Exclusive Question And Answer Interview

   Lannie Dietle lived his early years in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, eventually moving to Texas, and has written a book entitled "In Search Of The Turkey Foot Road." A fourth and final edition was released in August 2014, with an amazing 70% more material and an accompanying CD, with many appendices. Click here for a summary. The book is available from the Mount Savage Historical Society, and describes an early road that helped to populate several counties along the Mason Dixon line, including Fayette County. The road played a critical role in supplying Fort Pitt during the Revolutionary War, and was a key factor enabling Brodhead’s successful 1779 military expedition against the Indian allies of Great Britain. 

  Mr. Dietle collaborated on the Iron Bridge article I uploaded in February, and originally suggested the topic. He also wrote a guest blog post on the Turkey Foot Road in early February and has kindly agreed to make himself available to answer a few questions in a written interview segment and, personally, I can't wait to see his responses. Congratulations on the final edition of the book are in order and it is a real honor for us to have him available for comments on the blog, "Fayette/Westmoreland Forgotten History."



Lannie Dietle

Ten Questions and Answers Interview Segment with Lannie Dietle


Welcome, Lannie and I trust you are doing fine:

Hi Al, thanks for giving me an opportunity to talk about my favorite subject.

  Can I start by asking, when did you first become interested in the Turkey Foot Road, and when, and in what way, did you begin taking action in starting your own investigations of pertinent areas and places?

The internet is a great way for people with similar interests to connect. Several years before we ever met in person, Mike McKenzie and I began a long distance collaborative effort to discover and promote the history of Southampton Township, Somerset County, where both of us lived as youngsters. Each of us felt that the region was under-represented in the published literature.

Eventually, Mike suggested that we devote some of our effort to promoting the history of the adjacent border region in Allegany County, Maryland. Even though I had little knowledge of that area, I agreed to participate if Mike led the way, in view of all he had done to facilitate the Southampton Township studies. This change in direction eventually led us to the Turkey Foot Road–which we knew nothing about, apart from a few old traditions.

Our investigation started with a chance encounter with a 1797 reference to the Turkey Foot Road in an old Maryland law book. We had a friendly disagreement over where the road went in Pennsylvania. We ended up devoting more and more time to the subject, learning as we went. Mike’s interest was fueled by the old Mount Savage area traditions in Maryland, and mine was fueled by the old Elk Lick Township traditions in Pennsylvania.

  

The current alignment of the 1794 route of the "TFR"
on Quail Road southeast of Wooddale

  Was there a specific event that lead to your decision to write an historical book, and, if so, to what extent, do you feel your family and Korn ancestry played a part?

Mike was the first to suggest that our findings should be published, back when we only had enough material for a journal-length article. As part of my interest in the Korns family, I purchased Rod Korns’ book “West from Fort Bridger”, which is a study of western pioneer trails. That book led to the realization that the Turkey Foot Road was a worthy subject for a book length project.

Eventually, we came to realize that the Turkey Foot Road was part of where we came from, in both a transportive and a genetic sense. We, and quite possibly you, would simply not exist had the Turkey Foot Road not been there. The road, and the antecedent Indian and packer’s path, allowed our ancestors to settle when and where they did, and allowed their children to meet. If great-great-great grandpa had never met great-great-great grandma, things might be a tad different today! Families scattered across America can trace their roots back to ancestors who used the Turkey Foot Road in day-to-day life, or westward migration. I hope this book helps them understand their heritage.

McKenzie and Dietle recording a
GPS coordinate

  How did your 'team' of researchers come about, and how did you first meet up with Mike McKenzie and Francis Bridges?

As a lifelong resident of the area, Mike was instrumental in developing our local contacts. During his boots on the ground research in the Mount Savage area, Mike interviewed Barrelville resident Donald Bartgis, who advised him to contact Francis Bridges. Francis had been attempting to puzzle out the Mount Savage area route several years before we began our study. Through his involvement in the Western Maryland Chapter of the Archeological Society of Maryland, Francis knew that Harry Ringler, Sr. had been collecting information on the various route traditions in Greenville and Elk Lick Townships in Pennsylvania. After talking to Harry several times by telephone, I knew that I had to fly up and finally meet these guys, and go over the ground with them. That little expedition is when I first met Mike, Francis, and Harry in person.

While we were chatting in Harry’s living room, his son Harry “Cork” Ringler, Jr. stopped by for a brief visit, and ended up contributing to the internet collaboration in various ways. Cork is a cartographer for Somerset County, and made a major contribution by sharing copies of the rare warrant survey maps of the county. These maps served as a valuable index to the original property surveys, enabling me to perform a detailed study of the route through review of the relevant surveys, and comparison to depression era aerial photographs.

Nancy E. Thoerig of Mount Savage was the final member of the team, and committed a huge amount of time to the project. We began corresponding after I asked her a question about a topic covered by her book “History of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Mount Savage, Maryland”. My initial inquiry led to occasional e-mail exchanges regarding Arnold’s Settlement. Through this correspondence, she became aware of the book effort. As a courtesy, she sent an e-mail concerning earlier research by the late Alice Carney. This led to a telephone call, and an offer for her to review the draft. As a result of this exposure, she agreed to serve as editor.

The title “editor” doesn’t begin to capture the scope of Nancy’s involvement. Although she spent countless hours trying to improve my convoluted writing, her most important contributions were in the realm of challenging conclusions and assumptions, and pushing and prodding and making suggestions where information was unclear, incomplete, or disorganized. After the initial edition of the book was published, she also tackled promotion, and was able to secure a surprising number of newspaper reviews of the book in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Our collaboration has now extended beyond volunteer work, and I rely on her for reviewing various technical writing projects, where she can be paid appropriately for her expertise.

  Would you elaborate, however briefly, on just what steps were involved with the most important elements of writing your book, (development, publishing, distribution, advertisement, concept, design, etc.), and how did you end up making your final decisions?

The most important aspect of writing this particular book was a supportive wife, who tolerated my daily obsession with an obscure eighteenth century road over the course of five long years. Thank you, Cheryl, for the gift of time and understanding.

