Much of Clinton County's history is tied to the railroads. The Beech Creek line was built in the early 1800s, and first carried passengers in 1884. By 1895, this railroad line was carrying over six thousand railroad cars through the area every week.
This railroad depot was built in 1884 by the 'Beech Creek, Clearfield, and Southwestern Railroad Company', and is an example of Victorian architecture. The Vanderbilt's of New York were primary financiers of this railroad, the purpose of which was to transport coal from the coal regions of the state to industrial centers. The railroad also carried clay, lumber, and firebricks eastward. Farm products, processed food, and merchandise were carried to the west.
In 1899, this railroad became part of New York Central, which later became part of the Penn Central system. Castanea Village was founded in 1871 by Jacob Brown and Peter Keller. They purchased the area and began selling lots. The area grew to contain many dwellings, a large brick school house, a brewery, and several industrial companies. The village was on the line of the Beech Creek Railroad, and in the 1880s, the railroad station was built there. This contained a freight station, ticket booth, and telegraph office.
The train station provided an entry point for both passengers and goods. The passengers often came, and settled in the area, with four passenger trains coming through each day. Horse-drawn carriages took passengers into Lock Haven from the station. The materials brought in by rail supplied the brewery, the Haberstroh limestone quarry, the Clinton Paper Company, and the Castanea Brick and Tile Company.
In 1956, Trylon Chemicals bought the station and began production of organic chemicals for dyes and pigments. The St. Agnes Flood, in 1972, washed out the railroad tracks east of this station, which effectively ended the railroad's run through Castanea village.
This station is the LAST, standing, and un-relocated, train depot station in Clinton County!
The posted coords are NOT for the cache. They take you to the parking area. The first part is located by using the numbers found on site and using the puzzle below.
caboose 1 caboose 6 caboose 4 freight 2 freight 5 freight 4 caboose 2
freight 2 caboose 3 freight 3 freight 4 freight 1 freight 1 caboose 1+freight 5
Even though there are some ‘No Tresspassing’ signs, you have permission to cache, but please do so nicely. Be sure to have your camera with you, as the Historical Society has just completed the construction of a vintage style water tower, utilizing the original plans. They've also added a section of train tracks that hold a freight car and caboose....and even better...the caboose can be rented to sleep in for the night!!
As always, please use stealth and return the cache better than you found it!