While visiting the United States, Bull became interested in founding a colony for his fellow countrymen.

He established four communities, New Bergen (now known as Carter Camp), Oleona, New Norway, and Valhalla in the Kettle Creek area.

The problems encountered by the Norwegian pioneers were mainly based on the inexperience of the farmers in dealing with clearing the land of its many trees.

Efforts to settle the area were parodied in the 1853 Norwegian folk song Oleanna, which was translated into English and popularized by Pete Seeger in 1955.

[2] The Kettle Creek area was part of the massive lumbering operation that occurred in most of north central Pennsylvania in the 1880s and 1890s.

Two railroads were built on the banks of Kettle Creek to haul the timber to sawmills in the Cross Fork area.

[3] Many of the facilities at Ole Bull State Park were constructed during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps founded by American President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Ole Bull State Park is home to many examples of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps throughout North Central Pennsylvania.

The common game species are ruffed grouse, squirrels, turkey, white-tailed deer, and black bears.

Modern restrooms, water hydrants and a sanitary dump station are available at Ole Bull State Park.

[3] Ole Bull State Park is a trailhead for the 85 miles (137 km) Susquehannock Trail System.

The Daugherty Loop Trail uses old logging roads and a railroad grade to pass through the Black Forest of Pennsylvania.