One of our favorite early park photos, this scene looks like it could have been taken in the 1800s but it actually dates from the mid-1960s when Pine Ridge Park was first being developed. Most brush clearing work back then was done by hand before the invention of gasoline powered weed eaters. We don't know the names of these workers but they are some of many that worked in our park system over the last, nearly five decades, since the first Indiana County parks were established, We still have some of the scythes pictured in the photo and sometimes we like to have our younger workers try them out, just to get a feel for how it was in the good old days.
If you have ever been to Pine Lodge at Pine Ridge Park this historic photo of the Laird Cabin will give you an idea of what the building once looked like. Once the County acquired the property the foundation of the cabin was used for Pine Lodge but the building was torn down. The pine kitchen cabinets in Pine Lodge were made from pine paneling recycled from the inside of the Laird Cabin. Pine Lodge opened to the public in 1976 and remains a popular location for all types of events and activities.
This photo of the Lucernemines Coke ovens was taken in 1972 by Joy Fairbanks. Long-time residents of the area and travelers who traveled Route 119 near Homer City will remember the glowing nighttime skies when the ovens were in production. The photo was taken by Joy shortly before the ovens closed when they could no longer met stricter air quality standards.
