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On June 15, 1916, Dr. Harry F. Rentschler took a group of men from the Reading, PA area who liked to walk in the mountains to an eagle's nest on the Blue Mountains above Shartlesville. They enjoyed the climb so much that they planned to revisit the eagle's nest and the Blue Mountain eagle became the symbol for their climbs. They formed the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club on October 12, 1916, when the first official hike was held to the eagle's nest. William F Shanaman was elected president of the new club and Dr. Rentschler was named secretary. In 1926, planners of the Appalachian Trail contacted the Club. Club members were asked to locate and build 102 miles of trail through the wilderness along the mountaintop from the Lehigh River to the Susquehanna River. Monuments, cabins, and rest stops were built along the way. After five years of volunteer labor, dedication of the completed section was held on October 12, 1931. In 1937, the Club formed a corporation under the name of the Blue Mountain Wilderness Park Association. Its purpose was to acquire and own the land in order to protect the Appalachian Trail. During the 1950s and 1960s, some trail sections were given up to newer clubs to maintain. The Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club currently maintains a 64.4 mile section of the Appalachian Trail along the Blue Mountains from Lehigh Furnace Gap Road to Rausch Gap with the exception of a section between Bake Oven Road and Tri-county Corner. In April 1970, the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and the Wilderness Park Association, having always had a common governing body, were legally merged. In 1975, the Club adopted a new constitution and by-laws. The Club is affiliated with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Keystone Trails Association. |
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