01/25/2025
THE WOLF SLAYER: Story of the Hunter: Jacob Vannatter
On this PA Wilds Saturday Story Series, we will cover Jacob Vannatter (Van Etten) aka “The Wolf Slayer”. As a descendant of Vannatter I have personal intrigue in this story, however more importantly, this story has great insight into the early settlement of the PA Wilds.
Jacob Vannatter was born in Deerpark, New York in 1778. His family is believed to have played a significant part during the American Revolution.
Prior to the white settlement of the area called Potter County the area was used primarily as a native hunting grounds. The area was claimed by the Lenni Lenape Indians. The Lenape’s third tribe were called the Minsi (meaning Wolves) who occupied the region which embraced the Allegwi Lipu (Alleghany River) to its head waters and surrounding area.
Vannatter moved from Orange County, New York to what is now Ayers Hill, PA (near Cherry Springs State Park). His purchase was the second land deed recorded in Potter County on January 1, 1813, consisting of 50 acres. The purchase was sold to Vannatter for $1.00.
In 1815 wolves were plentiful in Potter County and were a nuisance to the pioneer’s flocks. Potter County passed an order putting bounties on predators, paying $8.00 for each wolf scalp. The second order ever made by the County of Potter in 1815, after the purchase of a record book, was a certificate for $8.00 as payment to Vannatter for a wolf scalp. The payment was issued by Maj. Issac Lyman. Vannatter made a small fortune from February to May 31, 1816, he captured 17 wolves and on the last day he brought in seven wolf pups. The ledger marked his official title as a Wolf Slayer. Several scalps were accepted by John Keating as payment for a piece of land. Vannatter was easily at the top of the list of wolf hunters in Potter County. He earned hundreds of dollars from Potter County for his wolf killings. He was also paid a “goody sum” for the destruction of “foxes and panthers”. In 1822, Vanatter was paid $12 for scalps.
Luckily, some of Vannatter’s escapades were put to print. Such as an event that occurred on March 1, 1816. On that date several frontier settlers were moving their families into the area near Lymansville, now Ladona located east of Coudersport. On that day it was cold, wintery weather. They became snowbound at nightfall on the nine mile and nearly perished. Three girls of the party mounted the families three horses to seek help. The remaining settlers stayed with the wagon. It became dark, and for fear of losing their way, the settlers were obligated to remain out all night. One party member succeeded in starting a fire by firing a musket into the outer wood of a dead hemlock tree and kept the party from freezing. News reached Lymansville the next morning John Lyman and Vannatter took fresh teams and went to their rescue.
In another harrowing event in 1816, surveyor Daniel Clark was commissioned to make the first map of Potter County by the state. This first chart of potter county can still be viewed in Harrisburg. Mr. Clark hired Vannatter and John Lyman to assist in surveying the Cowanesque Road. During the survey Clark was attacked by a bear. With the assistance of Vannatter and dogs, Clark fought the bear and finally killing it with his Jacob’s- staff (surveying stick).
One story was posted in a newspaper published in Alexandria, Virginia. This event took place on September 11, 1822. The story read that Vannatter went to the Great Elk Lick with his two dogs, Wolf and Spring, to watch for elk. The area is modern day Gardeau on the south branch of the Shinnemahoning. The Indians gave the area its name because the saline waters attracted a great number of elk and deer. Vannatter watched till dark, before retiring a short distance, and lay down for the night with his dogs by his side. About midnight, his dogs made a sudden leap which awoke him and about six yards from his head, engaged some animal, which, by its voice, he soon found to be a panther. The fire was nearly out, and he could see neither dogs nor panther. Fearing to go among them he threw some remaining fire brands, thinking to frighten the panther away, but had little effect for some time. Eventually. however, the animal retreated, fighting the dogs for a distance of about eight rods, where they had a very severe combat, which lasted about a minute, when the noise of the dog, Wolf, and panther ceased. Supposing the panther had killed his dog, he stood by, the fire, which began to kindle up a little, with his rifle cocked. Expecting to be attacked himself. Spring soon came to him, seemingly with good tidings. Soon after Wolf appeared and seemed to urge him to the field of battle. He procured some dry bark, made a light, and accompanied them to the spot, where to his great joy found the panther life-less. The panther was nine feet in length – the dogs, though badly wounded, recovered. Vannatter was quoted “I have been a woodsman a great deal of my life but cannot recollect of no case where two small dogs killed a panther of such a size”. The story was signed “A Hunter”.
As if the events mentioned above weren’t mythical enough and would most likely keep the modern hunter from going back into the woods, one last story was transcribed. The story was orally retold to a writer by a local resident recalling that Vannatter in the 1820’s having a serious battle with a bear. The resident stated that “the bruin tore the cloths off of Vannatter and left several life marks onto his body”, the story goes on to say this drove the hunter to fight.
The stories of Vannatter certainly drive the imagination of what it would have been like in the early years of Potter County. Some maybe wishing to be able to time travel to this time in history. However, we cannot forget how dangerous and wild the region was when men like Vannatter decided to live in this frontier. Overall, this story leaves me with one word, respect!