The research would not have been possible without the availability of searchable internet archives of eighteenth and nineteenth century books, magazines, maps, surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery, and cooperative librarians, archivists, and various interested parties across the United States. Foremost among those interested parties are Mike, Francis, Harry, Cork, and Nancy, but dozens of other people also shared their knowledge.

The bulk of the research was performed remotely, piecing bits of evidence together from a wide range of sources. A number of research trips were conducted independently by Mike, Francis, and myself. In my case, traveling from Texas, a critical aspect was developing a detailed itinerary of places to visit, organized by GPS coordinates. This allowed me to maximize the value of my limited time in the area, visiting the maximum possible number of relevant sites, libraries, and local residents.

Publication at an economically viable price is made possible by the hearty cooperation of the printing department of Frostburg State University. Distribution is handled by the Mount Savage Historical Society. All proceeds benefit the society, and are being used to help to maintain the museum. Speaking of the museum, they now have a full scale reproduction of the first map to show the post-Revolutionary War route of the Turkey Foot Road—the 1792 Howell map.

  Could you tell us a little about your background and career field, and if it is pertinent, in what way did this help influence your research of historical areas?

My career for the past 31 years has focused on developing specialty seals that are used primarily in oilfield drilling equipment. My key contributions are developing geometry improvements to the sealing elements, providing written engineering advice on how to best implement the seals in customer equipment, and managing intellectual property.

We take a rigorous approach to developing, testing, and implementing our products, and for better or worse, some of that habitual meticulousness manifests itself in the book. This doesn’t make it a light and easy read, but I hope it makes it a worthy read as the first book length study of a historically important route.



A surviving section of the 1780's route of the Turkey Foot
Road of western Somerset County

  How much did any Historical Societies such as Mount Savage help with the presentation of your material?

 Several of the regional historical societies have excellent publications that facilitated the understanding of people and places along the route. Foremost among these publications are the “Casselman Chronicle” and the “Laurel Messenger”, which are produced by the Springs Historical Society, and the Somerset Historical Center, respectively. Several of the local historical societies and communities also maintain libraries and archives of regional materials. For example, the Somerset Historical Center has a library, an archive of loose materials, and an extensive map collection. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the go-to place for the study of early Pennsylvania surveys, and the Archives of Maryland were indispensable to the study of early Maryland history. Much to my surprise, I also found a significant amount of pertinent information in Houston area university libraries, and some of the most significant finds were located in the historical archives of a university in Illinois.

  Could you enumerate something for the readers here, (without giving away too much from the upcoming fourth edition), what you would consider the most important or more fascinating local regions and, possibly, any specific remnants near the old path that stood out the most, and also what are so memorable about them to you?

The most striking landscape scars from the old road are on private property in the Barrelville, Maryland and Salisbury, Pennsylvania areas. These mostly inaccessible locations are documented with photographs and GPS coordinates in the book. The GPS coordinates allow the reader to study the route using leaf-off satellite imagery. One important landscape scar is, however, visible directly from Ord Street, in the town of Salisbury. This surviving remnant was used to reach the Casselman River fording site.

There are several locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania where one can drive directly on surviving portions of eighteenth and nineteenth century route variations. One such location is in the historic Arnold’s Settlement region near Mount Savage, Maryland. Other surviving segments are located in the environs of Pocahontas, Salisbury, Harnedsville, and Ursina in Somerset County, and Nicolay and Wooddale in Fayette County. I hope that someday, a few of these locations can be documented with historical markers.

My personal favorite can only be seen in the springtime. An otherwise invisible 1804 route variation temporarily appears as a dark green crop mark across a field on the eastern flank of Savage Mountain. The old roadbed alters the moisture content of the ground, compared to the rest of the field, creating darker vegetation.



The path of the abandoned 1804 portion of the Maryland
route of the "TFR" here visible as a crop mark

  Is there anything particularly insightful you would like to mention that would be enlightening to other people interested in the old history of the surrounding counties of PA, Maryland, W. VA and VA?

As a descendent of the early pioneers, the contribution of the Turkey Foot Road to the success of Brodhead’s 1779 military campaign resonates deeply with me, so bear with me as I quote from the book: Difficult as the ways of war may be to digest, Brodhead’s operation was a success, and we are here today to talk about it. Even though war is incomprehensibly cruel, the descendants of the pioneers of western Pennsylvania owe a certain debt of gratitude to Brodhead and his army for protecting the lives of their ancestors. This debt extends to the men who cut the road that made Brodhead’s campaign possible, to the packhorse drivers who risked their lives to deliver the precious supplies, and to the settlers along the road who provided forage and other assistance to the packhorse trains.

  Are there any plans in the pipeline for another book or articles down the road?

Apart from my career, this book is the most intense commitment I have ever made to a single subject, consuming many thousands of hours over the course of five years. Although it has been an honor and a privilege to lead the investigation of what turned out to be a historically significant subject, right now I can’t imagine committing a similar amount of time to researching another book length historical topic! I tell myself‒and my wife‒that from here on out I will stick to just writing occasional articles. 

   What are the most important things in your life that you feel you would most like to be remembered for?

I don’t fancy that I will be remembered for anything, but I do like to think that several of my inventions relating to floating seal mechanisms and hydrodynamic lubrication will survive past my inevitable expiration date. At the end of the day, the thing that gives me the most personal satisfaction is simply knowing that my career, coupled with the intertwined careers of my admittedly more talented colleagues, benefits other families by helping to produce some US jobs in manufacturing and related fields. We won’t ever be remembered for this small and admittedly mundane contribution to society, but there it is. Just like every other productive citizen, we simply went to work each day and performed our small part in helping to make this eighteenth century idea called America a functioning reality. 

