Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area
Encyclopedia
Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area is a 500 acre (202 ha) National Natural Landmark
within Bald Eagle State Forest
in Spring Township
, Snyder County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States
. It is named for two Pennsylvania politicians from Snyder County: Simon Snyder
and Ner Alexander Middleswarth
. It was formerly a Pennsylvania state park and was the only one in Snyder County, but lost its state park status in the mid 1990s.
and Ner Alexander Middleswarth
. Snyder County is also named for Simon Snyder.
Snyder (1759 – 1819) was a three-time Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
and the third governor of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the United States Senate
, but died before he could take office. As of 2007 he remains the only Pennsylvania governor from Snyder County. Middleswarth (1783 – 1865) was twice Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, and served in the Pennsylvania State Senate
and the United States House of Representatives
.
The United States Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System
(GNIS) lists the name as "Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area", without a hyphen, and this is the name used by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
as of 2007. However, the state park was officially "Snyder-Middleswarth State Park", with a hyphen.
on Swift Run Road. It is 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Lewisburg
and 31 miles (50 km) southeast of State College
. The natural area is in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
, in a narrow east-west valley between Jacks Mountain to the south and Buck and Penns Creek Mountains to the north. Swift Run, a tributary of Middle Creek
, flows east through the area. The Rock Springs Picnic Area is at the eastern end of the preserve, with the Snyder-Middleswarth Picnic Area west of this, in about the center of the tract, just where Swift Run Road leaves Swift Run. Tall Timbers Natural Area is the western border, while Bald Eagle State Forest lands surround Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area in all other directions.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, almost all of Pennsylvania's forests were clear cut, with only a few isolated tracts of virgin forest surviving. The land that became Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area was purchased by the state in 1902, as part of a larger 14,000 acre (56.66 km) parcel. On April 12, 1921 the governor signed the law creating "Snyder-Middleswarth State Forest Park", making it Pennsylvania's ninth state park. By 1923 the park had a telephone and some structures, and in 1937 the state named it a "Forest Monument" as an "area of botanical or historic interest". Early in the park's history a fire tower was built just west of it, but this was eventually abandoned and only the foundations remained by 1992.
Snyder-Middleswarth was still a "State Forest Park" on the official 1965 Pennsylvania Department of Highways
Snyder County map. In November 1967, the park was named a National Natural Landmark
, as an "outstanding example of a relict forest composed predominantly of hemlock, birch, and pine, with scattered oaks". In 1980 an airplane carrying the New York Times crashed with one fatality. The crash site is on the summit of Thick Mountain, on the southern edge of the park. By 1981, both the Snyder Middleswarth and Tall Timbers Natural Areas had been established, the former as part of the state park and the latter as part of Bald Eagle State Forest. While both areas are on Swift Run, Tall Timbers is old second-growth forest. Snyder Middleswarth's virgin forest is thought to have survived at least in part due to its location and the difficulty of transporting the cut timber, although the fact that many of the trees were brittle hemlock
may also have preserved them.
Despite being Snyder County's only state park and a National Natural Landmark, Snyder Middleswarth lost its status as a state park sometime between 1992 and 1996, becoming just a Natural Area within the state forest system. Sources differ as to the size of the former Snyder-Middleswarth State Park. As of December 2007, at least ten years after the park ceased to exist, the DCNR webpage "State Parks near the Bald Eagle State Forest" still lists Snyder-Middleswarth State Park, and gives its size as 425 acres (172 ha). However, Thwaites (1992) wrote that the park was only the 8 acre (3.2 ha) picnic area, but distinguished it from the "much larger Snyder Middleswarth National Natural Landmark" (without giving its exact size).
According to the DCNR, as of 2007 Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area is 500 acres (202 ha), of which 250 acres (101 ha) is virgin forest. The tallest trees at Snyder Middleswarth are more than 150 feet (46 m) tall and measure more than 40 inches (102 cm) diameter at breast height
. As measured by its growth rings, one fallen tree was found to be 347 years old. The adjoining Tall Timbers Natural Area is 660 acres (267 ha), and has a "second growth forest of oak, white pine, hemlock, and hard pine".
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
within Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
in Spring Township
Spring Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Spring Township is a township in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,563 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.0 square miles , of which, 37.0 square miles of it is land and...
, Snyder County
Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Snyder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 39,702. Snyder County was formed in 1855 from parts of Union County...
