This is a current picture of what was once known as, “The Big Spring.”
In the 1930’s, the Rockton Road was remodeled and rerouted, so it no longer passes by this site.
It is located on along an old portion of the Snow Shoe/Packerville Pike, and was once a premier spot for picking huckleberries in season.
The spring attracted hunters and hikers and was a spot for family picnics and outings in the first half of the 20th century.
The Big Spring was developed by Jacob Burns, who was an early inhabitant of Union Township.
Lewis C. Aldrich, in his History of Clearfield County – 1887, records that Burns settled the site on the Pike having moved east from Anderson Creek after selling his cabin and clearing on Anderson Creek to a good advantage.
The Big Spring is the major source of the water for Burns Run and a headwater to Montgomery Run that joins Anderson Creek to form the DuBois Reservoir.
There is some conjecture that Jacob Burns was of Native American descent.