For almost 150 years, Chippewa Lake Park has occupied a place along Chippewa Lake in Ohio’s Medina County. However, after 100 years of operating, in 1978 the park closed its gates for the last time, never to open again. Now, all that remains are the ghostly remains of a one-thriving park. Several months ago I …
If you frequent Route 30 between Ligonier and Latrobe, you are probably familiar with the old stone quarry tipple which was serviced by the Ligonier Valley Railroad. The stone tipple was part of a quarry which sat on the north wall of the Loyalhanna Gorge. It was used to load hopper cars full of gravel …
Tucked along a back road in Butler County is a cemetery that time has almost all but forgotten. In fact, if you didn’t know it was there you would probably drive right past it. This cemetery is known as Black Cross Cemetery or Wooden Cross Cemetery, this wooded area is actually the unmarked final resting …
Linn Run State Park is absolutely one of Westmoreland County’s best places for hiking and spending time outdoors in nature. Whether you are at the park to see Adams Falls, Flat Rock swimming area, or just to have a picnic, there is one thing most visitors are familiar with — the remains of the McGinnis …
Note: Storyland is located on posted, private property and trespassing is strictly forbidden. Enjoy the trumpeter and statues that can be seen from the road from exactly that — the road. I’ve visited a lot of amusement parks over the years. While I love the historic value and unique rides that can be found at …
To read more about the history of Old Overholt Whiskey and the Broad Ford Distillery, check out part one of my post. By the 1970s, the Broad Ford site had descended into ruin. Although the massive grain silos, warehouse, water tower, boiler house, and warehouse remained their neglect and exposure to the elements made …
Did you know that the Old Overholt brand of whiskey is America’s oldest continually maintained brand of whiskey and it has it’s roots right here in Western Pennsylvania? Recently, Ryan and I took a trip out to Scottdale’s historic West Overton Village which is the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick. It was also the …
It seems that almost every building over 100 years old has a ghost story to go with it — particularly the abandoned ones. The Broad Ford Overholt Distillery near Connellsville is no different. In fact, its overgrown property and the ruins of the buildings makes it look like an extremely likely candidate for …
My paternal grandmother grew up in Apollo, PA, so every so often my dad would take us up there to visit relatives. One of the curiosities I always wanted to catch a glimpse of was the former Belvedere Hotel. If you’ve ever been to Apollo you will know exactly which building I am talking about. …
The first time I noticed the Penn-Lincoln Hotel in Wilkinsburg I was on a bus on my way to work. It has a fairly simple facade, but as the largest building in Wilkinsburg’s Penn Avenue business district, it was rather hard to miss. The hotel was constructed in 1927 by Pittsburgh architect Benno Janssen. Janssen …
I owe my love of historical and iconic attractions to my parents, in particular my dad. When I was younger we would take Route 30 up to Breezewood when we went on vacation. Whether it was attractions such as the Ship Hotel, Kings and Queens Restaurant, or Storyland, he was always receptive to my calls …
The Blue Spruce Motel in Murrysville has become something of a landmark. In its heyday its pool was “the” place to go to swim. Located right beside Route 22, the pool was hard to miss. Unfortunately, in later years the pool was known for its chipping paint and being abandoned. Times weren’t always bad for …