If I am remembered for anything in the field of historical research, I hope it will be the discovery that the Turkey Foot Road was cut to support Brodhead’s 1779 military campaign, and was routed through the environs of present-day Salisbury and Ursina to take advantage of the forage that was available from the early settlements. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to unravel the mystery surrounding the Turkey Foot Road, document some previously unknown regional and national history, and plot the route. Although I led the endeavor, the research could not have been accomplished without the help of Mike, Francis, Harry, Cork, and Nancy, and various other individuals. I am very thankful for their assistance in turning the idea of a book on the Turkey Foot Road into a reality.

  Well, Mr. Dietle, this was enlightening. I would like to thank you personally, on behalf of my website visitors, for sharing your thoughts, observations and photos, and being so open to give us such a fascinating glimpse into your research and experiences!

  On a personal note, having early ancestors that spent much of their lives very near to areas of the Turkey Foot Road, for example in Wooddale, I find it all the more fascinating concerning this richly detailed book. This makes one appreciative of these  significant discoveries and indebted to you and your fellow researchers.

Thank you for your efforts in promoting regional history, and thank you for a chance to talk about the new book. Take care.


We would like to add a postscript in the form of a brochure Lannie was thoughtful enough to include with a brief, but succinct explanation of this unique book:

  In Search of the Turkey Foot Road 

To order, visit www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org
 

The book "In Search of the Turkey Foot Road" traces a historic and nearly forgotten route that helped to populate several counties along the Mason Dixon line, including Somerset and Fayette counties, Pa. and Allegany County, Md. The road was cut in 1779 as a military supply road from Fort Cumberland to Fort Pitt, at a time when Fort Pitt was desperately under-supplied. The original purpose of the road was to bring supplies to Fort Pitt in support of an attack on the food supplies of British-allied Indians. The attack, which was planned by George Washington, was intended to help protect Pennsylvania and New York settlers from Indian raids, and to chastise the Indians for deadly raids that occurred in 1778.


At one point, Washington cancelled the attack because of the dire supply situation. Eventually, he changed his mind when the new road was completed, and was used to bring in ample supplies. The ensuing military campaign was successful, leaving the Indians without their annual crop of corn. The following winter was especially harsh, killing off many of the game animals the Indians might have used to subsist on. As a result, many of the Indians had to retreat to Fort Niagara, where they could survive on British food supplies. Most never returned to western Pennsylvania, and settlers were able to plant crops the following spring with a new degree of safety.

 "In Search of the Turkey Foot Road" is a fascinating read through history in our own backyards. Meticulously researched and abundantly documented, and flavored with bits of interest in anecdotes and footnotes, the book is a critical analysis of primary sources that will cause you to marvel at the magnitude of information processed by the authors. With 562 print pages and over 1,000 figures and appendices on a companion disk, the book is sure to satisfy any reader’s curiosity about the people, places and events that transpired along the Turkey Foot Road.


The serious reader soon finds that this book is more than a story about a road. Parts of the Turkey Foot Road, disguised by different names, still take us where we need to go; and this historic transportation corridor continues to define us today as descendants of those who braved the elements and events of the early American wilderness to make homes, and leave legacies, in a boundless new land of opportunity.

Thanks to the authors, the elusive, and perhaps otherwise lost Turkey Foot Road now can be known to all. The route has been identified in considerable detail using maps, property surveys, depression era high resolution aerial photography, crop marks, surviving landscape scars, local guides, and oral traditions. Using GPS coordinates from the book, a dedicated reader can explore much of the eighteenth century route between Cumberland, Maryland and Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania using internet satellite imagery services, such as the Google mapping service.  

Entering Everson

  Without further ado, we start out fresh this first of September honing in on a place that, sadly has seen it's better days. This is about the old times in Everson borough in Upper Tyrone Township of Fayette County, bordering to the west on Westmoreland County and Scottdale of East Huntingdon.

   Among the information gathered is that the borough was established in 1903, or, possibly 1905, although there are a few traces of a somewhat tantalizing earlier history. The Main Street here is given the name of Brown Street and heads toward the southwest and to Pennsville. They say, 'you're never a stranger here'. Everson is not too surprisingly named after William Everson, the father of industrialist and tycoon B. M. Everson, (Barclay Mozart), who died in 1915. At one time he was closely affiliated with some of the  movers and shakers hereabouts, particularly the Charlotte Furnace on the bank of Jacob's Creek to the far west of town.

   Well, as can be seen, a few of these photos were originally taken in the winter, giving an indication of how long ago this post was planned!




Everson



Brown Street from Everson Bridge in the summer

 
   I feel the need to touch on a few lesser known and neglected items in this post. According to LaVonne R. Hanlon, When Christopher Gist led the first white settlers over the Allegheny Mountains and into what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania, (though then believed to be a part of West Augusta, Virginia), they found the land that later became Everson and South Everson occupied by an Indian tribe under the leadership of an Indian who the settlers dubbed Chief Jacob. Well, to muddy the waters a bit, he has been referred to as a Shawnee and sometimes as a Delaware of Native American ancestry. Hanlon goes on to state, a stream of water ran through his reservation and that stream became Jacob's Creek. Thus, it is curious his well known historical and earlier whereabouts are quite a few miles from here near to Kittanning, where he was killed by Colonel Armstrong. This leads me to speculate on the actual identity of  'Jacob', Jacob's, or Jacobs, as I suspect the latter spelling is the proper moniker of the historical Indian chief that was most often referred to as Captain Jacobs. There is some curiosity in that he was said to of had a hunting cabin far to the south, although he was claimed to of had his base near this vicinity in the swamp named after him near Tarrs, and also supposedly a place at Iron Bridge in connection with Hammondville. I suspect the last could be a dubious allocation, allowing only for a remote basis in reality This would appear to derive from the confusion over the travel mileage of Braddock's army from Stewart's Crossings to Greenlick Run and on to the Jacobs Cabin location outside Mt. Pleasant.

   I will have more about this fascinating, shadowy character in a future article. Here you can check out more of what is being planned on "Fayette/Westmoreland Forgotten History." By the way, tradition has a long memory, and claims those first white settlers came here as early as 1755, which makes much sense as they would likely of traveled Braddock's Road.

