<>A Trip to Wopsononock

 

     Recently the writer enjoyed a trip to that famous summer resort on the top of the Allegheny mountains, which is fast gaining a reputation for its health-giving air, excellent water and scenery unsurpassed by any in the United States; we mean Wopsononock.  It is remarkable that we have such a beautiful resort, within such a short distance  of our town, that is comparatively unknown to so many of our people, especially when it is so easy of access, and can be visited for such a remarkable small sum of money.

 

     Taking an electric car in the diamond at Hollidaysburg, we were swiftly whirled over the road to the Twelfth street bridge in Altoona.  Crossing the bridge, we entered a car on Eleventh avenue and were soon in Juniata, a bright little suburb of Altoona.  Here we took the cars on the A. C. & N. R. R. for Wopsononock.  The ride up this road is one of the pleasantest we ever enjoyed.  The railroad climbs up the steep mountain by a succession of sharp curves, steep grades and dashes of straight track, along the sides of the mountain, overhung with forest trees, through deep cuts and over trestle bridges, higher and higher, while we gaze down the sides of the mountain, over the tops of tall trees, into the valley, where the husbandman till the soil, and the cattle, wandering over the green meadows, look like the little toy animals that came with our Noah's ark in sweet childhood days.  To one of timid nerves, the ride is thrilling indeed, but the spice of danger only lends additional charm to this most delightful ride.  The employees on this railroad are courteous, obliging and particularly careful.  After a ride of probably half an hour the engine puffed into the station at Wopsononock.

 

     We were conducted on our arrival, to the hotel, only a short distance away.  This building is a large, handsome frame structure, of modern architecture, and sets back in a beautiful yard shaded with large spreading trees.  The lawn is covered with grass and has a fine croquet ground, while hammocks and rustic seats scattered here and there under the shade of the trees afford the weary traveler a chance to rest his tired limbs. The hotel has comfortable rooms, larges halls, a pleasant dining room and handsome parlors, but its chief charm is the wide verandah which surrounds the whole house.  In the grounds, for the use of the excursionists, are a row of swings and a large merry-go-round.  An attraction also is the museum, which contains two large sea lions, two wild cats, coons, monkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc.  The manager of this hotel is Mr. Charles F. Brown of Hollidaysburg, and it is not necessary for us to expatriate on the culinary department, for Charley's reputation as a caterer is well known, and all those who have had the good fortune to dine at the Wopsononock hotel, are loud in their praises of the excellent cooking and admirable services.  Mr. Brown is a born hotel man, always alive to the interests of his guests, careful, obliging and attentive, and the traveler who stops here at once feels at home.  Frank Decillo's orchestra is located permanently at Wopsononock, and at all hours of the day can be heard the sweet music of the famous orchestra.  Frank furnishes the music for the dances which occur almost every evening.  It is unnecessary for us to speak of the excellent quality of the music furnished by Mr. Decillo's orchestra as this musical organization is well known and has a fine reputation in this community.

 

      A walk of about three-fourths of a mile takes one to the "Point Lookout" and this is usually the first place the visitor goes after landing at Wopsononock.  At this place the proprietors have just erected an observatory.  It has four floors; the first to be used as a dancing floor is very large and will easily accommodate six or eight couples.  Easy stairs lead to the other stories from which can be had one of the finest views we have ever seen.  Points in the counties of Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Centre, Bedford, Somerset and Huntingdon and even in the State of Maryland are visible from this observatory.  The city of Altoona can be plainly seen as can also the towns of Hollidaysburg, Tyrone and Bellwood.  The spires of churches in Carrolltown, 22 miles away on clear days can be seen with the naked eye.  It is well worth a visit just to get this magnificent view.

 

     Among the pleasant people we met at the hotel were Thos. H. Greevey and Wm. M. Beyer, who are staying here with their families the heat of the summer.  Mr. Patton of Altoona has built a handsome cottage here and others will follow soon.  There could be no better nor more pleasant place for picnic parties than Wopsononock.  The accommodations are unsurpassed; the ride is desirable and the fare remarkably cheap.  The round trip can be made from Hollidaysburg for 55 cents.  The fare from Juniata to the station at Wopsononock and return is only 25 cents. To all who desire a lovely trip, we strongly recommend Wopsononock, the finest mountain resort in Pennsylvania.

3. Hollidaysburg Democratic Standard, May 6, 1903:

The Wopsononock Hotel was completely destroyed by fire last Thursday afternoon entailing a loss of $25,000.  Forest fires had been raging in the vicinity for a couple of days and it was feared they would reach the hotel, but it was thought on Thursday morning that all danger was past.  Shortly after dinner, however, it was noticed that the fire was approaching the house, being swept through the tree tops by a fierce gale of wind.  The fire first communicated with the bowling alley, barn and house, attacking the latter in the upper story.  Despite all efforts to subdue the flames the buildings were destroyed.  Everything about the hotel was completely destroyed, including the house itself, the farm house, hennery, ice house, barn, laundry, restaurant, dancing pavilion, tables and seats about the picnic grounds, grand stand, 15 swings, six miles of fence and all the trees in the grove. The barn contained four wagons, a pony cart, six sets of harnesses and a merry-go-round, all of which went up in the flames.  All of the cottages were more or less scorched and the stables and other outbuildings were burned.  The trap shooting gallery of the Altoona Rod and Gun Club was also destroyed.  It is believed that a spark from a locomotive ignited the dry leaves and the high wind fanned it into a fiery tornado that swept everything before it.  The fire started at what is known as the bear rock, four miles from Wopsononock, in a gully, and swept up the gully.  When it reached the top of the hill,  it spread and swept rapidly ahead, covering a wide area.  It traveled at the rate of about eight miles an hour,  making it a most difficult fire to fight, it being what is known to woodsmen as a high rolling fire, the branches of the trees being attacked first, the ground being burned over afterwards.  It would have been impossible for any number of men to have made a successful fight against it.  As it swept over the western slope of the mountain, the coal tipple of the Harbison-Walker Coal Company at Dean, the coal tipple at Dougherty, a barn at Doughty in which mules were stabled, two log cabins below the Demering (sic) mill, a farm house, unoccupied, situated about a mile north of the mill, and a farm house on the top of the mountain back of Wopsononock were destroyed.  The mules that were in the stable at Dougherty were turned out and saved.  The burned hotel contained 75 rooms and the loss is placed at $25,000, with only $2,500 insurance.  It was erected in 1889 and to rebuild it and the other buildings destroyed would require $30,000.