This page contains some of the interesting questions that we've answered over the years.

Questions

1. What are the names of the seven mountains for which the Seven Mountains region is named?

   This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer only because the answers differ so much. The Seven Mountains region is fairly well understood but the names of the features in the region have changed a great deal over time. Even today, there is some disagreement about the names of some of the features. Some old sources (ca.1916) describe the Seven Mountains as comprising Path Vally, Short, Bald, Think Head, Sand, Shade and Tussey Mountain. Another source ca. 1858 simply lists them as First, Second, Third, etc. Many sources state that the seven mountains are those that are adjacent to the road from Potters Mills to Milroy, currently Rt.322. Depending on which mountains that one counts as being adjacent, you can get up to 10 mountains. In another source, the seven mountains were depicted as being the seven heights along First Mountain.

   Here are some of the variations about which are the seven mountains:

   1900 map: Little, Long, Bald, Treaster, Thick Head, and Tussey

   1920 map: First, Treaster/Kohler, Bald, Long, Spruce, Little, Stone

   1921 map: First, Treaster/Kohler, Bald, Spruce, Little, Front

   If you follow Rt.322, the names of the features that you pass on the west side of the road, traveling north to south are:

   First Mountain,

   Triester Mountain {Kohler Mtn., on the east side of the road} {in a line with Second Mountain}

   Sand Mountain

   Bald Mountain

   Broad Mountain (Long Mountain to the east)

   Spruce Mountain {Front Mountain to the east}

   Little Mountain

   
   
2. Where did the shrunken heads in the EMS Museum collection come from?

   The two shrunken heads were donated by Russel E. Stamm, the parent of Penn State alumnus Roy P. Stamm (Mining Engineering 1938). The heads were obtained from the Jivaros Indians of Ecuador. (Source: "Shrunken Heads from South American Indians Shown Here" Penn State Collegian Dec. 17, 1935; "School Receives Unusual Exhibit" Earth & Mineral Sciences v.5(5):4 Jan. 1936.) Both articles about the shrunken heads are available online.

   
   

3. What is the Marcellus shale?

   The Marcellus shale is a a Devonion formation that is rich in natural gas. Some links for more information are:

   • Natural Gas Exploration and Leasing (PSU Cooperative Extention)
   • Bureau of Oil and Gas Management (PaDept. of Envir. Protection)
   • Info on the Marcellus shale (West Va. Surface Owners' Rights Organization)
   • Dr. Terry Engelder's page (PSU local expert on the Marcellus shale)