[female voice] This place has a heartbeat of its own.

[male voice] You just get a vibe that you're here at home.

[female voice] It's given me opportunities that I never thought I'd have.

That atmosphere is infectious.

[female voice] It's a magical little place in the mountains.

[announcer] Made with the state fruit of North Carolina, Mighty Muscadine offers line of superfruits supplements and juices made from the Muscadine grape, including the cellular health antioxidant beverage, Vinetastic.

More at mightymuscadine.com.

[♪] [Joshua Deel VO] There's a rhythm to places like this, a heartbeat you can feel in the ground beneath your feet, a place where the wilderness doesn't just surround you, it seeps into your bones.

Benezette, Pennsylvania, a speck of a town tucked deep in the Pennsylvania wilds, where history lingers like the smell of wood smoke and the call of the wild is impossible to ignore.

Here, the wild isn't just outside your window, it's part of the fabric of life.

A small town of barely two hundred people welcoming nearly half a million visitors each year.

Why?

Because here, the wild roams free.

Majestic elk graze in the morning mist.

Ancient forests whisper their secrets stretching endlessly to the horizon, and the scars of history are worn like badges of honor.

Something primal stirs in the air, an elusive feeling of belonging to the land.

This is a place that doesn't need to impress you.

It just is.

Raw, real, and unforgettable.

This is a place that has risen from its ashes, once stripped bare by timber barons who left behind the so-called Pennsylvania desert.

Benezette clawed its way back.

Conservationists brought the forests back to life.

And with them, a town reborn, a place where past wounds have been stitched together with time and a community's resilience.

Benezette is a paradox.

It's small yet expansive, quiet yet brimming with stories.

On this trip, I peeled back its layers from the whispers of its mysterious name to the leftover scars of the Cold War.

I met its unlikely residents, both human and elk, and uncovered the allure of the camps that seemed to outnumber actual homes here.

This is Benezette, Pennsylvania.

It's not just a destination.

It's a reminder of what happens when nature, history, and community collide and create something extraordinary.

[♪] I've heard it said, where we are affects who we are.

Makes sense, right?

I've always believed you can't really understand yourself until you understand where you come from.

Hi, I'm Josh, and I'm hosting this series with PBS Appalachia to explore the places people still call home, their hometowns, and to uncover the stories that make them unique.

Hometowns is about exploring the communities that give America its character.

This season, we're going off the beaten path, on a journey from Virginia to Wyoming.

Now, don't get me wrong.

Many of these places have their flaws, warts and all.

But if that's all you focus on, you're missing the bigger picture: the raw, untamed beauty of the land, and the depth and complexity of its culture.

These are the things that speak to the heart of understanding what it really means to be an American.

It's a journey worth taking.

Trust me.

Benezette, Pennsylvania.

How it got its name?

Well, that depends on who you ask and how much you've had to drink.

One theory ties it back to the Native tribes that roamed these hills, the Lenape or Algonquin.

Benezette might come from ben zet, a word that supposedly means a place to hunt or a good place to live; plausible, dignified, safe.

But then there's the other story, the one about a kid, a bear, and a tracker with a dark sense of humor.

Legend has it, a boy named Benny wandered into the woods and vanished.

A Native tracker eventually emerged to announce "Benny's et," the grim shorthand for "The kid got eaten."

Over time, the words twisted into Benezette.

True?

Who cares?

It's the better story.

Of course, there's always the chance it was named after some French guy.

But where's the fun in that?

This little town has its fair share of history beyond the bear-eats-kid lore.

Take the Cold War, for instance.

Benezette has its fingertips on that chapter too, but we'll get to those bunkers soon enough.

Back in the 1870s though, the real story here was timber.

Pennsylvania was once a sprawling forest as far as the eye could see.

Then came the timber barons, who didn't care much for sustainability and left behind what people called the Pennsylvania desert.

Enter Joseph Rothrock, a botanist turned forest crusader who saw the destruction and thought, "Enough."

He pushed to save the wilderness and create public forest reserves to protect this land from what he called humanity's tree-destroying instinct.

