Susquehanna Legends

by Henry Wharton Shoemaker

Henry Shoemaker compiled these legendary tales set in the Endless Mountains of western and central Pennsylvania. Shoemaker's tales recall the transition of the landscape from forest to industrial logging and the decline of the native peoples as the European settlers advanced westward. This collection of tales has been modernized for 21st-century audiences but maintains the charm, wit, and suspense of the originals.

202 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2013

About the author

Henry Wharton Shoemaker (February 24, 1880 – July 14, 1958) was a prominent American folklorist, historian, diplomat, writer, publisher, and conservationist.

Shoemaker was born in New York City, but was closely associated with Pennsylvania, where he spent summers in childhood and took up residence later in life. His father, Henry Francis Shoemaker (1845–1918), was a railroad magnate, investment banker, and close confidante of future Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Charles W. Fairbanks. His mother, Blanche Quiggle, was the sole daughter of railroad magnate and diplomat Col. James W. Quiggle of Philadelphia and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. He attended the E. D. Lyons Classical School and Columbia University. He then served in the military and attained the rank of Colonel. Attracted to foreign service, he worked in European embassies before returning home to enter a brokerage venture with his brother William. His brother died in an elevator accident, and Henry closed the brokerage.