Forbidden Land

Written by Robert R. Lyman Sr From the Forbidden Land


Where towering pines and dark green

Hemlocks grow,

Where crystalline springs from rock

Outcrops flow,

Where the Red Man’s Foot has scarcely

Ceased to roam,

Our fathers established their pioneer

Home.

“Tis the top of our world, this land that

We see,

Where waters flow all ways to get to the

Sea.

To the north, to the south, to the east

And west,

The glittering streams glide to the wide

Ocean’s breast.


When the early pioneers came to settle on the Bennett’s Branch, then known as Second Fork, huge majestic pine trees towering down from mountain sides into the valley below dominated the landscape of this primitive country.

One of the largest spar logs cut on the Bennett’s Branch was timbered by Miles Dent and rafted on down the Sinnemahoning. The spar measured 100’ long and contained over five thousand board feet of timber.

“Pioneers of Second Fork" contains many interesting and fascinating stories on logging and rafting on the Bennett’s Branch.

You can obtain information on “Pioneers of Second Fork” by emailing Jim Burke or visiting the "Pioneers of Second Fork" page.