In August of 2023, at the dōTERRA Global Conference in Salt Lake City, the atmosphere was buzzing as nearly 10,000 attendees celebrated the rollout of a new line of birch essential oil. dōTERRA, the international company known for unadulterated and uncontaminated essential oils whose sourcing team is renowned for exhaustively researching their methods of oil production, kept coming back to one name within the realm of birch oil production—Grant “Skip” Cavanaugh. The jumbovision screen played a story of Skip, the world’s expert on birch oil, as he described his childhood in the woods of Tioga County with his father learning to run a birch oil still. It is Skip’s attention to detail and over 100 years of family records that made him the key to bridging methods of the past with commercial production. With silver hair and smile lines etched deep round blue eyes, he spoke about the art of birch oil production.

Ben Platt, dōTERRA director of strategic sourcing development, said, “We’ve done a lot of due diligence to try and figure out where we should be centered for birch oil production, and Skip not only reassured us that producing birch oil was possible on a commercial scale, but he also willingly coached us through the process of when to harvest and how to harvest, so that we could produce pure birch essential oil.” dōTERRA opened their distillery, Woodside Oils, in Kane, Pennsylvania, four months before Skip addressed the dōTERRA Global Conference.

His voice echoed throughout the arena, drawing everyone in like the comforting rumble of an approaching train. He shared his journey, not just as a craftsman of oil of wintergreen, but as a steward of things that might otherwise be lost. It was through Skip, and cooperation with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, that an authentic wood-fired birch oil still was built at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Route 6 east of Coudersport. It opened for operation in 2012 and continues to today for annual special events. When he’s there, Skip always draws a crowd. His winning smile and gift of storytelling appeal to anyone curious about the craft and local history.

Growing up alongside the railroad tracks and Marsh Creek in Stokesdale, a collection of homes along Routes 6 and 287 just west of Wellsboro, Skip knew the rhythm of the trains by heart—the distant whistle echoing through the valley and the wheels clattering on the metal rails, a source of steady comfort and income for his family. The rhythmic chugging of the engines was not just a sound; for Skip, it was the heartbeat of an industrial age. Every Friday through his youth, he would accompany his father to the railyard where he would be loaded into one of the electric diesel locomotives to tag along as cars were jockeyed around the yard. His father and uncles worked for the railroad, firing the engines that connected their small town to the wider world. When the trains stopped rolling for Skip’s father, who was laid off amidst the shifting tides of industry, he transitioned to farming the celery flats at Wellsboro Junction during the growing season and producing birch oil during the winter. Under his father’s guidance, Skip became the fifth generation in his family to master this art. The warm scent of wintergreen mingled with the forest air, wrapping around him in the form of steam rising from the still box.

In 1965, Skip landed a job at the Corning Glass Works Wellsboro Division, working his way over the years to supervisor, becoming intimate with not only light bulb production, but with the railroad tracks that provided the plant with raw materials. It was his responsibility as the plant’s technical general manger to inspect the company’s section of tracks for hazards. As he walked the lines, he saw the rail bed was eroding, becoming less and less safe for both trains and the residents of Stokesdale.

“Sometimes a storm would bring the water level of Marsh Creek up four feet above the surrounding yards,” Skip recalls. “The only thing holding it back was the rail bed, which wasn’t intended to be used as a dike.” He recognized the danger to not only the supply line, but to the surrounding communities. But the railroad company refused to repair the problems, citing too high a cost.

“There weren’t a lot of us living in Stokesdale at the time, so we all got together to talk about what was going on,” Skip remembers. “I said, ‘Somebody needs to do something.’ I remember a neighbor’s big, calloused finger jabbing me in the center of my chest as he hollered, ‘I nominate YOU, Skip Cavanaugh!’ Everyone present agreed, and that’s how I became the mayor of Stokesdale. You could say that I was literally railroaded into it.” Skip laughs at that. He has, though, worked tirelessly, attending meetings, appealing to the county commissioners, applying for funds, and rallying support from the surrounding communities and government entities.

His dedication led not only to the purchase of land and restructuring of the railroad bed as the northeast extension of the Pine Creek rails-to-trails, but also to the relocation of a portion of Marsh Creek to achieve a more stable channel and to enhance fish habitat. The once-busy train route is being transformed into a walking/biking trail, with plans to include a visitors’ center and informational kiosks along the way. Skip’s vision that started in 2005 as a flood control project continues to expand as the Marsh Creek Greenway develops into a route connecting Wellsboro with the rail trail.

Nowadays, Skip is retired from many of his interests, but continues to volunteer when he can at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, sharing his knowledge and expertise. He distills his stories about producing birch oil, and about his days along the railroad and Marsh Creek, for all who’ll listen. Like trains leaving the station, each story is a reminder of where Tioga County came from and where we might go.