Pike County, A Diamond in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Pike County, shaped very roughly like a diamond, lies with it's eastern sides along the Delaware River across from the states of New York and New Jersey. The northern side of the diamond lies in Lake Wallenpaupack, and the southwestern side lies in the heart of the famed Pocono Mountains. In are, Pike County covers 558 square miles including over 13 square miles of water. The county is approximately one-half the size of the entire state of Rhode Island.
Population
Pike is classified by population as a seventh class county. Pike has been called the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania and if in addition to the resident population we include property owners with second (vacation/weekend) homes, visitors at year round vacation resorts, and hunting, fishing and camping enthusiasts, Pike County's seasonal population estimates run to well over a million people!
Natural Resources
Today much of Pike County is still forested. Over 105 square miles of State Forest land lies within its borders. In the Delaware State Forest, which contains eight lakes, close to two million trees have been planted since reforestation projects first began in 1899. Some wilderness areas such as glacial Bruce Lake in Promised Land State Park are maintained in natural primeval conditions.
Over 80 species of trees are found in Pike County, and each autumn the flaming fall foliage attracts thousands of visitors. This phenomenon, rare to most of the world, is a natural wonder that seems to reach a peak of perfection in northeastern Pennsylvania.
State game lands cover over 37 square miles of Pike County. Bear, deer, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, muskrat, mink, and beaver abound, and in season attract thousands of hunters. Birds of the area include turkey, grouse, pheasants, doves and woodcock. For duck and geese the Shohola Falls Dam and Waterfowl Area has become a highly productive area and is a major stop-over point in the Atlantic flyway. Heron, coots, rails, and snipe also frequent this area.
Lake Wallenpaupack, stretching out for more than 14 miles, has a shore line of about 53 miles. Built in 1925 to provide hydroelectric power, the lake lies in both Pike and Wayne Counties, covering the stream which marks the boundary between the two. Around the lake has grown one of the most popular recreation areas in the northeast. It offers swimming, power boating, sailing, sledding, ice-skating, ice-fishing, snowmobiling and tobogganing in winter. And with the growth of the recreation industry, thousands of summer and year-round homes have been constructed, new businesses have sprung up and population near the lake, both visiting and year-round, has increased steadily.
The Delaware River follows the eastern boundary of Pike County for 63 miles and separates Pike County from Sullivan and Orange Counties in New York, and Sussex County in New Jersey. In colonial times, it helped open the nation's interior to pioneers and trappers; in the nineteenth century it was used for rafting, while it's valley hosted the Delaware and Hudson Canal on the New York side and the Erie Railroad on the Pennsylvania side.
Over 24 square miles of Pike County is owned by the Federal Government. This land lying along the Delaware River from Milford to Bushkill has been designated as a portion of the 70,000 acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a National Park Service Unit which extends into Monroe County Pennsylvania and Sussex and Warren Counties of New Jersey, and attracts over five million visitors annually.
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Prepared as a courtesy to our friends and homeowners... 
All the crawl space vents should be closed and a small piece of fiberglass insulation installed from the inside to keep out drafts 
Check the operation of your crawl space heater. Please make sure your crawl space heater circuit breaker is on. Monitor the room temperature to confirm that it does not drop any lower than 40 F. 
We recommended keeping all of your thermostats ON throughout the house at minimum of 45 F and keep all vanity and sink base cabinets open to allow heat to enter pipe areas. Please make sure that all items such as furniture, drapes, etc., are at least 4" away from heaters. 
We recommend turning off your water main whenever you leave your house for a few days, especially in the winter. After returning to your house after an extended leave, turn your water on and listen and took for signs of any broken pipes. 
Even through your spigots are frost free you must remove your hose so the water trapped inside can drain out We understand some of these items may be fairly basic and that most of you already understand these precautions, but if we save one freeze up this winter then these suggestions were helpful We hope everyone has a warm and safe winter
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Lake Wallenpaupack-Peck's Pond-Egypt Meadow Lake 
Shohola Creek - Lackawaxen River - Middle Branch 
Stuki Pond - Delaware River 
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Pike County was originally established in 1814, but it was not until 1850 that Blooming Grove was actually named a township. There are two versions of the name's origin. Some residents contend that as the pioneers traveled the old trail they were struck by the abundant flowering mountain laurel (Pennsylvania's state flower). Another popular explanation was that early passers-by came upon a clearing of mature apple trees in full bloom giving reason for its present name. Early in the development of the area, the only economic activity was logging. In those days land was so inexpensive that loggers found it more profitable to purchase the land instead of merely contracting for the timber. At this time, names like Lords, the Atkinson,and the Westbrooks acquired extensive amounts of timberland. The original pine and hemlock forests of the areas were stripped off, and replaced with the maples and oaks, which still dominate its woods today. With an abundance of forest and streams, the area was well adapted to lumbering. In fact, so much so that instead of the moving lumber to mills, the mills moved to the lumber. At one time or another nearly every stream in the township had powered a sawmill blade. Where streams were not available, large metal boilers were used to power steam driven mills. The plentiful supply of wood was used for fuel. Of the 47,500 acres included in the township, it is estimated that 95% is maintained as state forest and game land, or as private hunting land. 
In 1809 Levi Lord, along with his son Simeon and 12 associates from England, came to this region in hopes of purchasing a land traded from Dr.Phillip Myddleton, Discovering some title problem, the entire group except for Lord decided to purchase elsewhere. In 1810 Lord procured a valid title and the property became part of Blooming Grove Township. The Lords of Liverpool made their first home in the cabin of Sam Helm, a noted woodsman whom apparently "squatted"on the land. Helm acknowledged Lord's claim to the property and offered it to him, and in the same gentlemanly spirit. Lord is said to have paid Helm for his improvements. The Lords began to make their living in the abundant timber. In response to traffic in the area, Simeon Lord built a hotel in 1850. (The Lord House today is a Pike County Historic Site as well as a State Historic Site.) In the early part of the century, Sim Lord, Jr. (son of Simeon Lord and grandson of Levi Lord) managed the hotel and sold gasoline. The Lords Valley Post Office also operated out of the Lord House until 1955 when the Hawley Post Office assumed its responsibilities. |
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