   Furthering the debate concerning the exact identity of Captain or Chief Jacobs, this was claimed to be the same man Jacob's Creek was named for, (that meanders through the dividing line of Fayette and Westmoreland counties), and associated with Jacobs Cabin(s) outside of Mt. Pleasant, near the old Sony complex near the new and old routes of 119. Thus, this is the basic area his activity centers upon. These particular roads seem to follow old storied places like a dog chasing it's master around a kennel. We do know for a fact Captain Jacobs was considered a terror to colonists during the French and Indian War and he found his fate sealed at Kittanning by Colonel Armstrong, where he was finally listed as having this later home burned and himself  killed in reprisal for depredations to the Pennsylvania settlers. In attempts to establish the fact this was the same name as the Delaware Indian,  this has not been conclusively accomplished. I would add the tradition is strongly in its favor.

   Time certainly has a way of leaving most things in the past, doesn't it?

          

Everson clock in winter

   Now I fully realize the usual custom with websites such as this, which is understandable, is to enumerate the various old businesses that used to be in the area, like the Barber shop and Gino's Pizzeria, (where a rumor was heard locally that rats were found in the storage area, possibly leading to it's demise!), and some of the more prominent people and a few happenings. The laundromat was of service to the community for many years, though it has gone the way of other businesses. They still have the Fire hall and VFW.

   No offense to recent historical trends, and not to disappoint anyone, but I made a decision to fore go some attempt at a labored elaboration developing on the depressing loss of jobs here in favor of the places I feel are even older and, at least to myself, still of lasting interest.

not positive of where this came from

This being a borough where many just seem to pass through to other destinations, and the fact that I'm not writing a travel brochure, I honestly couldn't find much recent activity near the Brown Street vicinity worthy of mention, (once called old Rt. 119). There are a few things, like the Laurel Steel Products on Hill St. working with steel bar grating  and next door, a bit south is Fayette Steel, dealing with the manufacture of all kinds of wire, which I'm led to believe are probably the same company. But I do not know very much about them. Apparently they are subsidiaries of MLP Steel, listed as a division of Marwas. By checking their website it appears they have been in the area 19 years. Jeff Pfeiffer is the President. Whether this reflects on my investigative skills, I will leave to your discretion, but I haven't been able to contact them by phone as of yet and received no response from e-mail. I will add anything of interest as it is discovered, OK?

   Taking into consideration the fact that since the 'shop and store tour' has been done heavily in a few fairly expensive books and pamphlets, it would be just as well not to infringe on others' research without specific permission, and that's alright by me.

    Brown Street was named after one W. H. Brown a land agent near Scottdale. The Home Works were said to be of been owned by J. R. Stauffer of the Kingview area. I suspect this is factually accurate.

   Those of you with fond memories of these times can post a comment, or even start a discussion right below. If you so wish, be my guest.

  

   St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in conjunction with the old church on the other side of the borough, was begun near to the year 1913. I want to highlight the old Alte Menist Cemetery sometimes referred to as the Sherrick Cemetery.which technically lies close to the Upper Tyrone and Bullskin Township line.  I will be soon address this place in another post connected with the passing of the Braddock Road through South Everson..



Abraham Stouffer's newer grave marker

    It appears to me the cemetery is partly in Upper Tyrone by a few maps I've examined, but I wouldn't swear by it. It is now looked after by the Scottdale Mennonite organization. Abraham Stauffer is buried here, the patriarchal Reverend who owned much of local land and lived much of his life at Kingview where he had a grist mill, and most likely, a distillery. It has been claimed, or more to the point, rumored, there was an Indian burial ground very near to Alte Menist, (old Mennonite), where there was a meeting house near the northwest side. Many of these old traditions have a ring of truth to them. More on that in another month.

   Maybe it's just me, but you use to able to see the old Spring House, though I speculate it might of been dismantled, as it has been hard to locate (?) I probably just haven't noticed it lately.



heading down Jones St. toward old Everson Station

 

                     Valley Works and Summit Mines

  

Broadford Road, going south toward Owensdale

    Going south of the streets of Everson,  past the railroad tracks and further along on the Broadford Road there was once the fairly large operation of the Summit Mines stretching away and on the other side of Jacobs Creek is Chaintown and the Scottdale-Dawson Road. Jackson Shallenberger started up the Summit Mines project back in 1872. Originally called the Owensdale Mines, (at one time,  Owensville), the name was changed in the early 1890's; in 1892, to be precise.

                   You can see some of the mining work that was done here:

1939 overhead photo courtesy of Penn Pilot

     There was a post office, stores and two schoolhouses in Owensdale as well as a Union Supply Company store for the miners families. More historical information would be appropriate when it can be obtained. The mine was based on a room and pillar system and the two main areas were operated for some time by James Cochran's company out of Dawson with one drift opening in and one out.

     The Valley Mine and Coke Works from 1869 to 1918, were across from the defunct Valley Service Station. A main site once served by the Southwestern branch of the PA Railroad. Originally it was owned by Willson, Boyle and Playford. Valley Mines had one hundred and two beehive coke ovens according to 'The Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania' for 1875. They had 80 employees at one time and again, the Union Supply Company Store was said to be where the old gas station is today. Since I am not a fan of snakes, now that it is in the heat of summer, finding a few of the coke ovens rumored to be nearby, is a challenge that may have to wait, at least until better and higher thick shoes or boots are obtained. On site research is best performed from late autumn to early to mid spring. This might be a good time to heed my own advice.

    Luckily, I have generously acquired some good photos of these coke ovens from 2006, courtesy of author LaVonne R. Hanlon:

       

     In early times Everson also had the Clinton Mine and the Valley Works around the Tank Hill area, which we are now concerned with. This was a drift open mine at the coal patch of Valley Station. There were some coke ovens near the Mt. View intersection in the late 1900's and early twentieth century, (1869-1918), they had a small operation for a while with 20 or so beehive ovens by the mid-1870's, expanding to more than one hundred. This operation, along with Allied Mills and the 'Summit' Mine in Owensdale near to Jacob's Creek on the south and on the north stretching east, comprising much hustle and bustle for the community. Eventually the works were taken over by good ol' H. C. Frick, (of course, who else?). This is taken partly from the 'Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania,' 1976.

