the town ; the pond still visible from the highway. Because the Sullivan-Wyoming County line bisected the town of 1,000, there were two schools, one for each county. The sawmill at Ricketts had a capacity of 75,000 board feet per day and contained a circular gang saw and band saw. This was the largest mill in this part of the country. There was alsoa stave mill which cut barrel staves. In 1913, when all the timber had been cut, the mill operations ceased and the town disappeared. The timber cut was primarily virgin hemlock and the north- ern hardwood group, beech, birch, maple and cherry. There was also some white pine and spruce timber cut. American chestnut, the predominant tree of the northeast prior to the onset of the chestnut blight, a fungus disease introduced to this country about 1904, grew primarily at the lower eleva- tions and was found on the slopes up to the top but not on the plateau where Ricketts stood. The cleared fields north of Lake Jean, near Ricketts, were an old farm which was cleared and worked to provide feed for the logging stock. This farm operation encompassed about 500 acres. Original settlers had cleared about 200 acres, and Colonel Ricketts had 300 more cleared for pasture and hay fields. The fields are still open, and are said to be a good place to spot deer and wild turkey. Dr. Joseph Rothrock, a school teacher who helped to operate the first known summer school in the area, was later to be known as the ‘Father of Penn- sylvania Forestry” for his lec- tures promoting forest manage- ment. These lectures resulted froma $12,000 legacy given by a French botanist, Francois Andre Michaux, to finance a 15- year (1877-1892) lecture series on forest management. Dr. Rothrock became the conser- vation spokesman of his time. His was the voice decrying the very devastation which was later to be wreaked on the timbered plateau around the town of Ricketts. Had Dr. Roth- rock been heeded, Ricketts might have remained a thriving community. To open up the vast supply of timber in this area, the Lehigh Valley Railroad built a loop off their main line. They started the loop at Kingston and Towanda, and in 1890 extended the line from Lopez to Ricketts to serve the Trexler-Turrell Lumber Company. In 1893 another branch was completed up Bowman Creek and a spur ran down from Ricketts to Lake Ganoga. With the country opened up to logging, lumber companies were formed all along the branch lines. The railroad stopped running above Mountain Springs in the 1930's, and from Noxen in 1948. Colonel =~ Robert Bruce Ricketts was the son of one of the original settlers to the area in 1800. During the Civil War he enlisted as a private and eventually captained Battery F, which gained fame July 2, 1863, at Cemetery Ridge when they helped repulse a charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. Upon returning from the Civil War, Colonel Ricketts began an ambitious land buying program. By 1873 he owned outright or controlled some 66,000 acres (over 100 square miles). From this acreage came the community of Ricketts, with its rich surrounding timber, and in more recent years the Ricketts Glen State Park. By 1957, the land dwindled from 66,000 to 2,000 acres. This remaining 2,000 acres of the estate was sold in 1957 by heirs to the Ganoga Lake Association for a private housing development. Nostaglic memories of their former home town of Ricketts, keep a number of old-timers returning to the site year after year for the annual reunion. Dallas Fall Fair Plans Hobby Auction at Show The Dallas Fall Fair which will be held Sept. 3, 4 and 5 at the Lehman Horse Show Grounds, will feature a new attraction as part of its Craft and Hobby Show this year. A hobby auction is scheduled at 4 p.m, Sept. 5, when any exhibitor may enter a craft or hobby to be sold. Entries to be auctioned mustbe entered in the Craft and ~ Hobby Show by noon of Sept. 3. The fair, which is sponsored jointly by the Dallas Kiwanis, Lions, and Rotary Clubs, will present the New Christy Min- strels and The Bentons, and will introduce for the first time in addition to the auction, a bar- gain alley and bingo. Lawsuits on Death Of Students Settled Two settlements in lawsuits arising from accidental deaths of two College Misericordia s tu- dents were approved last week by Lackawanna County Court. Settlements of $6,666 were made in the suits of Robert P. and Marguerite Lynch, of Scranton, as the result of the death of their daugher, Sharon, and by Gabriel and Teresa Durso, Jessup, as the result of the death of their daughter, Rosemary. Both girls were killed in an accident April 23 on Route 309 near the Huntsville Road inter- section. They were 19 years of - age and were freshmen at College Misericordia. Also killed in the accident was Carol Freaster, 19, of Williamstown. Suits were against Jamie Joseph Kazokas, Edwardsville, driver of the car in which the girls were riding. The Lynch and Durso girls died from multiple traumatic injuries, and Miss Feaster died from a fractured skull, ac- cording to the coroner’s report. CR THE BACK MOUNTAIN 4 ’ Arthur’s FLORAL phone 675-1440 —In the Heart of Trucksville— -Ten minutes from Most Hospitals, Mortuaries, and . , Leading Hotels. 