Elk County Courthouse

[W. Gray]

The PDF website below has an interesting background on the Elk County courthouse in the November 7, 2008, application for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Approval was granted by the National Park Service on April 22, 2009.


http://www.kshs.org/resource/national_register/nominationsNRDB/Elk_ElkCountyCourthouseNR.pdf

[sixdogsmom]

I mentioned to someone that I had heard a hoot owl a few nights back. This person said that he was told that when the clock was put back into the courthouse clock tower, there were owl nests there and numerous dog and cat bones. I know that skunk is a natural prey for the large owls, so I guess it's possible. Has anyone else heard this story?

[pepelect]

Since I was part of the crew that took the brick out of the clockfaces I can attest that no creatures other than pigeons were found in or around the clock tower.  The part where the faces are was part of the interior of the tower and had no outside access or way for critters flying or otherwise to enter.  The open air part of the upper most section of the tower has screen wire around it and had been occupied by pigeons for as long as it takes to accumulate about a half a foot of droppings.  The speakers to the existing chimes are placed in that area.  I saw no bones of any kind.  That is not to say that there weren't any.  There were very interesting things written on the sides of the walls by all the previous workers.  Some were dated back to the 1900.

[sixdogsmom]

Well shoot Patrick, I thought that we may have soved the Elk County Creeper mystery at last. But it must linger on for at least another generation.  Anyway, thanks for the input; that is the way that so-called urban legends get started. Did you by any chance document what was written up there? That might have been an interesting article somewhere.

[Diane Amberg]

The creeper is a vegetarian so the cats and dogs have nothing to fear.

[sixdogsmom]

Aha! Another clue I do believe! So does it prefer cooked, sauteed in butter or raw in a salad bowl with just a twist of lemon? Come to think of it, I may have lost a few houseplants last summer--- hmmmm- I wonder. 

[Diane Amberg]

Raw mostly, with just a bit of garlic when available. Especially likes sweet corn and tomatoes, but not cukes.

[sixdogsmom]

I must suspect sweet peppers also, Diane. I have never been successful raising sweet peppers here, although they were always abundant in my other gardens. Mayhap they were not failed peppers, but stolen peppers? Hmmm-----. I saw in Flloyds' Market ad this week that they have sweet yellow and red peppers on sale this week. I would think that a stakeout might be in order, as this might be just the lure during this January thaw to catch the Elk County Creeper. Con sarnit! Flloyds' Market is in Chataqua county! What now??? 

[Diane Amberg]

What would you do with it if you caught it? They smell rather musky, but not like a skunk.

[Janet Harrington]

I, too, have been in that clock tower a few times and I can tell you that there were not any bones up there, except dead bird bones.  I even wrote my name up there, clear at the top, just to prove I had been there.