History of Poe Paddy State Park
Poe Paddy lies on the site of Poe Mills, a prosperous but short-lived, lumbering town of the 1880s and 1890s. Poe Mills had a population of more than three hundred during 1890.
Built in 1879, the main railroad line ran very near Poe Mills and a spur track ran to the Poe Paddy area. Many small, temporary timber railroads were built through most of the mountain valleys.
Poe Creek was dammed to provide water to the steam-powered sawmill. During the early 1900s, a scenic excursion train ran a loop from Milroy to Poe Paddy and back.
Civilian Conservation Corps
During the mid-1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built camp S-63-PA in the valley. The men of the camp built Poe Paddy and Poe Valley state parks and many of the roads in the area.
The park’s unusual name comes from Poe Mountain to the west and Paddy Mountain to the east.