When Locust Lake State Park opened in June of 1972, it cost $1.75 to rent a campsite for the night.

There wasn’t a camp store at the time, and visitors would have to wait another few years for a beach to open.

Still, they could enjoy fishing, hiking and bicycling - much like visitors continue to do today.

The park is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It opened a year after its sister park, Tuscarora State Park, also in Barnesville, and a month after Beltzville State Park near Lehighton.

At its June 10, 1972, dedication, the park had 213 campsites on its 1,144 acres along with a 52-acre lake and restroom facilities.

But the land wasn’t always owned by the state.

It was owned by the Marchalonis brothers, whose family had the property for some time.

According to an article published in a 1939 edition of the Plain Speaker newspaper of Hazleton, the Mahanoy City Butchers and Grocers held a picnic at what was known as the Marchalonis Manor in Locust Valley. It was located at the headwaters of the Locust Creek, which is where Locust Lake now lies.

The family had ties to the butchers and grocers organization; it operated the Marchalonis Bros. Meat Market in Mahanoy City until 1956.

Other groups and organizations would also hold picnics at the property, which was sometimes called Marchalonis Grove, according to early newspaper accounts.

At some point, the family created two lakes on the land.

“When digging a lake, the brothers found a dam, boards and the hub of a water wheel under 7 feet of leaves, silt and debris. The remains of an old logging mill and dam were buried under silt from flooding and runoff caused by the removal of all of the trees for lumber during the logging era,” according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The Marchalonis brothers opened the spring-fed lake to fishing and boating. For a fee, anglers could cast their lines into the stocked lakes or visit the on-site clubhouse.

“Bill Marchalonis, lake manager, said last night that the lake, which is located in Locust Valley about 3 miles south of Mahanoy City, has been improved and enlarged since last year. Plenty of boats, tackle and refreshments will be available daily,” according to an April 1956 article in the Morning Call.

At that time, Pennsylvania had just 45 state parks. There are 121 today.

It was the late Maurice K. Goddard, secretary the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters - a forerunner to DCNR - who dreamed of having a park within 25 miles of every resident. So, in 1957, the state began studying 175 potential sites for new public parks and recreation areas. Locust Lake was one of them.

“Sites were evaluated based on water, location, topography, subsurface conditions, availability, and scenic and historical significance,” according to information from the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project.

On Sept. 1, 1965, former Gov. William W. Scranton approved Locust Lake as one of the sites to be taken for recreation purposes.

“Acquisition began immediately,” the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project reported. “Eminent domain, the taking of land by government for public benefit, was one of the tools used to acquire new parks.”

The Marchalonis brothers would later receive compensation from the state for their land. Schuylkill County Civil Court awarded the family $895,000 for the property in 1971, the largest monetary verdict recorded in the court at that time. It came after a county board of view awarded the family $625,000. The family appealed that settlement, saying it was insufficient.

The state spent $1.7 million to renovate the property for opening.

A second phase of development, which included additional campsites, a swimming area, boat rentals and a camp store, came a few years later at a cost of $500,000.

Goddard was the main speaker for the dedication. Other remarks were delivered by state Sen. Fred Hobbs and legislators James Goodman and Frank Allen.

It was the sixth state park dedicated within a month, according to a June 12, 1972, article in the Standard-Speaker of Hazleton.

The Friends of Tuscarora and Locust Lake State Parks will host a 50th anniversary celebration from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at the park. The free event is family friendly and features a lineup of activities for all ages including food trucks, games, music, face painting, touch-a-truck, a children’s author and astrophysicist, children’s museum program and activities and stargazing.