, 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is named for two Pennsylvania politicians from Snyder County: Simon Snyder
Simon Snyder
Simon Snyder was the third Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1808 to 1817. A Jeffersonian Democrat, he served three terms as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives before becoming governor...
and Ner Alexander Middleswarth
Ner Alexander Middleswarth
-Early life:Ner Middleswarth was born on December 12, 1783 in New Jersey, of Dutch ancestry. His father was John Middleswarth, baptized 12 April 1745 in Somerset county, NJ. John Middleswarth served as a Quartermaster Sergeant for Colonel Sylvanus Seely's regiment in the New Jersey militia during...
. It was formerly a Pennsylvania state park and was the only one in Snyder County, but lost its state park status in the mid 1990s.
Name
Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area is named for two Pennsylvania politicians from Snyder County: Simon SnyderSimon Snyder
Simon Snyder was the third Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1808 to 1817. A Jeffersonian Democrat, he served three terms as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives before becoming governor...
and Ner Alexander Middleswarth
Ner Alexander Middleswarth
-Early life:Ner Middleswarth was born on December 12, 1783 in New Jersey, of Dutch ancestry. His father was John Middleswarth, baptized 12 April 1745 in Somerset county, NJ. John Middleswarth served as a Quartermaster Sergeant for Colonel Sylvanus Seely's regiment in the New Jersey militia during...
. Snyder County is also named for Simon Snyder.
Snyder (1759 – 1819) was a three-time Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
and the third governor of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, but died before he could take office. As of 2007 he remains the only Pennsylvania governor from Snyder County. Middleswarth (1783 – 1865) was twice Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, and served in the Pennsylvania State Senate
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
and the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
The United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
(GNIS) lists the name as "Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area", without a hyphen, and this is the name used by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
as of 2007. However, the state park was officially "Snyder-Middleswarth State Park", with a hyphen.
Location
Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area is in Spring Township in western Snyder County, about 5 miles (8 km) west of TroxelvilleTroxelville, Pennsylvania
Troxelville is a census-designated place in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 192 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troxelville is located at near Walker Lake....
on Swift Run Road. It is 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Lewisburg
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
and 31 miles (50 km) southeast of State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
. The natural area is in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
, in a narrow east-west valley between Jacks Mountain to the south and Buck and Penns Creek Mountains to the north. Swift Run, a tributary of Middle Creek
Middle Creek (Penns Creek)
Middle Creek is a tributary of Penns Creek in Snyder County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Via Penns Creek, it is part of the Susquehanna River watershed.Middle Creek joins Penns Creek below Selinsgrove.-References:...
, flows east through the area. The Rock Springs Picnic Area is at the eastern end of the preserve, with the Snyder-Middleswarth Picnic Area west of this, in about the center of the tract, just where Swift Run Road leaves Swift Run. Tall Timbers Natural Area is the western border, while Bald Eagle State Forest lands surround Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area in all other directions.
History
Snyder-Middleswarth was still a "State Forest Park" on the official 1965 Pennsylvania Department of Highways
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
Snyder County map. In November 1967, the park was named a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
, as an "outstanding example of a relict forest composed predominantly of hemlock, birch, and pine, with scattered oaks". In 1980 an airplane carrying the New York Times crashed with one fatality. The crash site is on the summit of Thick Mountain, on the southern edge of the park. By 1981, both the Snyder Middleswarth and Tall Timbers Natural Areas had been established, the former as part of the state park and the latter as part of Bald Eagle State Forest. While both areas are on Swift Run, Tall Timbers is old second-growth forest. Snyder Middleswarth's virgin forest is thought to have survived at least in part due to its location and the difficulty of transporting the cut timber, although the fact that many of the trees were brittle hemlock
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
may also have preserved them.
Despite being Snyder County's only state park and a National Natural Landmark, Snyder Middleswarth lost its status as a state park sometime between 1992 and 1996, becoming just a Natural Area within the state forest system. Sources differ as to the size of the former Snyder-Middleswarth State Park. As of December 2007, at least ten years after the park ceased to exist, the DCNR webpage "State Parks near the Bald Eagle State Forest" still lists Snyder-Middleswarth State Park, and gives its size as 425 acres (172 ha). However, Thwaites (1992) wrote that the park was only the 8 acre (3.2 ha) picnic area, but distinguished it from the "much larger Snyder Middleswarth National Natural Landmark" (without giving its exact size).
According to the DCNR, as of 2007 Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area is 500 acres (202 ha), of which 250 acres (101 ha) is virgin forest. The tallest trees at Snyder Middleswarth are more than 150 feet (46 m) tall and measure more than 40 inches (102 cm) diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements....
. As measured by its growth rings, one fallen tree was found to be 347 years old. The adjoining Tall Timbers Natural Area is 660 acres (267 ha), and has a "second growth forest of oak, white pine, hemlock, and hard pine".