Cross Fork, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Cross Fork is a small village in Potter County, Pennsylvania. It's located in the southwest part of Stewardson Township. Even though it's small now, Cross Fork was once a very busy place. In the early 1900s, thousands of people lived here. It was a major center for cutting down trees, also known as lumbering. Today, Cross Fork is famous for trout fishing. People love to fish in Kettle Creek and Cross Fork Creek. There's even a special fishing contest for kids every May!

A Look Back at Cross Fork

Cross Fork was a very important town about 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, many trees on the nearby mountains were cut down. This made Cross Fork a huge logging town. It was even the biggest logging town in all of Pennsylvania! The town of Austin was the next biggest.

Cross Fork had a school, a fire department, and a post office. It also had many other things you would find in a bigger city. A large sawmill, owned by the Lackawanna Lumber Company, was built along the creek. This sawmill burned down about three times, but it was always rebuilt.

Why the Town Changed

After all the trees were cut down, the lumber company left Cross Fork. Most people moved away, and the town became much smaller. The sawmill is no longer there.

Even though much of its history is gone, the community works hard to keep Cross Fork alive. They organize many fun events throughout the year. These events help bring people to the area. Some popular events include the Earl Brown Memorial Turkey Calling contest, the Kettle Creek Music Festival, the Cross Fork Snake Hunt, and the AMA Endurance Race. The children's Fishing Derby is also a big hit!

Where is Cross Fork?

Cross Fork is located in the southwest corner of Stewardson Township. It sits right where Kettle Creek meets another stream called Cross Creek.

You can still see some old railroad paths along Kettle Creek near the village. These paths were once used to move the cut logs. Today, they are great places for hiking and fishing. Most of the land along the creeks is owned by the public.

Pennsylvania Route 144 is the main road that goes through Cross Fork. It connects the village to other towns nearby.