By Gary Malicki
Allegany State Park has been a gem of a family vacation destination since 1921 and it’s no secret that I have a deep affinity for the park and have enjoyed all it has to offer since the mid 1960’s.
One wonders how many campfires have friends and families gathered around? How many marshmallows have been toasted, some a bit too much? How many hot dogs have accidentally slid off the roll only to hear the call of the “Five Second Rule!”resulting in someone picking it up, dusting it off and eating it anyway? Part of everyone’s EVL experience is having this magical place just minutes away.
And I wonder how many people are even aware of the volunteer group known as the ASP Historical Society. This relatively small but enthusiastic assembly keeps alive the park’s amazing and interesting history. These people participate in presentations that reveal its rich past.
An interesting thing they do is gather in a designated area of the park where an informative program is presented, followed by the business of their actual meeting.
A few weeks ago, they opened their meeting with a field trip to the Seneca Nation of Indians Fish Hatchery located on a road just off the I-86 Red House Area entrance.
The size of the group of spectators surprised even the board members. Since I came to cover their meeting, I tagged along as I’m always willing to learn something new.
The group was treated to a brief general information presentation led by volunteer Andrew Edward after which we were directed to enter one of the few buildings on the property.
A fish fertilization team was working with walleye that day. There were four large tubs through which fresh water flowed. The tubs, approximately twenty feet long and three feet wide housed the fish ready for manual fertilization. The fragile eggs stirred in a large plastic bowl by a team member using an actual turkey feather to swish them around. The team efficiently and systematically removed the males and milked them by gently squeezing them from mid-section to tail.
The team wore matching camo full-length rain coats and donned bright yellow rubber gloves reaching to the elbow. The presentation ended with the measuring and weighing of the walleye which was recorded in hand written notes to keep records.
Considering all of my park experience I have never been to the hatchery prior and witnessed and learned something entirely new arranged by the Historical Society.
Afterward it was decided that the board meeting was to be held in what is called “The Great Room”. It’s the room inside the Red House Administration Building that you walk straight into from the main entrance.
Presiding over the board meeting was VP Kathy Lang. The group’s president, Randal Fabritius was away on vacation.
Kathy and the members shared a good-natured atmosphere where you could tell they all get along well with each other.
One of the things mentioned was the excitement regarding the May 11 opening of the historic park saw mill where the organization will provide tours. The restoration of the saw mill was spearheaded by another volunteer group, The Friends of Allegany State Park. That organization’s focus is ongoing park projects.
There were many other topics discussed, too many to mention here. As I listened, my main concern was to hear them talk about diminishing membership and some of the steps they plan on taking to improve that situation.
I can personally attest to the fact that if ASP has been a positive part of your life, please consider membership into their Historical Society. You’ll learn so much about the park’s past and make great new friends at the same time.
Contact them on Facebook or email at ASPHSociety@gmail.com or their website www.asphs.org. This is truly one of the great organizations so vital to having this awesome park in our backyard. Thank you for making me feel welcome at your meeting.
(Author’s Note: due to health concerns I’ll be submitting EVL stories biweekly going forward. Please continue to enjoy the read and Thank You).
A fish fertilization team was working with walleye that day