Genealogy of the Woodcock Valley

Schell's Bridge was located on the road from Aitch to Paradise Furnace. The wooden bridge seen here was taken by the flood of 1936 and was replaced with an iron bridge. The Juniata & Southern Railroad bridge can be seen in the background. The railroad was built by the Greco Bros. in 1910. The railroad bridge went from Aitch to the coal fields at Jacobs. Greco Bros. started building the railroad below Aitch and connected with the Huntingdon & Broadtop Mountain Railroad. They intended to build a connecting railroad south to Hagerstown, MD, but were stalled by the East Broadtop Railroad, which refused to let them cross their right of way at Jacobs. During the litigation proceedings, Mr. Greco died and his brothers and heirs decided to quit and sell the road and all the equipment. Benjamin F. Grove was the engineer, and their sidings to make up trains were located in his field to the left of Trough Creek bridge. During it's 8 years of existence it hauled lumber, coal from Jacobs, and goods to and from Trough Creek Valley. The grade is now the road through Trough Creek State Park. The railroad bridge and steel from the railroad was sold to Russia at the beginning of World War I about 1918 according to Irv Schell.

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