The Murders at Sugar Valley Narrows
Located in Clinton County , Cherry Run, a tributary of Fishing Creek, is situated in a rugged, narrow valley between the small rural communities of Tylersville and Lamar. During the 19th century, Lamar was known as Washington Furnace. Established sometime between 1800 and 1815, this furnace was built by prominent ironmaster John Dunlop, who recognized the value of water transportation; the ironworks at Washington Furnace were the first in the region to use boats to transport ore to the smelting site. After Dunlop's death in 1816, ownership of the furnace changed hands several times, though most of the iron produced here was transported to Bellefonte for metalworking. The Washington Furnace Railroad, which was established prior to the Civil War, once ran along Cherry Run, and was used to transport ore from Lamar Township to the furnace, thereby eliminating the need for water transportation. Unfortunately, the quality of local ore left a lot to be desired and operations ceased perm...