4 S. Main St. Trucksville The fair schedule conforms with the State Premium Book for fairs, issued by the Pennsyl- vania Department of Agri- culture. Everyone is in- vited to exhibit. Over $400, plus , ribbons, rosettes and some merchandise awards are of- fered as prizes. An entry fee will be charged for all exhibits in keeping with the policy of Pennsylvania Fairs as follows: one exhibit, 50 cents; two to five exhibits, $1; six or more exhibits, $2. Cashprizes are listed for each class. Ribbons will be awarded in each class—blue for first; red for second and yellow for third if sufficient entries are worthy. A rosette will be awarded for the best blue in each section or division. Entry cards and summary sheets will be available at the fair grounds or exhibitors may write in advance to Robert Coscia, Spring Garden Street, Trucksville, for them There are approximately nine departments in the show. Section 1 of Department 3 is vegetables. Vegetables selected for exhibition should be specimens that would bring the highest market prices. One should select medium-sized specimens and varieties should not be mixed. Factors to be used in judging are ftrueness to variety types, uniformity of shape, sizeand color, perfection of specimen, condition and maturity. Section 1 of Department 4 is fruits which should be selected from specimens that would bring highrst market prices. Used as the basis for judging fruits is form, size, color, uni- formity, and freedom from blemish. The use or display of artificial flowers is prohibited from floral exhibits in Deparment 7 except when indicated in arrange- ments classes, and plants must be growing for at least two months by exhibitor. Division A of Department 7 is house plants. Section 1 is house plants in bloom and Section 2 is foliage type house plants. Division B is specimen flowers. Division C is artistic arrangements which carry the theme, “As You Like It,”’ unless otherwise stated. Department 5, home and dairy products, includes baked products in Division A. All products must be made by exhibitor. Division B is canned products which will be judged on quality, general appearance, and container which must be clear glass, one quart jar with new lid and cover. Division D is butters, honey spreads, jams, jellies, mar- malades and preserves, to be judged on appearance, flavor, consistency and neat- ness of package. Department 9 is domestic and fine arts. Division A is clothing; Division B is needlework; Division C is rugs, Division D is handicrafts (mixed materials); Division E is household fur- nishings; Division F is paint- ings, oil, gouche, acrylic; and Division G is water color paint- ing, drawings and prints. Division D includes wax, leather, cone bead, shell, FREE PARKING FARMER DANCE! EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE ANTIQUE BARN SWEET VALLEY SPORTLAND CALLERS RED JONES AND JOE McKUEN 4 Miles West of Pikes Corners (follow Arrows) DANCE FROM 9 TO MIDNIGHT REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE ADMISSION $1.50 a mi pe tt = IN LUZERNE FURNITURE ~ GREENWALD’S PLENTY OF FREE PARKING GIFTS = OPEN FRIDAY NIGHTS RS To \ SHOPPING CENTER NTI T \/ EE THE DALLAS POST, AUG. (J. KOZEMCHAK SR.) 12, 1971 * Descendants of Ricketts lumbermen gather annually at the PAGE FOURTEEN Army Commission For Lt. Lawson Lt. Donald M. Lawson, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lawson, 8 Perrin Ave. Shavertown, was graduated from Infantry Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., July 9, and has received his commission in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Lt. Lawson was educated in the Dallas Area schools and re- ceived a B.S. degree in mathe- matics from Wilkes College in 1970. While at Wilkes he was a member of the lacrosse team. Enlisted in the U.S. Army in April, 1970, Lt. Lawson had his basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., and trained with the Combat Engineers at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Lt. Lawson will be stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., for basic Officers Signal School for 11 weeks and then will go to signal platoon leader in the new Tricap Division. Lt. Lawson is the grandson of Mrs. Obadiah Lawson 27 Oak St., Wilkes-Barre, andr. and Mrs. George M. Yencha, 458 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre. remains of the once-thriving logging town. Local Air