P. Joseph Raab County Park Hike
by DeeReck
From 1854 through 1888, the 72 acres of land known as the York Iron Co. Mine site, was one of 170 iron ore mines in York County. The mine was part of an 1800's iron ore boom that produced some of the best iron ore, called "Codorus Ore," in the area. The mine stopped operations in 1888. The land was later used as agricultural land, with seven acres as a landfill site. The landfill was reclaimed in the late 1980's and early 1990's and donated to the county by Modern Landfill and Recycling, a Waste Management company.
The former iron ore mines are home to four species of bats that live in the same environment. Bat gates were constructed in cooperation with the PA Game Commission and Wildlife Conservation Fund to protect the hibernating inhabitants of Raab Park.
