SUNBURY — SUNBURY — About 25 members of Turbotville Boy Scout Troop 622 hiked for nine hours Saturday to commemorate a trek taken by settlers following the 1779 Battle of Fort Freeland.
Though wet and tired as they neared the end of the 20-mile hike from Fort Freeland near McEwensville to Fort Augusta in Sunbury, several troop members said the trip brought history alive for them.
“I loved it,” said Luke Truckenmiller, 16, of Watsontown, who donned a colonial costume.
The idea for the hike came from Randy Watts, a member of the Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heritage Society and descendent of James Watts, one of the first to be killed during the battle 230 years ago.
“My vision was to try and talk a group into hiking the same trail of the women and children” who fled to Fort Augusta during the battle.
Troop leader Albert Mabus said the hike fit in well with the troop’s recent history education, including a visit earlier this year to Valley Forge to learn about the Revolutionary War.
After a night of camping out at the Fort Freeland site, troop members set out at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday for the nine hour hike that took them past local landmarks, including Fort Boone in Milton.
“After this, I think they understand a whole lot better,” Mabus said.
For 11-year-old David Lugo, of Watsontown, the hike was an enjoyable way to get outside and exercise.
Marathon runner Kevin Kilgus, of Turbotville, decided to join his son, troop member Ryan, 13, who at first scoffed at a 20-mile hike.
“I wanted to be a part of it,” the elder Kilgus said, as his son rested nearby. “It’s an inspiration for kids and a wonderful way to bring history to life.”
It’s also a nice way for the troop to prepare for Heritage Days, which will be held in Watsontown Oct. 2 and 3, Mabus said.
News
Related Photos
-
Matthew Harris/The Daily Item
Discussion
Boy Scouts hit the road in Northumberland County
Troop hikes 20 miles between historic forts
- News
-
-
Firefighter union may char pacts
LEWISBURG — Paid members of the William Cameron Engine Company have voted to unionize under the International Association of Fire Fighters, a move believed to stem from internal tension between paid and volunteer members of the department, according to various sources.
-
M-W rule on drug testing is area’s boldest
MIDDLEBURG — Midd-West is the only school district in the Central Susquehanna Valley that requires students interested in participating in extra-curricular activities to agree to submit to random drug testing.
-
New shelter exec gets busy
When Cathy Teisher stepped down as executive director of Haven Ministries, in March, Pamela Steffen stepped up.
-
Tax boost could bring $120G pad
The Lewisburg Area School District will seek a 3.2 percent real estate tax increase for the 2012-13 school year, the maximum allowed under the index, under a proposed budget now available for public comment.
-
Fire has burned beneath Centralia for 50 years
CENTRALIA — Fifty years ago on Sunday, a fire at the town dump ignited an exposed coal seam, setting off a chain of events that eventually led to the demolition of nearly every building in Centralia — a whole community of 1,400 simply gone.
-
'To Do': Montandon Community Days
MONTANDON - Montandon Community Days will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 26 along Railroad Street.
-
California’s Coronado named nation’s best beach
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — Like a Hollywood star, Coronado’s 1.5 mile-long beach literally sparkles, thanks to the mineral mica glinting in its sand.
That’s one of the reasons why Coronado — flanked by the iconic hotel featured in Marilyn Monroe’s 1958 film “Some Like It Hot” — has been named the No. 1 beach in the United States in the 2012 survey by “Dr. Beach” professor Stephen P. Leatherman of Florida International University. -
Typical CEO made $9.6M last year, AP study finds
Profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year, and so did pay for CEOs.
-
Barnstorming cattle badger citizens for beer
BOXFORD, Mass. (AP) — Police say a roving group of cows crashed a small gathering in a Massachusetts town and bullied the guests for their beer.
-
'A Day in Towne' tradition draws crowds to Boalsburg
May 25--For the 148th year, Boalsburg will be the gathering place for regional families to remember all ranks of Armed Forces veterans.
-
Fired Pa. president gets more time to clear office
CALIFORNIA, Pa. (AP) — A judge has canceled a hearing to determine whether California University of Pennsylvania president Angelo Armenti can remove his personal property from his former office, because state officials have given him more time to do so.
- Weird crime of the week: Peddler in pickup scams bargain-hunting meat seeker
- More News Headlines
-
Firefighter union may char pacts
