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.
VIEWMONT MALL, ROUTE 6 AT INT. 81
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA 18508
Phone 346-8703 0
10% DISCOUNT with this
T
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“Complete Pet Dept. Store”
...Specializing in Purebred
AKC Registered Puppies...
10 YEAR Warrantee on Most Purebred Puppies
Master Charge- Bank Americard-
AND OTHER CREDIT PLANS AVAIL |.
Canaries—Parakeets—Talking Parrots— "
—Over 150 Varities of Tropical Fish—
AQUARIUMS—ACCESSORIES
Mon-Fri. 12 Noon to 9:30
Sat. 10 A.M. to 9:30
STORE HOURS:
Fort Hood, Texas, as a combat
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
FINO's SPECIAL
Hidden Magic Reg. $1.99 #
Hairspray 130: $1.2
Reg. $1.25
99¢
Crest FAMILY SIZE Reg. $1.09
38
Hidden Magic
Hairspray 8 oz
Toothpaste
Polaroid 108 Reg. $5.39
NOW §3.%
FINO'S Pharmacy
by the light in Dallas
3 Dla
LE
Fiske