Remembering Jefferson County: From Pioneers to Aviators

Inventors, hermits, and frontiersmen have all roamed the fields and forests of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, to leave their marks on what was once dense wilderness. Local journalist Randon W. Bartley introduces his readers to the likes of Judge Heath, who helped fugitive slaves escape from jail; Earl Sandt, Brookville’s daring aviator; and local Civil War heroine Kate Scott, whom readers will come to see in a new light. The fascinating history of Jefferson County is told through tales of mine disasters, prognosticating rodents, prohibition battles, early forms of baseball, and a man who thought he could cheat the devil. With humor and wit, Bartley brings together a collection of vignettes that tracks the evolution of Jefferson County from a frontier outpost to a bustling modern community.