    It must of been exciting at Christmas at the Union Co. Supply Store at Valley Station when Santa Claus came to visit the miner's children with some toys and maybe a ride on the sleigh!

  More Off the Beaten Path

   This spring, as previously alluded to, I took an excursion south of Everson to the Mennonite, or  Alte Menist, Cemetery. I felt this an important subject matter and it will soon be documented on here, so please check back.

    Every other year on All Saints Day, it is said they have a picnicking celebration. The Scottdale Mennonites apparently have taken over the upkeep. This is the statement according to this informative Daily Courier article which I found long after writing up on this area. I've heard this takes place less frequently now a days.

   So, see for yourself, when any of you find the time or inclination, the cemetery may not be so 'lost', after all.

   I've also interviewed a resident who lives nearby with the tradition that his yard had the foundations of a possible stagecoach or tavern site which might be connected to the old Braddock route. The evidence is scanty and, though the stones were used for the drive way some years ago and the elevation is fairly prominent, I won't publish the name or address as to discourage people from trespassing on the land. Still, this is more fodder in relation to the past with the British army that once passed through our region and the opening of the road eventually gaining a foothold for future settlement.

   Pennsville, (not Everson), was said to be owned by prosperous farmer, John Shallenberger, who bought 426 acres in 1791 near the time when Bullskin was a part of Tyrone Township. I would personally have some doubt as to whether he actually possessed all of the hamlet but this is mere speculation as I haven't had the time and hardly the inclination to look into this further; regardless of that, his farm was also said to stand near the cemetery here, as does the Sherrick farm. (Information courtesy of Rachel Basinger of the Tribune Review).



south of Everson, overlooking Pennsville to the east

     Leaving Everson...

     Further into South Everson, heading toward Rt. 119, were the Valley Works as mentioned above. It is from north of Mt. East Street heading south past where the coke ovens were located. Now, the Mennonite Cemetery is very old, just how old, it is difficult to be certain, but is known to date back to the 1700's. This may well be the area of an old Indian fort mentioned by Judge Veech as roughly half a mile from Pennsville. I would like to examine this more deeply 'down the road'. I recall the statement of a mile and a half in another report, again unconfirmed and possibly a garbled account. Yet this is clearly accepted to be a corner of old Pennsville from an old survey, so let's leave it at that for now.

old residence once used as a boy scout cabin near South Everson

    To top things off, in a somewhat more steady historical vein, I'm obviously kind of obsessed with the idea that this was the route rumored to be part of a minor Indian trail of the Catawba Path. We are on very good historical footing that Braddock's British army and the Virginia militia passed through here near the township lione on their way to Braddock's Field. This is also the route taken by a dashing, young Colonel Washington, himself recovering from sickness, and the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, among other key players of those times. The route was from the Narrow's Road area to Mt. East, deviating toward the Valley View Road and toward Walnut Hill, and on toward Prittstown and Mt. Pleasant, to the north.

 The old Turkey Foot Road ran not far from Iron Bridge, exactly where is the question. I feel some claims are likely correct this ran very near to Dexter according to some reports with a crossing of Jacob's Creek once, or possibly twice. This might of included a crossing of Sherrick Run close to the old Emma coke ovens. Then the "TFR" met up with and conjoined to Braddock's Road for most of the rest of its excursion to the west. The theory has nary a high percentage to be proven in this late date of a close connection and maybe a possible crossing of these historically impressive ancient road systems which were based on old packer roads near these small hamlets, beyond what has already been done in painstaking investigation. Does anyone else agree? It is yet to be discovered through what little remains, the conjecture that they well could of originated in minor Indian paths that deviated between Crossroads, Woodale, Pennsville, Kifertown, Everson and Prittstown; not in that order.There may, perhaps, be more indirect, yet tantalizing newer evidence to be located, one can never completely count this out. I just feel this makes an innocuous place become alive with the wisps of lost, undetected meaning right under the surface. All in all, a fascinating glimmer of something more, beyond the usual interest of recent history. For now, we do well to look into what is known here and that will have to be sufficient. You can rest assured there will be more articles on this, as I've stated repeatedly!

    I'm going to leave you all with that thought, to ponder this bunch of assorted, but not completely forgotten stories, only adding these insights and supplemental material, amd trust a fair gesture well at home in a blog with a name as appropriate as this one.

   I've upgraded, if not updated, this hastily put together post, as some typos and incorrect grammar were clearly pointed out to me by a well meaning and well known collaborator! Thank you for giving this some needed attention.

  See you soon with a new post!

Bustling Trip to the Bullskin Fair

  Alright, first of all I have to get this out of the way. You'll notice that unlike the quality post I put up on the Braddock Crossing Festival at Yough Park in late June, this post DOES NOT have many photos captured at the time I visited! I do apologize folks, bear with me, as a blog post may seem slightly more boring without many of those precious distractions. Wait, I'll do what I can to make up for it!

  The reason for this apparent lack of oversight is that I simply forgot to take a camera, or more correctly, wasn't really too sure what I would do with it, anyway, and had barely given it a lot of thought. You see, I did agree to help work a booth for the Bullskin Township Historical Society on the 14th of August in the building outside the bandstand, so I didn't know if there would be many opportunities for pictures, (there were), and was reluctant in that I might sit the blasted thing down and maybe forget about it. Poof, no more camera! Yet the photos would of been fairly interesting as it was a stint from 7:30-9:30 p. m. and the place looked great on a nice, clear Thursday evening. That's not to say it doesn't look like fun in the daytime, just different. As everyone knows, you feel a more magical aura at a fairgrounds at night. To make up for this I did get back on Saturday early for a few photos below.

   Enough about my misgivings here. Let's get on to an outline of some of the Grange history.

