Samuel Askey, An Early Settler, and Legendary Hunter of Snow Shoe Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania

Snow Shoe, in Snow Shoe Township, Centre County, was formerly known as Snow Shoe Camp. The traditional explanation is that it took its name from the adventure of a party of white hunters, who were overtaken by a snowstorm on the old Chinklacamoose trail leading to Clearfield, and who finally made snow shoes on which they walked into the Bald Eagle settlement. Where Snow Shoe now stands there was once an old Indian village. The most plausible explanation of the name, which first appears in the old surveys of this region, is that white hunters or explorers, wandering into this locality, may have found some discarded snow shoes here at the old Indian camp.*

A History of Centre and Clinton Counties records that the first permanent settler was John Betchtol, who went out from Nittany Valley in May of 1818, and built a cabin. He raised a family of nine sons and two daughters.

Samuel Askey, from the Bald Eagle Valley, followed Betchtol in September of the same year. He was fond of hunting game, and frequently followed the Indian path to Snow Shoe on hunting excursions, and thus became familiar with the country, which resulted in making it his home.

In the War of 1812, Askey entered the military service under Gen. Harrison, from which he received an honorable discharge at the expiration of his term and returned to his home. Much of Askey’s time was spent in the forest, and his success in killing game attracted such attention that he acquired fame as a hunter.

The Pittsburgh Dispatch newspaper of July 13^th, 1857, carried Askey’s obituary entitled “Death of a Mighty Hunter.”

"The life of Mr. Askey as a pioneer and hunter will compare with that of Daniel Boone or David Crocket. Many of the most thrilling adventures with and hair-breadth escapes from the wild denizens of the forest have been heard from his own lips by the writer. He carried with him to the grave, scars the result of wounds received in several contacts with panthers, in which his life depended on his own presence of mind and the faithfulness of his dog. He killed during the time he lived in Snow Shoe, sixty-four panther,s and ninety-eight wolves, (to this the records of the county bear testimony), and about eight hundred deer and a large number of bears, the exact number not recollected. In one season he sold two thousand seven hundred pounds of bear's meat."

A pamphlet entitled "Historical Sketches of the Snow Shoe Region" written by James Gilliland, contained stories he was told by Askey, during their many years of friendship.

“His fame as a hunter was known by the writer long before he became acquainted with him, which was on his first visit to Snow Shoe, in June 1840. He then heard him relate, in his own terse language and impressive manner, some of his adventures and encounters with wild animals.

Afterwards, he was frequently his companion and guide in his explorations of the country, and, traveling over his hunting ground, often pointed to the spot where he had killed a deer or a bear, and to the tree on which he had shot a panther. The following are a few of his adventures, related as near as can be recollected in his own words:

When we were traveling through the forest on the Indian path he said: " Stop a moment while I tell you an amusing and ridiculous scrape I had with a big buck near to yonder tree [pointing to it]. It was a long shot, but when the gun cracked he fell flat in his tracks. Supposing it to be a dead shot, I approached him without any fear of trouble. I had on a loose blouse with wide sleeves. I stooped over him, and with my left hand took hold of a horn, and with the right was about to apply the knife to his throat, when, to my utter dismay and astonishment, he jumped up with great violence, a prong of one of his horns went through the blouse, and he gave me a tremendous whirl; in doing which he relieved me of the blouse and departed, leaving me in my shirtsleeves to look after him going through the brush at the top of his speed, with the blouse spread out to the wind like the flag of a conquering hero. I did not begrudge him the blouse, because I thought if I had not been relieved of it the result would have been more serious.

"In watching the Big Moshannon licks my custom was to start in time to get there before sunset, as I often found deer in about that time. On this occasion I was sliding down the hill, looking out for deer, when I heard a stirring of the leaves behind me, and looking back over my shoulder, I saw a very large panther sliding after me and about to pounce upon me. Knowing that there was no time to be lost, I quietly and quickly turned half around and put a bullet plump between his eyes, and he turned over dead, you may well believe to my great joy.

My exposure to danger was more apparent when I discovered that I was within a few feet of the carcass of a deer, covered with leaves, which he was watching, it being one of the occasions when they will attack a man. Venison is a panther's choice meat and when he kills one, after satisfying his appetite, he covers the carcass and lays near, taking his meals regularly until all is consumed, or the meat becomes tainted. A panther will not eat tainted meat.

" A good tracking snow had fallen. I started with my dog and came on a fresh track between the Moshannons. I tied my dog to my body so as to keep him with me until the proper time to let him loose. The trail led to a high point on the brow of the Big Moshannon hill, which was very steep. Passing in front of a large projecting rock, a huge panther jumped from under upon the dog, and panther, dog, and myself went down the hill, sometimes the panther uppermost, sometimes the dog, and sometimes myself. The cord being tied with a slipknot, I succeeded in effecting a separation. The dog and panther went to the foot of the hill when the panther ran up a tree. I looked around for my gun, which I had let go, and finding it all right I went down, and having a fair shot, the panther fell dead to the ground. It was a female and with indications of having young ones. I returned to the rock. The cavity was large enough to admit my entrance, and I brought out four young panthers as large as full-grown cats. After handling them for a short time they fondled on me like young kittens. It was a hard day's work, but the premiums I received for the scalps rewarded me but did not compensate me for the disabling of my dog, — he was of no use to me afterwards.”

The incidents connected with the killing of so many wild animals would be interesting and amusing, especially to those who are familiar with the localities where they occurred, and it is a matter of regret that they were not committed to paper while he was living.”

Samuel Askey died on the 28th day of May 1857, at the residence of his son, in Snow Shoe, in at the age of eighty-one, leaving twelve children, forty-two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.