This week’s Throwback Thursday article focuses on the history of rattlesnake stories from Clearfield County.
Timber rattlesnakes are one of the remaining symbols of Pennsylvania’s wilderness areas.
The rattlesnake is now a protected species in Pennsylvania. Taking (killing, injuring, harassing) of rattlesnakes without a permit is prohibited.
This was not the case back in the early days of the county. Here are a few stories that were printed in newspapers or jotted down to revisit today.
O’Shanter Girl Narrowly Misses Being Snake Victim –
“Keen eyesight and hearing probably saved Gretchen Gilnett, 14, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Gilnett of O’Shanter, from bites by two poisonous rattlesnakes yesterday morning.
According to Gretchen, she had gone to a shed behind the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Eyerley, with whom she is living, to get coal and wood when she noticed the two rattlers near the wood rack, coiled ready to strike.
“Not waiting to give the snakes the benefit of any doubt as to their intentions, Gretchen ran back to the house where she enlisted the aid of Marvin Lee Rowles, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs. Perry Rowles of O’Shanter, who was near the Eyerley home at the time.
“Like a true woodsman, Marvin procured a 12-gauge shotgun from the Eyerley residence and shot both snakes before they had a chance to get away.
“The first shot reportedly went through the head of the one snake, while a blow from a club was needed to ‘finish off’ the other reptile.
“Examination revealed that one of the snakes had 12 rattles and a “button”, the other two rattles and a button. Each snake was about three-feet long.
“Marvin had his trophies nailed to an apple tree for safe keeping.” Printed Aug. 22, 1946 in The Progress.
A Rattlesnake Necktie –
“A big yellow rattlesnake necktie, the rattles used as an ornamental pin and lined with red silk, all ready for wearing, occupies a prominent place in Tommy Reiley’s cigar case at the Hotel Windsor and is, of course, the object of much curious observation.
“It was sent as a Sierra Nevada Mountain Souvenir by Harry Reiley, now of Los Angeles, Cal. We prefer a half inch rope as a neck adornment rather than the creeping, shrinking sensation at the thought of a yellow rattler.” Printed July 30, 1897 in the Public Spirit.
Alex Wallace was in from his fishing and herding camp on the headwaters of Trout Run Saturday last with the skins of rattlesnakes of nine big rattlers which he and three companions had slaughtered during the past week.
The biggest one in the bunch measured four feet in length and sported an even dozen rattlers. Alex said he played one bar of “Watch on The Rhine” on his bells before they got a crack at him. C. 1920’s
Attorney A.R. Chase spent the past 10 days at Goshen camp and during his rustling about the berry bushes on the club house farm, he ran across a black rattler four and one-half feet in length with nine rattles and a button.
He slew the reptile and Harry Hummelbaugh, who was at the camp skinned and dressed the monster and fried four ounces of oil out of him.
Chase is making a hair restorer with the snake oil as a base and says it promises great results. C. 1920’s
A Monster Snake –
“E. A. Faucher and Davy Dunkle have returned from a few days trip to the mines at Grassflat above Peale. While in that locality they were shown a petrified snake, a portion of which had been taken out of the mines.
The employees in the mines found the specimen imbedded in a coal bed several days ago. They proceeded carefully to remove it. About 10 feet have already been taken out.
“The head is about eight inches broad, and the body is about six inches in diameter. Some of the sections taken out are from 18- to 20-inches long. The indentations in the hardened mass plainly indicate the scales of the reptile.
“The sections taken out look like stone, yet they are as heavy as pig iron. Efforts will be made to take the remainder of the reptile out without damaging it in any way.
“The finding of the petrified specimen opens a vast realm of speculation as to the age when the reptile was alive. It would no doubt be valued highly by those who make specialty of hunting specimens of this character.
“The snake is now on exhibition in the pool room near the mine from which it was taken.” – Printed Oct. 6, 1899 in the Philipsburg Journal
Some Rattlers Fell in Battle with Reserve Keeper-
State Game Reserve Keeper L.D. Rearick was in from Kennedy Park reserve this morning and reported killing the granddaddy of all rattlesnakes yesterday.
This monster reptile measured four feet, 10 inches in length and it took a string of 16 inches in length to encircle its body at the middle.
He sported eight rattles and when he sounded his alarm Rearick said it sounded like a boy beating a dishpan with a club. – Printed July 19, 1922 in the Clearfield Progress.
Lastly, we are sharing this story from just over the mountain in Snow Shoe, Pennsylvania, Centre County.
Large Rattlesnakes –
Mrs. James Gill, who resides at the old “Edmunson House,” near the top of the mountain, on the Snow Shoe turnpike, last Wednesday, killed near her house a very large rattlesnake, which sported fourteen rattles on its “narrative.”
The next day upon entering a room in which her child was sleeping she discovered another rattlesnake on the floor when she also abbreviated its early existence.
It had 12 rattles on its tail. How literally true was the prophecy that the ‘heel of the woman should bruise the serpents head,’ or words to that effect.” – Printed Aug. 3, 1870 in the Raftsman’s Journal.