The area comprising Pine Grove Furnace, near where this photo was taken, was practically clearcut in the 19th century as the lucrative iron works industry increased its influence. Many of the waterways were also harnessed in service to the area’s iron forges. In 1912 and 1913, the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company sold thousands of acres to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, paving the way for the area’s reforestation. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook a lot of the work to make the park into the green space beloved by so many today.
