A Hike from the Past

Jan. 5th., 1936 at the break of day, 18 daring pedestrians arose, packed their knapsacks with rations and reported at 7th. & Hamilton Sts. at 8:00 am to survey the hills, valley and wild life of Lowhill Township.

Twenty-three had registered for the first ramble of 1936 but ten failed to answer the roll call. Five hikers not on the list joined the robust bunch. The sky was overcast with heavy clouds, ceiling low and a cold gale from the North; not very inviting for an all day trek.

E.J. Schantz headed and Mr. John Leiby, first aide-de-camp was pathfinder and custodian of charts, maps, compass, pedometer, thermometer and the first aid kit. Messirs. Barnes, Danner, Maier and Santa Maria transported the company to Schnecksville where the cars were parked at the Buffalo Inn. Now we headed into the Trexler Game Preserve with rapid tread and collars up; the wind being stronger than in Allentown. The roads were icy and the field covered with snow, we arrived at the U.C.C. Camp and had a stroll around the dormitories and the mess hall. After a short pause, we continued on our march and found the less traveled roads had more ice, and we had to be more careful. Almost everyone expereinced [sp] some comic performance to retain a perpendicular position and about one-third of the party had a real flop including the leader. The streams were swollen much above normal and carried large pieces of ice.

At near 12 Noon, the weather changed. The clouds disappeared, the sun shone bright and calm and cheerful was the remainder of the day. We arrived at a cluster of beautiful Eastern Hemlocks at a steep incline on the banks of Mill Creek and here we tarried to cook and eat. Two of the party lost their grip on their thermos bottles which slipped into the stream below. One was recovered and the other continued with the swift current.

Our next visit was at one of Trexler's sheep ranches. Mr. Santa Maria took a group picture of the ladies each holding a lamb. Here we tested some rich cottage cheese made from sheep milk. The men in charge seemed glad to tell us about their flock and making cheese.

A few more miles and we beheld the ruins of a house and a pathetic little shack, the domicile of Mrs. Holben and her brood. Here law & order and law defiance clashed. Mr. Holben killed the late sheriff Mark Seuseubach and his deputy, Harry Siegfried with a shotgun. Later the home was burned where Holben had barricaded himself inside and he was killed by a shotgun blast.

We saw deer, pheasants, and rabbits but no elk or buffalo. it was sunset when we reached the autos and about six in the evening when we arrived home. We had tramped twenty miles on our all day outing.

The following were in the party: Misses Dorothy Hamstreet, Evelyn Newcomber, Jennie Hillaird, Helen Schaeffer, Clarissa Krommer, & Mrs. Homer Sleakel, Messers. John Leibv, Louis Bechtel, Sam Vivian, Kenneth Yocum, Henry Shields, Les Maier, H. Diehl, Sam Hillaird, Harold Barnes, Jacob Santa Maria, Mr. Danner and E. J. Schantz.