   The township was formed in 1784 and included Connellsville, Springfield, a piece of Stewart and all of Saltlick. Some of my own ancestors were Justice of the Peace, supervisor of Roads, Auditors and what have you. The Braddock Road ran through thw township not far from here at the Greenlick Dam site. So, how could I not love this dear old region, I ask you? Bullskin Grange on Rt. 982, the Pleasant Valley Road, has an interesting history of it's own. It was first known to be organized in 1928 and they decided, sensibly enough to build a grange for the idea of a township fair. The early ones lasted three days and the parcel of land was donated by the Winebrenners, a local family. The first President was Norman Hemminger, probably connected to the area on Keefer Rd. last known as the Spaugy Mill, and first as Cathcart's, and the latest President is James Hoover. Until then, they held the first ones at the Pennsville Baptist Church. They use to have he grains and vegetables in the basement and then the poultry too.



courtesy of the Bullskin Township Historical Society

By 1937 they formed up the Pleasant Valley Grange Fair Association of Woodale with early associations of the Mudd School area. As the event expanded they added more acreage and horses and eventually a touch of circus atmosphere, lights and pinions and the truck contests we all have come to be so familiar with here and at other fairs, including the larger Westmoreland and Fayette County Fairs. Now remember, this fair is special, being the oldest in the county. Yep. And a little history was sneaked in here without anyone being put to sleep...(hey, wake up!)

  Having given a round about explanation for this seemingly drab article, I still wanted to draw some attention to the experience. 

  As I was arriving, I found myself trying to duck in to the closer parking lot, sort of hoping that those of us working a booth, (though I was not one of those that helped set it up and bring in the items, tables and various displays), hoping to be able to get better parking. Waved off frantically, by a fireman, I ended up having to go way down, and I mean Way Down in a field without any gravel, just grass, maybe a spare cow and anything they would accidentally leave behind them, so step lightly. But, the point needs made, the parking is free!

  To be honest, this isn't something I do very often. More so when I was much younger. By the time we were teenagers we would tend to walk around acting cool for twenty minutes and then sit on the wall outside the Grange hall and 'people watch' for maybe an hour or two. Believe it or not, this basically doing nothing, or spacing out, as it was sometimes termed, was considered a kind of fun and decent way to pass the time back then. Yes, that's right, in those antique days there were no cell phones, I Pads, smart phones, laptops, um...color TV's... money, or even cars...no, the last few things did actually exist in one form or other. And there were 8 tracks!

  I do hope she doesn't mind me mentioning it, but I was lucky to have Connie Rhodes on the interior of the vendor tables with me as she is a zesty and communicative lady, full of humor and a good personality to boot. I'm also not use to doing this either and Connie was quite helpful in explaining my role and what to charge. We talked about the old days with the Laurel Art Club of which she is still a member. Bev and Budd Quinn also stopped by. Well she is the Treasurer, for those outsiders that wouldn't know it and has to do her count ups later to keep track of the amount of money gained and the total of merchandise sold. 'Ching'ching.' That's not meant to imitate a Chinese person or anything, just the sound of cash, though most of it was in bills. Her daughter also was there and her granddaughter, (I think it was!), came a while to help and all. Real cute and just about to enter the first grade. 
 

Bullskin Fair Saturday

  So there I was, trying to sell a few calendars and tickets for a nice Amish type chest and a Lancaster porch swing, along with candles and jars and stuff. It was a fairly busy place with lots of families, kids and, yes, those teenagers passing through and checking things out. Not to say, the Lions Club or the township and other set ups looked poorly or anything like that, yet I admit to a feeling of pride in the Historical Society, (not that other Society's, say, like Dunbar, aren't capable of this as well). Enough apologizing-our booth looked 'good,' you know? It really did. And the items were interesting and there was some history involved there. We caught many peoples' eyes and there was much to gander at. There were a fair amount of calendars sold too. Did this make me feel my worth, you ask? Ah, yes, certainly. Well, maybe it doesn't take a whole lot for me to feel that way, I don't know. And there were some pretty girls there too. Hey, I'm a single guy, don't think for one minute this wouldn't be something I'd clearly observe.

  We each took a break and I went out and looked for baked good, which I really wanted desperately. It was something on my list, whether a cherry or apple pie, cakes, turnovers, whatever. I did eat before leaving for the fair, but I do have a sweet tooth about three inches long by now! Well, they were just out of...everything. Nope, nothing left. Come by tomorrow. Uh-huh. So while roaming around watching the band play some polkas, and I couldn't help noticed the huge crowd sitting in attendance and heartily enjoying it. I did see an old friend with their kids. That was nice. I won't go into it. Maybe some things should be private, right? Especially if it gets on the boring side. 

   So, I picked up a Bullskin Rodeo t-shirt, even though I didn't get to see it, or a tractor pull either, (my fault), and grabbed an Orange Crush. By the way, the traditional product and livestock judging was scheduled for Tuesday and the Garden tractor pull and demolition derby are on Saturday. There was a feeling of something missing. Mainly, the barrel roll 'ride' that use to make so many sick and the Ferris wheel were nowhere to be found. A real shame they ditched it. Not too much attempt at the games for me and being alone, no rides either, and wasn't there early enough, and didn't really stay long enough for that. I also had a long day before I came, too. So, I then wandered back to work. OK, we did do really nicely with those coupons. I was a bit paranoid, (not too much), about the cash box. I kept a close eye on it, like it needed serious protecting and I was standing guard. I don't believe I saw one soul notice it! Still, you can never be too careful.

  This was just my way of letting everyone know that I do have a rather normal life. It occasionally involves something else that's useful besides the blog. Though kind of a shy person underneath this exuberant exterior, I genuinely do like people of all kinds; it's the rows of hundreds and hundreds all over the place I'm not so sure of. Oh, and I did manage to take my t-shirt home with me, so remembering to bring the camera might of been a good idea. To be fair to myself, it is worth a bit more, though. I also didn't forget my new 'business' cards for my website, and those were passed out freely and frequently.