Reservists On German Tour of Duty Ninety-eight officers and airmen of the 92nd Aerial Port Squadron (Reserve) located at Wyoming, will leave for a two week training tour at Rhein- Main Air Base, Germany, Aug. 7. Rhein-Main Air Base,’ is located 15 miles from Frankfurt and handles almost all the military personnel, dependents and cargo in and out of Europe. While in Germany, the local airmen will be attached to the 630th Military Airlift Support Squadron, and carry out all of . the functions of the active duty establishment. The squadron will be bused from Wyoming to McGuire AFB, N.J. for the seven hour flight to Germany in a C-141 Retired Men Continue Working Says SS Official About 40 percent of the men who ‘‘retire’”” on social security continue to work at least part time, according to Emerson M. Perrine, social security district manager in Wilkes-Barre. That estimate is based on a survey of men who had just begun to collect monthly social security retirement benefits, Eligible workers can claim full social security retirement benefits at 65—or reduced benefits at 62. The survey indicated that 20 percent of the men starting to get social security retirement benefits are self-employed, Mr. Perrine said. About 7 out of 10 of them keep working—possibly because “they can adjust their hours and work pace more easily than payroll employees,” he said. Of those who don’t continue to work after they begin receiving social security benefits, many are retired workers from businesses and industries with pension plans. ‘‘About 14 percent of those who have worked in manufacturing keep working,” Mr. Perrine said. ‘About 24 percent keep working in transportation, communication, real estate, and insurance; 25 percent int’ public. ad- ministration, and 30 percent in mining.” Mahogany Finish CUCKOO CLOCK 12” x 7%" Size. Cockoo Clocks {| From AND $15°° UP HENRY’S JEWELRY Cards And Gifts Bulova Watches- Diamonds Fostoria Lennox Gift Ware M. HWY. SHAVERTOWN But two-thirds of all workers in farming, forestry, and fisheries keep working after they're first entitled to social security retirement benefits, the study indicates. ‘‘Because of their generally lower wages, farm workers may. find it easier to continue working and stay within the social security retirement earnings test’ Mr. Perrine added. A retired worker may collect his full benefits unless he earns more than $1,680 a year. He may collect his full benefit amount for any month in which he earns $140 or less. ———— Check Y our Drying Methods—You can tumble dry bath rugs or mats that have polyurethane foam, polyester or cotton backing, says Ruth Ann Wilson, Extension clothing specialist at The Pennsylvania State University. But air dry any article containing foam rubber or latex. When heated, foam rubber materials can, under certain circumstances, produce fire by spontaneous combustion. Starlifter. The C-141 jet tran- sport can handle up to 157 passengers or. 90,000 pounds of freight. The 92nd Aerial Port Squadron was organized in 1956. Its primary mission since then is to train and maintain fully qualified personnel in the air transportation specialty field as an ultimate part of the Military Airlift Command. The unit must maintain a constant “operational readiness’ status throughout the year and ac- complish this through the most modern training procedures available from the Air Force at the Wyoming Valley Reserve Center and at Dover AFB, Del. Monthly training is per- formed at the Wyoming Valley Reserve Center. This is sup- plemented by quarterly flyaways to Dover, where on the job training is performed and a two weeks active training tour, where the men work and train in their assigned specialty field with regular Air Force per- sonnel. |} FABRICS A RR ER. DARING’S Memorial Hwy. — Dallas Prices Effective Sun., Mon., and Tues. DALLAS SHOPPING CENTER Meals. SMOKED KOHLBASSI 1.09. Darings Specialize in Country Fresh Meats for Delightful Hot Weather COUNTRY FRESH PORK SAUSAGE 89°. COUNTRY FRESH HOT DOGS 79. HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE 4 9. COOKED SALAMI 49°. DARING'S OWN SPECIAL LOAF 75°. Ib. DIAMONDS Illegal Dumpin 9 p 9 To Settle Estate BringsComplaint Five green plastic bags con- taining assorted garbage along with a white porcelain gas stove which was found dumped on property at Green Road, Kings- ton Township, were traced to Daniel Smith Jr., 37 Carpenter St., Luzerne. A charge of illegal 2 Carat Diamond $1150 1» Carat Diamond $565 1 Carat Diamond $369 3% Carat Diamond $169 Y, Carat Diamond : AL J. WALLAC dumping has been filed with Jeweler © District Magistrate Frederick W. Anderson by Kingston Town- 81 Public Square ship Patrolman Paul Sabol. W-B. A hearing has been set for Aug. 23 at 2:30 p.m. - DOCKTOR PET CENTERS INC. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers