The Villages

By Christopher Miller

Pine Station. It sounds like a quaint village out of a Hallmark movie. But what you might not know is that it was the setting of a supposed story of witchcraft recorded by local folklorist Homer Rosenberger, but more on this later.

What can be gathered about Pine Station are fragments of interesting bits recorded throughout the history of our county. Pine Station never really amounted to much aside from a post office and a railroad stop, but it was home to some nonetheless.

Back in those days, a place wasn’t really considered a map-able place unless it had a post office and Pine Station did.

“Pine Station, eight miles east of Lock Haven, has a population of eighty-five, and contains two stores, one hotel, and a post-office, which was established through the enterprise of D. A. Cochran in 1866; he was postmaster, and so continued until 1876 when J. R. Fredericks was appointed,” read a passage from Linn’s History of Centre and Clinton County.

Being a postmaster back in those days did not amount to too much money. A record from the 1870s shows that Fredericks amassed $164.99 annually for his duties to the citizens of the village, which equates to about $4,900 today. Still, it was something to live on.

The Lock Haven Centennial Newspaper Scrapbook at Ross Library held an interesting account of aboriginal artifacts being found in Pine Station, including the “Flint god” which was described as being an idol cut from sold flint representing an Indian in full dress. It was said to have been donated to the Smithsonian in Washington, but their records do not contain such an item, as of 1939.

Another interesting account was recorded in print and occurred in July 1880 when two young ladies were driving their horse home one evening. Lying in the middle of the “public highway” as the road was so described, was a barrel that was placed for the watering of tobacco plants that spooked the horse. Also happening this week was the construction of oil tanks that made a “fine appearance” at 90 feet in diameter by 30 feet tall with a capacity of 36,000 gallons each, and Mr. R. G. Cook of Lock Haven visiting his farm at Pine Station after a trip to Florida. He was noted as being “the most energetic businessman of central Pennsylvania.”

Another item of interest was a great fire that almost took out the entire village.

Unfortunately for Mr. J. L. O’Donnell, the post office, hotel, and store building were completely burned to the ground in April 1923. Flames were noticed by a railroad operator who notified the crew of a passing train who informed the building occupants, but it was sadly too late and the fire was unable to be controlled. If the Lock Haven pumper (Hope Hose Company) had not arrived when it did, it was estimated that better than half the village would have been reduced to ashes. It was thought that a defective flue or the spark from a passing train might have ignited the fire. Damage was estimated to be between $10,000 and $15,000.

But wait, there’s more!

Earlier I mentioned witchcraft, and of course Pine Station was the setting of a supposed witch back in those days. Because of course, a woman living alone back in those days must have been practicing “the black art.”

A woman (name withheld because you know, I don’t want to be tormented by a witch) lived alone in a small house in those early days of Pine Station, but was a respectable resident of the little town. Though, some in this town suspected her to be a witch, or a sorceress.

She was a borrower, much like those neighbors who always run to you when they run out of something, always running to her neighbors to borrow a cup of sugar, a tin of coffee, scoop of flour or so, and they did not refuse her because they were afraid that she would cast a spell on them (enter Bette Midler).

A local family lived a “skimpily” life, as the story puts it, and had to be thrifty so they could make ends meet. They often refused to give “the witch” flour, or other articles when she came asking. Because of this, there were often “strange happenings” in their barn such as the horse being all sweated up for no reason, or the tail braided when no one had set foot in the barn all day. Or the time the horse was haltered and tied in its stall.

There was also a time when a large cask of lard was found to have been tipped over in the basement of the hotel in Pine Station. This large cask, as the story told, could not have been tipped over by itself and there was no sign of anybody else being in the locked basement.

The suspected witch who lived all alone came by the next day wanting to borrow some sugar, and the hotel owner obliged, thus breaking the curse for the next several months. Shortly though, another mystery was at hand.

There was the case of a sick child who had grown so thin and puny that they suspected it had to have been the ear markings of a witch. Even doctors were consulted but no one had an answer as to the child’s atrophy. Again, a local who had dealt with witches before (you know, because back in those days it was either deal with witches or watch buildings burn) knew just what to do.

A tea was brewed for the witch and given to her at noontime every day while the remainder was sealed in a jar and stored in a locked cabinet. While the tea was left in the locked cabinet, the witch remained powerless. At the witches’ urging, the cabinet was unlocked and the witch vomited three pints of tea. The witch confessed to her curse and the child slowly became of better health.

Another interesting story called Spook of Spook Hill was that of a Frenchman named Gaston (no, not Beauty and Beast) Bushong who lost his head in a quarrel with the local native Americans. “Their leader Chief Susquee picked up the severed head of the lieutenant and danced and waved it about, finally pitching it out into the river, where it dyed the water red as it sank.” It is said that the local farmer boys, when crossing the hill at noon, could see a headless figure searching among the saplings and vines for his missing head. This could have occurred in the general vicinity of Pine Station and eastern Wayne Township.