One of the daytime photos

   The community fair really does bring us busy human beings closer together for a week every summer. Indeed, this is where we get out a while and re-learn to cooperate and enjoy a part of our lives that is often neglected. We also are more careful driving through the little mazes, especially noticeable at night. Really, this is an experience not to be taken too much for granted and, in a real way, of some importance. To take the time to join in, socialize with rarely seen neighbors and curious visitors and celebrate a piece of what we were and still are, and hopefully, will always be; a vibrant bunch of rural and semi-rural folks from all avenues of work and play. We have a deep seated need to share some time and place, like good farmers and merchants, miners and laborers, many were our ancestors. They did so normally and much more frequently, many intriguing years ago.

 

Bullskin Grange building 2014

  Parting Note:
  *** Good time had by all ***

Fred Rodgers and Arnold Palmer of Latrobe

 Mr. Fred Rodgers

 Frederick McFeely Rodgers, 1928-2003, a quiet talking, well-mannered and humble individual, who was also a perfectionist, found a rare path to fame on television that few others with more ambition could copycat or remotely imitate. He was an educator and a Presbyterian minister; a creator and host of the old television show,

'Mr Rodger's Neighborhood'.

    A recipient of the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, and a (George Foster), Peabody Award in 1987, he was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. One of his sweaters is even in the Smithsonian! OK, how many of us admit to growing up and siting on the floor of the living room watching him when we were little kids? I know I did, and wouldn't miss it, along with Sesame Street and maybe Zoom. Ah, the golden age of PBS.

   Fred Rodgers was a native of Latrobe, PA, graduating from High School there in 1946. He began playing the piano at five. Fred earned a BA in music at Rollins College and married in 1952. In 1953 he graduated from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rodgers then dividing his time between New York and Massachusetts. He worked for NBC by 1951, but found the commercialism limited his creativity, and quit. So, by 1954 was hired for the Children's Corner and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where with Josie Carey of Butler PA, he wrote songs, then later in 1963 with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and for WQED as a puppeteer in 1966. That is when the show went to half hour installments. He started with Curious X the Owl, King Friday the XIII, Henrietta Pussycat and Daniel the Striped Tiger. He began wearing the sneakers to keep down any scuffling noises on the live sets. The red and yellow trolley was famous for the break segmenting from the 'house' to the 'neighborhood' and back again. There in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he found a home and an outlet for himself that he was happy with and brought much joy to kids over quite a few years.

   The show began locally in 1963 and went national by 1968. He advocated for public funding before the United States Senate. He received four, count them!, four Emmy's and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 when he was Pittsburgher of the Year and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
   He accomplished this cultural influence and affectionate appeal for all of thirty eight years of fantasy and...his 'neighborhood of make-believe' which in childhood, was also ours.

    Mr. Fred Rodger's passed on in 2003 and is buried at Unity Cemetery in his hometown of Latrobe.

 Arnold Palmer

 

  Another Latrobe, Pennsylvania native, modestly born on September 10, 1929 was a charismatic and friendly professional golfer. He became one of the greatest golfers the world has ever seen, in the days of Gary Player and Jack Nicolaus. He is well known as an affable person and a chancy and exciting player. Nicknamed 'the King', Arnold Daniel Palmer was the very first to win the prestigious Masters Tourney four times and had won scholarships as well. He was the early practicing son of a golfer who started out as a greens keeper, Milfred Deacon Palmer, whose ancestors were supposedly from Scotland, (at least according to a classy little old lady who claimed her family were related to him, whom I remember talking to years ago. Anyone that has further info, please contact me by e-mail). It was said he grew up with Fred Rodger's, now imagine that. You have to wonder if they ever played golf together? Well, he certainly played at the Latrobe Country Club, which he bought and redesigned in 1971.

  He quit golfing for years and joined the US Coast Guard in the 1950's when close friend, Bud Worsham died suddenly, but he returned in 1954 and turned pro himself. In 1955 he won the Canadian Open. For Arnie, there was no going back, with his popularity and skill. He was known as the world's best golfer from 1960-63 and was personal friends and golf buddy with none other than Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five star general and the 34th President of these United States, from1953-1961. Arnold also did quite well on the Senior circuit. In 1979, a good year, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall Of Fame, a proud moment.

 Here he is while in the Coast Guard:

   Over the years he became an amazingly successful businessman with automobiles and airplane companies and a great pitch man of commercials for many products as well. Arnold was probably the most famous golfer of all time, even beyond the par 5 heights of old veterans like Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. He also owns the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, and hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational every year since 1979. There is a drink named after him too, the 'Arnold Palmer', a mix of ice tea and lemonade.

   Arnold was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. Since 1999 the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport was named in his honor.

   Some Unique Information About Latrobe

   Latrobe has interesting roots for its heritage and is named after the B & O's chief engineer Benjamin Latrobe II, designer of the unique Thomas Viaduct near Elkridge, Maryland. It was built in the mid-1830's and was the largest bridge in the U. S. Many people probably aren't aware that his famous father, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 'the father of American Architecture', was a friend of Thomas Jefferson and he visited Mt. Vernon as a personal friend of Bushrod Washington, George Washington's nephew of Westmoreland County, Virginia, who also inherited the estate. Latrobe Sr. who designed the Bank of Pennsylvania, and the White House portico's, was one of the main architects of the United States Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D. C, especially as to the rebuilding in 1815. Latrobe in Westmoreland County is the home of the Latrobe Brewing Company, founded in 1893 which made the Rolling Rock beer label and purchased by LaBatt in 1987 and eventually becoming a subsidiary of Aneuser-Busch and InBev. In 2009 it began bottling for Iron City. They are also brewing Duquesne Beer.

   The city which was laid out by Oliver Barnes of the PA Railroad and incorporated as a Borough in 1854, was also home to international trumpeter Dennis Ferry and Boniface Wimmer, the founder of Saint Vincent's Archabbey and College in 1846, the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States. By the way the Archabbey Gristmill has a Facebook page. Yes, St Vincent's hosts the Chuck Noll Field and since 1966 is the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As well as the home of the Banana Split, invented by David Strickler in 1904. This was the location of the Ligonier Valley Railroad going back to 1853 on Loyalhanna Creek and owned by the Mellon banking family.