Today, what was once barren and scarred is now a lush, untamed paradise, a place where elk roam, where the air smells of pine and earth, and where the locals, though few in number, share their home with hundreds of thousands of visitors every year: visitors chasing a glimpse of what it means to be truly wild.

We have gift shops, and we have things that we're doing and products that we're selling.

But every single one of us in this town that has some connection to a business or nonprofit, it's all hospitality.

-It's all service.

-Right.

So for me to bring about that hospitality and service to a guest in my place, it's so much better if I say I'm hospitable about this whole area.

So go check out this place.

[Joshua Deel] You're an ambassador.

-Yes, exactly.

-Yeah.

Always makes your transactions or your interactions with people so much smoother.

That's what it's all about at the end of the day is making sure that people who visit our town -have the best experience -Yeah.

-that they can have.

-I agree.

Also, you know, when you have a smaller community, it gives you a little sense of you want everybody else to enjoy that.

So even if somebody's coming into the cabin and they're like, you know, We're, we're from Pittsburgh, and we've never been outside the city.

You know, we'll have their fire pit ready.

All they have to do is drop a match in.

Get your kids out there, enjoy it.

Let them see some stars.

-You know?

-[Joshua Deel] Sure.

It's, it's a great, it's a great thing.

You know, some people have--it's, it's surprising to hear someone has never seen the stars.

-[Joshua Deel] Yes.

-[Taylor Tretick] Yeah.

[Joshua Deel] Yeah, all the light pollution from big city.

You know, yeah.

But piggybacking off of that, that's another great thing about this area is there's no cell phone service.

You are truly unwinding.

Yeah, you're truly unwinding.

[Joshua Deel] That's a great benefit.

And everywhere.

In a sense of relaxing, yes.

We're trying to encourage the growth of all those other things, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing.

Eco-tourism has been, like Carla was saying, huge to this area.

The fishing, the biking, the hiking, the--I mean, we could go on and on and on, and we see the variety... Because you know a hiker when they walk in.

[Carla Wehler] Yeah.

Oh yeah, right.

-You know.

-Yeah.

You know a fisherman when you walk in.

You know, uh, somebody, you know, a lady that just got off her horse and-- Yes.

Horse, yeah.

Equestrian, you know that.

So what I'm getting at is people are seeing that this area is this little cradle of outdoor paradise.

[♪] [Woman] [laughs] You know what?

[♪] [Joshua Deel] Big Elk Lake is one of those places where history and nature collide, where elk roam, and people have been drawn for centuries to its untamed beauty and rich resources.

Today, the elk have come back, and so have the adventurers, all seeking a real connection to the wild.

That spirit is alive and well at Big Elk Lake Horse Camp, a no-frills, rustic retreat deep in the heart of Elk County.

Here the wild is your playground.

The camp's a haven for equestrians and outdoor junkies who want to saddle up and lose themselves in the region's vast trail network.

Surrounded by the same thick forests and rolling hills that keep Pennsylvania's elk fed, this place lets you ride through a landscape that's as timeless as it gets.

Every hoof beat echoes the footsteps of early settlers, and Native Americans who knew this land's soul long before us.

The name here is the Big Elk Lake Horse Camp.

I own this and my daughter helps me.

My father-in-law started this way back in '91.

It's been more than 30 years.

-[Joshua Deel] Thirty years... -[Candy Reis] Yeah.

-[Joshua Deel] ...operation.

-[Candy Reis] Yeah.

We are 50 acres, and the back of our property is the Elk State Forest.

We're at number one on the Elk State Forest Thunder Mountain Equestrian Trail.

Trail marker number one.

What drew you, I mean, to come here, uproot your life?

Yes, we pretty much, we did.

My-- [Joshua Deel] Just for horses, love of horses?

[Candy Reis] No, for the love of wanting to do something on our own, you know, rather than the nine-to-five, you know?

We decided we would just take this on.

My husband and I did.

My husband did pass three years ago, but, um, my--we decided to continue on.

We get locals.

We get all, mostly all around the state of Pennsylvania.

We get out of state.

We get, we've had some people from Utah.

Some people say the riding here is just as beautiful as it is out West.

