The Wopsononock Hotel opened for business in early July 1889. Although the Wopsy Railroad would not reach the mountaintop until June 11, 1891, development was already underway by 1890. Cottage building lots were being offered for sale and widely advertised in local newspapers, signaling confidence in the resort’s future even before rail service was completed.

In August 1890, the Altoona Mirror advertised lots for sale on Wopsononock, “The Pinnacle of Penn’a!” Lots started at $100 ($3,562 in 2026 dollars).

Among those who invested early was John Schenk, a well-known Altoona businessman, who purchased a lot and built a summer cottage at the top of Wopsononock Mountain, along Lookout Avenue. Schenk owned and operated the Brant Hotel, located at the corner of 12th Street and 10th Avenue, facing the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks.

While the massive and widely celebrated Logan House was considered Altoona’s premier hotel for lodging and dining, the Brant House ranked a close second in both desirability and business success.

Over more than fifty years of collecting Wopsononock memorabilia, the Schenk name has surfaced repeatedly. Years ago, I acquired a half-dozen real photo postcards (RPPCs) from a dealer at the Geeseytown fire hall. These images were likely taken by a traveling photographer who specialized in family portraits, later printed as postcards in a local darkroom. The photographs show members of the John Schenk family at their Wopsononock cottage on Lookout Avenue. Identification of the property was made easy by a sign hanging from the front porch naming the cottage “Manitou.” In Native American tradition, Manitou represents a benevolent or friendly spirit.

Further evidence of the Schenk family’s presence on the mountain came with the acquisition of several original Altoona & Northern Railroad receipts, documenting the shipment of household goods from Altoona (Juniata) to Wopsononock.

The Schenk name appears frequently in period newspaper accounts from the era, many of which are included here to help round out this brief history of the Schenk family’s vacation cottage and their connection to Wopsononock Mountain.