Wheeler and Dusenbury Lumber Company
Encyclopedia
Between 1887 and 1938, railroads built and owned by the Wheeler & Dusenbury Co., Endeavor, Pennsylvania
, formed one of the largest logging rail networks in Northwest Pennsylvania
. A logging railroad network sprawled over Warren County, Pennsylvania
and Forest County, Pennsylvania
fed two large band mills at Endeavor, Pennsylvania
, hosted rod and geared steam locomotives, and for a time, even connected the Collins Pine empire to the outside world as the Hickory Valley Railroad. The railroad featured an entry in the Official Railway Guide, a formal timetable, and the only rail bridge across the Allegheny River between Oil City and Warren to connect the empire to the Pennsylvania Railroad at West Hickory.
W&D's policies of widespread selective tract cutting resulted in the logging railroads being active until the 1930's, supplying the Mayburg Chemical Company with chemical wood on second-growth tracts, and contributing to the survival of the Sheffield & Tionesta Railroad until WWII. W&D's legacy can also be seen at Hearts Content National Scenic Area
, where a tract of virgin timber was saved and is a public recreation area today. Even in 1906, W&D was known for saving virgin tracts of timber.
Endeavor, Pennsylvania
Endeavor is a community in Hickory Township, Forest County, Pennsylvania, along Allegheny National Forest, on Pennsylvania Route 666. The town is the site of the oldest mill in Pennsylvania, erected in 1834....
, formed one of the largest logging rail networks in Northwest Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. A logging railroad network sprawled over Warren County, Pennsylvania
Warren County, Pennsylvania
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 41,815. It was formed in 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming counties; attached to Crawford County until 1805 and then to Venango County until Warren was formally organized in 1819. Its county...
and Forest County, Pennsylvania
Forest County, Pennsylvania
Forest County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population is 7,716. Forest County is famous as a rural retreat. Nearly 75% of all dwellings in the county are second or vacation homes . Forest County does not have a single traffic light, the only county in the...
fed two large band mills at Endeavor, Pennsylvania
Endeavor, Pennsylvania
Endeavor is a community in Hickory Township, Forest County, Pennsylvania, along Allegheny National Forest, on Pennsylvania Route 666. The town is the site of the oldest mill in Pennsylvania, erected in 1834....
, hosted rod and geared steam locomotives, and for a time, even connected the Collins Pine empire to the outside world as the Hickory Valley Railroad. The railroad featured an entry in the Official Railway Guide, a formal timetable, and the only rail bridge across the Allegheny River between Oil City and Warren to connect the empire to the Pennsylvania Railroad at West Hickory.
W&D's policies of widespread selective tract cutting resulted in the logging railroads being active until the 1930's, supplying the Mayburg Chemical Company with chemical wood on second-growth tracts, and contributing to the survival of the Sheffield & Tionesta Railroad until WWII. W&D's legacy can also be seen at Hearts Content National Scenic Area
Hearts Content National Scenic Area
Hearts Content National Scenic Area is a tract of old-growth forest in Warren County, northwestern Pennsylvania. It represents one of the few remaining old-growth forests in the northeastern United States that contain white pine...
, where a tract of virgin timber was saved and is a public recreation area today. Even in 1906, W&D was known for saving virgin tracts of timber.