So it's pretty nice.

Riding here is wonderful.

[Joshua Deel] So what keeps you coming back here?

What is it about the place?

Tell me.

[laughs] -The trails are amazing.

-Yeah.

Thunder Mountain Trail, and then the game commission -put in trails.

-[Joshua Deel] Mm-hm.

Elk are a bonus.

It's just a beautiful area.

Long, long trails?

Three, four miles, 50 miles?

What are we talking about?

How many miles of trails?

You can go as far as you want.

Yeah, we went 25 miles -Yeah.

one of the days we were here just this, what, a month ago?

-It was fantastic.

-Could have gone further?

-Oh, sure.

-[Joshua Deel] Yeah.

-Sure, you can just, yeah.

-It's wilderness, basically.

-It's, oh, it's beautiful.

-Yeah, lots of trails.

And every once in a while, "Well, the trail's up there."

"Okay, Kathy, you lead, we'll follow."

Yeah.

I've always wanted a horse my whole entire life.

Born in Long Island, moved here when I was about nine, and just haven't left.

It's, I--I--I love it here.

I absolutely love it here.

These horses are amazing.

They find the trail.

They stay right on it.

[Joshua Deel] Get you where you're going.

[Barb Zercher] Yeah, they know.

[Kristy Glassmire] They--they're--they're amazing.

And they definitely remember where the horse trailer is, because that means-- [Barb Zercher] Yeah.

[Kristy Glassmire] hay, oats, whatever.

[Joshua Deel] I get you off of my back [Kristy Glassmire] I get you off my back.

Yeah, yeah.

[Barb Zercher] Cool things happen around horses.

Really cool things.

[Joshua Deel] Certainly do.

Some excitement at times.

[laughs] Benezette is the place that you used to live.

Your childhood.

When you'd go out, 1970s you know, say.

Benezette is where you come to experience that.

It's--it's--you--you break away from all the city life, and it's just good down-home, down-home people.

It's great stuff.

Really is.

When I worked in tourism, we went down to the state capital, and, you know, we're saying to the gover nor, we need some money to promote our area of the state.

You know, we're not Philly.

We're not Pittsburgh.

You know, we need money to help our communities.

And they were like, "Where do you live?

What's an elk?"

You know?

[Joshua Deel] That's part of Pennsylvania.

[Carla Wehler] Yeah.

They--they said, "We didn't even know there was elk in Pennsylvania."

And so it was a process of education, and then all of a sudden, the governor's pum ping money -into tourism for elk country.

-[Joshua Deel] Yeah.

And it--it just helped, and it made it a boom, and it's kind of been, you know, we've been riding that high ever since.

[Joshua Deel] If you've heard of Benezette, chances are, it's because of the elk; not just any elk, the largest free-roaming herd east of the Mississippi.

For a town of barely 200 people, it's a big deal.

Scratch that.

It's the deal.

The elk aren't just wildlife here.

They're practically part of the family.

And if you stick around long enough, you'll get why.

[♪] [Elk bugles] That's the thing about Benezette.

Here, you're not visiting elk country.

You're in their country.

[♪] For the people of Benezette, these animals are more than just a tourist attraction.

They're a lifeline.

Every year, nearly half a million visitors flood this tiny town to see the elk, stay in local lodges, eat in a mom-and-pop's diner, and support businesses that might not exist otherwise.

Elk tourism doesn't just keep the lights on.

It's a point of pride.

The people here have built an identity around these animals, and you can feel it in every conversation, every story, every plate of food served with a side of local lore.

The Elk County Visitor Center is where it all comes together.

Think of it as the nerve center of Benezette's elk culture, a sprawling state-of-the-art facility that manages to combine education, conservation, and a genuine love for these animals.

It's not just a place to learn about elk, it's a place to connect with them.

I sat down with a member of the staff who has seen it all firsthand.

Over the course of the conversation, it was clear: the story of these elk isn't just a story about wildlife, it's a story about people.

People who fought to protect something wild, something worth preserving.

So did you grow up in Benezette?

I did.

So I grew up in downtown Benezette.

