The Pennsylvania Dutch population moved westward from south-central Pennsylvania as land became less available. Union and Snyder Counties saw many families move into the region. Congressional representative George Kremer might have seemed out of place in Washington. But he never stepped down from verbal sparring with some of his more refined counterparts, often using the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect on the House floor with southern congressional representatives such as John Randolph of Virginia.
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Bears, panthers, wolves, elk and buffalo, were all main characters in the stories shared by early settlers in the West Branch Valley. During the canal boat era, the tale emerged of a wolf that used the old Indian trail, which ran along the top of Bald Eagle Mountain, near Lock Haven, following the nightly path of a packet boat.
Theodore Long shared memories of his life growing up in Perry County. Those letters were put into book form in 1939. Life in Pfoutz Valley, the country school, homemade shoes, sleigh riding, and Christmas and the Belsnickel, are just a few of the letters in the book. In this story, Long described making apple cider and apple butter on the farm.
