Creation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission
Corry, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Concerned about declining wildlife populations caused by logging, development, and excessive hunting and trapping, Corry businessman H.A. Penrose assembled several influential men in Corry on Aug. 22, 1890, to form the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Association (PSSA). This organization promoted wildlife conservation and enforcement of game laws. Efforts of the PSSA led to the creation of the Board of Game Commissioners by Act 187 of 1895.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
By 1890, the forests and game of western Pennsylvania were reeling from decades of unchecked logging, development, and hunting. In Corry, businessman H.A. Penrose gathered like-minded men to found the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Association, an early voice for wildlife conservation and the enforcement of game laws. Their advocacy bore fruit in 1895, when the state legislature created the Board of Game Commissioners — the seed of today's Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Why it matters
It marks one of the grassroots beginnings of American wildlife conservation, part of the Progressive Era conviction that natural resources were a public trust worth protecting by law.
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Related people
- · H.A. Penrose
Related events
- · Founding of the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Association
- · Creation of the Board of Game Commissioners (1895)
Themes & tags
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