My great-grandparents are from here, so my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, were all still from here, yeah.

And my mom actually started working here at the Elk Country Visitor Center in the very beginning, and then I joined on about two years ago.

-Okay.

-Yeah.

Has Benezette changed a lot in your life?

It has.

So when I was younger, it used to be kind of dirt road, so I don't want to age myself too much there, but yes, the roads have come a long way, the tourism has come a long way.

Thankful for the Elk Country Visitor Center has really drawn attention to this area and really bringing the tourists in as well.

So Benezette is really a unique place, and I truly love telling people that I'm from here, because there's not a lot of people that, you know, it's mostly camps and people that are moving here, so truly there's not a lot of families who are from here.

So I'm really proud to say that I live here, and I'm proud to, you know, introduce people to the elk and this area.

And, yeah, I love to be around people, so can't complain there.

[♪] [Joshua Deel] But the real magic is outside.

The Visitor Center's nearly 250 acres of trails and viewing spots turn into front-row seats to one of nature's best shows.

You don't need binoculars or luck, just a little patience.

Walk the trails, and you'll find yourself in places where herds graze without a care, and where the haunting bugle of a bull elk rolls through the valley like a deep, primal call.

It's not staged.

It's not polished.

It's raw, untamed and unforgettable.

You like Benezette?

-I do, yeah.

-Yeah.

You know, I've moved away a couple times and tried to get away, but this is my home, so I still come back to it, and I love the mountains.

That's--mountains are where I want to be.

[♪] [Joshua Deel] Deep in the wilds, there's a place that feels untouched by time: the Little Chapel in the Woods.

Small, quiet, unforgettable.

Built as a labor of love by local hands, the Little Chapel in the Woods is more than just a building.

It's a testament to the power of faith, community, and the human need for quiet reflection.

Surrounded by nature, it offers visitors a chance to step away from the noise of everyday life and into a space where peace and tranquility reign.

Inside, it's all about the essentials; no frills, no pretense, just wood, light, and the quiet that invites you to stop, breathe, and maybe find something you didn't know you were looking for.

Locals know it as a place where life happens: vows exchanged, prayers whispered, hymns carried into the woods.

For visitors, it's an unexpected gift, a pause button in the middle of Elk County.

[Mr. Bartholme] My father had Alzheimer's pretty severely, and he had Parkinson's pretty badly and congestive heart failure, and--and I bought this place, and we spent a lot of time over here.

He liked this area so much that I said, "I'm going to memorialize you in some way, Dad," and I didn't know if he was understanding me or not, with the Alzheimer's, but I said, "What I'd like to do maybe is build a chapel."

And he said, "That would be great."

He says, "But as long as I get the best seat in the house."

So that's why he's sitting right there.

I said, "I'll do that."

That's how that all came about.

A lot of people have, local artisans have really contributed to the church and chapel.

We get people that just want to come in and relax from the cities, step back.

And one of the phrases my father used to say, he says, You know, it's so quiet here, my ears hurt, and that's the truth.

It just gets really quiet here, and the stars are brilliant, and just no light interference.

It's just a lot of, you know, a lot of things people don't get an opportunity to see or enjoy.

People simplified their life again and-- and wanted to get back out in nature.

So that's, you know, that's, that's what we have here.

[Joshua Deel] The Little Chapel in the Woods is more than a stop on a trail.

It's a reminder of what matters, that peace doesn't have to shout and beauty doesn't need an audience.

Sometimes it's enough just to be.

[♪] Perched above Spring Run Valley where the untamed meets the eternal, stands the Cross on the Hill, a stark interfaith memorial rising 13 feet into the sky.

It's simple, unadorned, and utterly commanding.

This isn't just a monument, it's a waypoint.

A place carved out of the wild for those who wander, seeking solace, reflection, or maybe just a moment of stillness.

In its shadow you can sit, breathe, and let the world melt away.

Whether you come to pray, meditate or simply exist, this is where the noise stops and something bigger takes hold.

For over a century, Pennsylvania was the iron-making backbone of America.

Today, out on the outskirts of Benezette, Ken Myers is still hammering away, keeping the Appalachian metal- working tradition alive.

