F. Charles Petrillo of Wilkes-Barre, who is an expert on the Ricketts area and the author of “Ghost Towns of North Mountain”, will be the speaker at this year’s Sullivan County Historical Society’s Annual Dinner on Thursday, August 16th.  The dinner will be held at the Forksville United Methodist Church.  Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. followed by a short organizational meeting about 7 p.m. and then Mr. Petrillo’s presentation.  The cost of the dinner will be $15 per person.  Payment/reservations must be received no later than Sat., Aug. 11th at 5 p.m.  Reservation money is non-refundable.  The ladies of the Forksville United Methodist Church have been preparing this dinner since 1991 and require an exact count, as is payment prior to the event necessary.  You need not attend the dinner to come hear the speaker.  

In the introduction of Mr. Petrillo’s book he states: “The rural and mountainous area surrounding Ricketts Glen State Park, at the intersection of Luzerne, Wyoming and Sullivan counties, is known as North Mountain.  The mountain range forms a watershed between the north and west branches of the Susquehanna River.  At Ricketts Glen, Bowmans Creek begins to flow generally eastward through the now deserted ice-cutting town of Mountain Springs, along the former lumbering town of Stull, beyond the old tannery town of Noxen, into the farming valley of Beaumont, and onward to the Susquehanna River below Tunkhannock.  In lower Sullivan County, west of Ricketts Glen, Fishing Creek descends into a valley to Jamison City on the Sullivan-Columbia County line, also the site of a former lumbering community.”  Mr. Petrillo’s talk will be entitled “The Creation of Ricketts Glen State Park” which was acquired by the state of Pennsylvania between the years of 1941 and 1950.  He will also give background information about the Ricketts family, the town of Ricketts, Lake Ganoga and this great majestic landmark treasure.