   There are claims, which are disputed, that the first professional football games were played here. The Latrobe Athletic Association was considered to be the first organization to field a team with professional players from the late 1890's to 1909 and one of the first pro teams of the heyday. A fascinating story from 1907 is repeated here from a Wikipedia article:
 "In a bizarre story during that final season, the "California (Pennsylvania) YMCA team" came to Latrobe for a game, and was ejected from its rooms at the Parker House for "chasing and frightening a chambermaid," jumping on beds and breaking two of them, and for language "far from what might be asked for from YMCA boys." Latrobe would go on to win the game, 38–0, in front of a small crowd. However, it was later discovered that there wasn't a YMCA located in California. Who Latrobe played in that game remains a mystery". For those wanting more details of the games, here's a link to an in-depth PDF article by Robert B. Van Atta.

A future post with extra material is a possibility, though more history will be included in an upcoming post on Fort Ligonier.



 Here's to Fred Rodger's and Arnold Palmer, two wonderful Americans, Pennsylvanians and natives of our local region!

Upcoming Posts

    HI ALL,

     I hope you history buffers are having a good summer!


     Rarely do I upload this kind of thing, though a Progress Report might well be due and I'm really in between posts. I figured it might be enlightening to include viewers in the process of what I'm doing, so here's a quick update for upcoming regional and historical articles, starting in a few days.

     Please, read on:


     Firstly, it is rather difficult to believe the website is approaching a year since it's initial inception. I feel it a nice surprise we have seen a steady and healthy growth and this sure means plenty for my expectations. I know, too, there is certainly room for improvement here and there. On that, I could go on and on, (BUT, I won't!). Frankly, this just isn't the type of blog that gets little emotional tidbit entries every couple of days, so I try to incorporate a more factual glut of material and less of the every day side of things on each upload. You probably agree it is, mercifully, absent. Another perception is to be admitted some of the technical areas envisioned in the past are still to be achieved.

     Secondly, I do hope to again get with the Indian artifact collector from Mount Pleasant, Duaine Fuoss, for another and maybe more in depth interview soon. It was also a great experience collaborating on Iron Bridge with the author Lannie Dietle, who helpfully initialized the discussion by sending me information on the area. Something he occasionally does. I feel there has been progress made with more meaningful stuff to pass along as I face challenges through the learning curve.

    I speculated a little foolishly back in February and March  that I may run out of quality ideas for the blog. It could just be the gloom of the cold, cloudy season gave pause for a somewhat hazy period and that can happen to anybody that writes, from time to time. Yet, the feeling was probably related to the first winter I spent without the presence of my parents. We all have to be able to let our cherished loved ones pass on and adjust ourselves to some tragic happenings, and deal with that intense grief, but this was the worst from my side, at least. They meant so much to me and with only a few months separating their deaths, felt devastating. My Dad really meant the world to me. We may of not always seen quite eye to eye, but I respected his war service and many of his religious and practical attitudes. In a world that continually is changing, he was a real man. They both cared for me and my family so much. I was especially close to my Mom too. As I look back, I couldn't say enough about how classy a lady she was and how dutiful and selfless, so deeply concerned with every faucet of my life. As an example, she even traveled a few times with yours truly on trips to Europe and the Bahamas. What vacations those were! So, you can understand the tough situation it was, and is, the adjustment to not having their earthly influence. I do feel they watch, and sometimes guide me from Heaven. Well, as was almost bound to take place sooner or later, somewhere in late spring I became more inspired and had a real brainstorm, (no negative aftereffects, I'm happy to report!), and between doing research and talking to a few distant relatives and acquaintances, it became a prerogative to expand the scope here.

    Of course, if you've been paying attention to recent posts, the Connellsville article is STILL in the computer boardroom, but close to completion. I am also working on the one in front of me which, I'm afraid, may come off to some as a bit of a 'fluff piece' on Latrobe. That is basically finished. It really does have some substantial interest, especially to those of a particular sporting persuasion.

    Eventually, a good coverage concerning World War Two, and possibly other wars and some of the veterans of them would be something to consider. What do YOU think? Let me know if that sounds meaningful enough to many of you for future attention. My Dad spent many years on the railroad before retirement and that is something else that could be used as the nexus of upcoming interest. We'll see.

   The up side to doing your own website is the freedom inherent in making decisions. When to publish and what the subject will contain.

   Yes, you have also probably noted my attempt toward branching out more in the late spring and early summer months, including more information on surrounding townships and counties. Now there are plans to get back to areas closer to home soon, as well, with some good stuff on Everson and West Overton in Upper Tyrone and East Huntington townships, respectively, yet I do enjoy broadening the scope of historical material while gathering more afield in as expansive an erudition as I can manage!

    I also submit articles for a newsletter monthly, (there are those of you that are well aware of that), with limited viewership. Sorry, but it is best to keep it at that level. The main reason to mention this here is the spike in number of hits received on the site are a nice compliment and greatly appreciated. I am in the process of hesitantly and cautiously, doing a few speaking engagements.

   Tackling the important history of Fort Ligonier is a real priority of mine, so that will be coming your way, in time.

    Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the post on the Braddock Crossing at the Yough River Park area. That was an experience that was particularly fun for me too, so it's good the event was covered here with some details on what went on.

    It has been exciting from my stand point to improve my skills as I learn more details about our local history, with a larger knowledge base and meeting like minded people. It is with a wiser dedication to a more efficient mode of writing. in keeping a few articles in the pocket, so to speak, just in case.

    Finally, there's actually much in the early planning stages and, for your sake and mine, this would be unfair to pin myself down to describe anything closer or definite than already stated above. Many concepts haven't been decided on yet, so any explanations that far ahead will have to wait.

    

     So that's it for now. Keep checking back folks and I'll see you here 'down the road' and 'around the bend' !

     ~ Histbuffer