His handmade wrought iron art, full of local imagery and designs, tells stories of the land that built this place.

And he's not just making metal, he's passing it down, teaching his grandson the craft, ensuring the fire doesn't die out anytime soon.

It's a legacy forged in steel and sweat, and it's in good hands.

When, when the economy does a little dip or does a little thing, people are looking for options to say, -"I can take my family here."

-Mm-hm.

"I could spend very little bit of money, but I've created a memory"--and a memory that'll last forever.

You get a kid that sees their first elk... -[Joshua Deel] Yeah.

-that's locked in.

-Yeah.

- So for parents or people that say , "You know, I'd really like to do something with the kids this weekend.

We don't have a whole lot rolling in the bank account.

We can go to Benezette.

We can swim in the creeks.

We can look for elk.

We can fish."

Yeah, and they need zero money to do any of that.

You know, they can come and enjoy it all for--for very little money.

I do.

I love this area.

We all do.

The people in this area are good.

They're good to us.

I try to be good to them and share as much as I possibly can, you know, um, with them, because I do live here.

You know, wanna be good stewards of this area.

[Joshua Deel] The same ethos Eric expressed about being a steward isn't just a job, it's a calling, a responsibility to something bigger.

That same sense of stewardship ran deep in the veins of Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s when nuclear technology was both a promise and a peril.

He saw it as his responsibility to guide this explosive new technology as a force for peace and progress.

It was stewardship on a whole other level, and the stakes couldn't have been any higher.

His Atoms for Peace program was a bold attempt to rebrand nuclear energy, not as the harbinger of annihilation, but as the key to a better future: medicine, industry, energy.

He wanted to use the atom to build, not destroy.

Enter Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Yes, those Wright Brothers, the pioneers of flight, decided to take a crack at nuclear-powered jet engines.

In 1955, they scooped up 9,000 acres and leased another 42,000 in what we now call the Cohana Wild Area.

Nestled in Elk County, it wasn't just some backwoods experiment.

This was big.

They built a research center with a nuclear reactor, six radiation containment chambers, and enough infrastructure to make you wonder if they weren't quietly building their own Manhattan Project 2.0.

The goal was ambitious: to marry nuclear power with jet propulsion, all in the name of Eisenhower's peaceful atomic dreams.

It wasn't just science, it was vision.

And while they didn't quite revolutionize air travel, their work laid the foundation for what we now think of as the civilian uses of nuclear technology: energy, medicine, engineering.

They were taking Eisenhower's idea and trying to bend the future into something brighter.

What's left of it now?

Scattered remnants, roads that lead to nowhere, concrete shelters designed to hold radiation at bay now holding little more than moss and rust.

The wilds of Pennsylvania have been working over time to erase it all, slowly but surely swallowing the evidence of human ambition.

Walking through these relics, I couldn't help but marvel at this strange dance between humankind's big ideas and nature's quiet, unrelenting patience.

We build, we imagine, we overreach, and then nature steps in with its soft, persistent hands to remind us who's really in charge.

Time and nature, they always win, and maybe that's how it should be.

Benezette, Pennsylvania, a town where the wild is not a tourist attraction.

It's the reason you're here.

The elk roam, not for your benefit, but because this is their land.

[♪] The history is real, hard, scarred and still standing.

The timber barons came, stripped it bare, but nature clawed its way back, and so did this town.

Here, people live on their own terms.

They don't wait for permission.

Benezette isn't for the faint of heart.

It's raw, unapologetic, and doesn't need to sell you on anything.

It's a place where you get the sense that the land isn't just alive, it's alive and kicking.

[♪] [female voice] This place has a heartbeat of its own.

[male voice] You just get a vibe that you're here at home.

[female voice] It's given me opportunities that I never thought I'd have.

That atmosphere is infectious.

[female voice] It's a magical little place in the mountains.

[announcer] Made with the state fruit of North Carolina, Mighty Muscadine offers a line of superfruit supplements and juices made from the Muscadine grape, including the Cellular Health Antioxidant Beverage, Vinetastic.

More at mightymuscadine.com.