Rickett's Glen honors Colonel Robert Bruce Ricketts. Ricketts enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army in 1861. He eventually led Battery F during the Battle of Gettysburg. The rank of Colonel was awarded to Ricketts upon his discharge. A picture of Colonel Ricketts hangs on the park office wall. Colonel Ricketts at one time owned outright or controlled over 80,000 acres of land in this area. His heirs, through the Central Penn Lumber Company, sold 48,000 acres to the Pennsylvania Game Commission from 1920-24. This left them with over 12,000 acres surrounding the Ganoga Lake, Lake Jean and Glen area. (text source: DCNR, A Recreational Guide for Ricketts Glen State Park) (* image source: Sullivan County Historical Society, History of Ricketts Family) * Central Penn Lumber Co. 1903 Although the area was approved as a national park site in the 1930s, World War II brought an end to this plan for development, and in 1942 the heirs sold 1,261 acres, the Falls and Glen area, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a state park. Additional purchases from Colonel Rickett's son, William Ricketts, in 1943 and 1949 resulted in a park nucleus of approximately 10,000 acres of former Ricketts holdings. Additional purchases from other individuals have brought the park to its present size. Recreational facilities were first opened in 1944. MORE HISTORY: History of Ricketts, PA. Suburban News Article Ricketts Family History ( © S.C.H.S.) X-Link