Butler-Freeport's 'little trail that could' celebrates 30th anniversary

In October 1992, Franco Harris, WPXI news anchor Della Crews and Belgian horses were on hand for the grand opening of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail.

Then some unhappy landowners filed lawsuits, which took about a decade to settle.

“Among other managers, our trail is known as the ‘little trail that could,’ ” said Chris Ziegler, president of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail Council. The 30th anniversary of the 21-mile trail from Freeport to Butler will be more subdued Saturday. There will be historic photos and exhibits at the Cooper Station caboose along the trail in Winfield. A Galaxy Donuts food truck will be available for visitors as well as T-shirts, hats and more. Halloween decorations and candy will add to the festive occasion.

Albert “Ouch” Roenigk, 80, a supervisor for Buffalo Township, which owns the trail, remembers the grand opening at the fire hall in Buffalo Township. “Franco made sure the kids had helmets on and rode with them toward Cabot.”

In an Oct. 19, 1992, Sports Illustrated article, Harris’ attendance at the trail opening was noted. The story focused on Harris promoting the use of abandoned railroad property for trails for young people to use for exercise. A Buffalo Township supervisor since 1979, Roenigk said he got the idea for a trail when he learned in 1988 that the Western Pennsylvania Railroad stopped using the rail corridor.

“Buffalo Township was the only township that showed interest in the railroad,” he said. “Our solicitor thought it would be good to have a little railroad, but that would have been expensive.”

Ron Bennett, the first president of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail Council, asked supervisors what he could do to help, Roenigk said, adding the trail council has been helping ever since.

The township bought the rail line corridor for $90,000. It got that money back and more when they sold the ballast used for the tracks, Roenigk said.

But there was opposition from some landowners who wanted to absorb the rail line property near their lands as their own. Others didn’t want strangers near their property.

Some residents filed lawsuits, and some even illegally erected barriers to prevent people from using sections of the trail.

“Some of the other townships involved backed out when we got sued,” Roenigk said.

The township was in court for about 10 years; at one point, the Buffalo Township supervisors were sued for about $1.6 million, Roenigk said. “Every time I ran for re-election — that was the subject.”

The township prevailed in the legal actions.

Now when Roenigk looks back on his 40 years as a supervisor, the trail is one of his three favorite accomplishments.

“The township doesn’t have a traditional large park, but it’s got a 20-mile ‘linear’ one,” he said.

The success of the trail lies in the number of volunteers, which numbered about 180, for its quickly sold-out half-marathon recently, Ziegler said.

Ziegler, only the second trail council president, got involved after the lawsuits were settled.

“When it was over, it was over,” she said. “New people continued to get involved. The animosity didn’t follow the people.”

The popularity soared during the covid-19 pandemic when the number of park users swelled in Pittsburgh area parks and more people headed to new destinations, Ziegler said.

During two weeks in 2020, the trail council recorded more than 4,500 visitors. Although Ziegler doesn’t have exact trail usage numbers, thousands of visitors come to the trail monthly.

“If it wasn’t for the community, it wouldn’t be a trail,” Ziegler said. “The community is very involved, and it’s an all-volunteer maintained trail. They have skin in the game and treat it like their backyard.”

A Butler-Freeport trail historic geocache relaunch is scheduled from noon until 4 p.m. Saturday as well. And there will be a demonstration of electric bicycles.