Indian Steps

First issued in 1912 by the Bright Printing Company, this early work by Henry Shoemaker is one of many volumes in which he drew on the traditions of Pennsylvania. Its opening piece retells the legend behind the Indian Steps near Stone Valley, and the stories that follow are gathered around that setting.

The tales range widely, from fairies and reclusive hermits to a chance romance, Native American legends, ghosts, and haunted places. Together they sketch the landscape, customs, and community life of central Pennsylvania as Shoemaker knew it.

Much of the action unfolds in familiar places in Centre County, including Tussey Mountain, Black Moshannon, and Stone Valley. This edition reproduces the original text in facsimile for the first time since its initial printing and keeps the period photographs by W. T. Clarke.