tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13799229246949262024-02-22T23:43:23.981-08:00Ten Mile Creek CountryImages And Stories Of The Towns And People Along And Near Ten Mile Creek In Southwestern PennsylvaniaLarry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-22577676718482305842011-01-03T06:54:00.000-08:002011-01-03T06:54:42.233-08:00Larry J. Durdines - Musician, historian was self-employed antique dealerLarry J. Durdines, 58, of Jefferson, died Firday, July 23, 2010 in UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.
He was born January 3, 1952, in Clarksville, a son of Elizabeth Krencik Durdines Sevec of Washington and the late John L. Durdines.
He was a graduate of Bethlehem-Center High School and attended Penn State University in State College.
A self-employed antique dealer, Mr. Durdines formerly Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-29418277490239783032010-07-19T11:47:00.000-07:002010-07-19T11:47:14.225-07:00Ghosts In The Hollow
Ghosts in the Hollow from Jim Lo Scalzo on Vimeo.
This short video by Jim Lo Scalzo was not shot locally but it's very familiar territory just the same. The decaying buildings and rusting mine cars are things that can be seen from Pennsylvania to Alabama. The images (mostly all are still photographs) pull you into the story that the song makes. This and one other of this artists' Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-28587790574444508692010-07-05T08:13:00.000-07:002010-07-05T13:24:37.588-07:00Greetings From Gray's Landing - Generic Postcards
Many people lived in small-town America, and many people visited or passed through those locations. Unfortunately, the economics of postcard publishing meant that very few (if any) viewcards of those towns would be available. Publishers, cleverly availing themselves of this opportunity, published generic cards with scenes that could not be placed at any location. The names of various towns Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-35945654146262630292010-06-09T10:19:00.000-07:002010-07-19T12:54:43.290-07:00A Look At Greene County Coal MinesCoal mining began in Greene County in the late 1700's with Thomas Hughes of Jefferson. He used his slaves to strip mine coal on his property above Ten Mile Creek . It is believed that much of this was dug in the ravine between the present Jefferson Morgan High School and the football field. Coal mining was limited to small " farmer mines" scattered over the area and it was sold by the bagful. Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-64531114403353871332009-12-01T12:40:00.000-08:002010-07-17T12:59:49.841-07:00Some People Of Ten Mile Creek Country The East Bethlehem High School football team in 1927
Engineer Harry Wood on Waynesburg & Washington Railroad's # 9684 in 1929. The W & W was a narrow guage railroad, just 3 feet wide, so the engines and cars were all smaller than normal. That accounts for the oversized look of Mr. Wood.
Pat Fagan, UMWA Local 5 President, speaking near Brownsville. He was famed as a highly effective Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-48499467464325324572009-10-20T08:41:00.000-07:002010-04-11T20:04:56.914-07:00Clarksville Hill School And The Beth Center Schools In 1961-62Here is the Clarksville Hill School fourth grade class of 1961-62, graduating class of 1969.
Top Row : Steve Markovich, Sandy Strastanko, Larry Durdines
2nd Row : Patty Mark, Pat "Pucky" Danko, Rita Mikolay, Bobby Lockett, Kathy Lewis, Billy Murphy, Janet Miles,
Third Row : Ann Wishart, Bert Kiefer, Minnie Thomas, Kathy Lancaster, Bill Jenaway, Carla Lambert
Fourth Row: Marie Boswell, Ron Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-67617512846702538812009-10-19T06:40:00.000-07:002010-07-05T14:00:52.637-07:00Ten Mile Trivia # 4
Shriver covered bridge and Greene County ABATE riders. photo courtesy of Greene County Tourism
Have you ever wondered why were there were so many wooden covered bridges ? And why especially in Pennsylvania and the U.S. Northeast ? In the 1800's, the northeastern United States was a country in need of bridges. It is a fairly narrow coastal plain cut by many short rivers and creeks. Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-21564000501066708442009-10-13T11:59:00.001-07:002010-03-17T09:01:00.607-07:001939 Aerial Survey Photos - Mouth Of Ten Mile To WaynesburgA reader sent me a link to a most interesting site called Penn Pilot - Historical Aerial Photographs Of Pennsylvania. It seems that on several occasions the entire state was photographed from the air for geological survey research purposes. Different groups of images were made from the 1930's through the 1970's. They are reproduced on a Penn State University website. Shown here are a group Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-79897808382396474862009-10-04T10:49:00.000-07:002009-10-27T14:08:35.232-07:00New Website About The Area - SWPA Rural ExplorationCrucible Ferry areaLevine Building Fire In Rices Landing and that site todayIt's nice to welcome a new blog about our neck of the woods. Greene County native Chip Guesman has created a site he calls SWPA Rural Exploration and describes it this way " Exploring and photographing southwestern PA's abandoned mines, industry,homes....and whatever else we may find. A little history, a little legend....Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-3817382867524752182009-09-22T22:36:00.000-07:002010-07-03T10:40:51.861-07:00On Coke Ovens and The Fayette County Exodus
Coke ovens at Poland Mines 2009 courtesy Of SWPA Rural Exploration
In the Ten Mile Creek area, Marianna, the Champion Mine at Besco, Dilworth at Rices Landing and Poland Mines # 2 all had coke ovens operating at one time or another. At most mines, a coking operation was set up as an adjunct to the mine, most mines producing more coal than they could process to coke. At Besco, Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-68015303311578775342009-09-14T13:03:00.000-07:002010-07-17T12:58:08.509-07:00The 1944 Emerald Mine Fire At ChartiersIt was a spark from a grounded trolley wire that started the Emerald Mine fire soon after seven pm on the evening of June 7, 1944. It fell into a load of hay, fodder for the horses that pulled the pitwagons. There was an attempt to push the burning car into a worked out section but the fire got out of hand and started burning the haulageway. The volunteer fire departments of East Bethlehem and Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-58737250921288386192009-08-26T04:45:00.000-07:002009-08-26T05:34:23.340-07:00A Look At the Upper Monongahela by Richard BissellBrownsville Pa. Looking southA description of the towns and sights along the Monongahela River from Brownsville to Fairmont in the late 1940s, written by the pilot of the towboat COAL QUEEN:You would never think, to walk the streets of Brownsville today, that the town is old and filled with history and legend. Monongahela Valley towns just do not look the part as do Lexington and Concord and Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-68724039381652537262009-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:002009-08-25T07:38:47.052-07:00About The Dog Labor Photo And A Little MoreHere's a little about the image at the top of each page. It is an old undated real photo post card and shows the tipple of a fairly early primitive coal mine. This is the type of mine that was common before the big commercial coal companies came into the area around 1890-1900. Mining coal as a business started as early as 1818 in Fredericktown. This picture likely dates from 1900 or so but the Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-66574223120220024712009-08-06T10:55:00.000-07:002009-12-02T19:04:32.926-08:00Major Mine Disasters In The AreaMather Miners MemorialRobena Monument at Hatfield FerryDATE MINE NAME CITY LIVES LOST CAUSE03-06-02 Catsburg Monongahela, Pa. 5 Explosion11-21-03 Ferguson Connellsville, PA 17 Explosion07-06-05 Fuller Searight, PA 6 Explosion10-10-05 Hazelkirk No. 2 Monongahela, PA 2 Explosion10-13-05 Clyde Fredericktown, PA 6 Fire10-29-05 Hazel Kirk No. 2 Monongahela, PA 5 Explosion11-15-05 Braznell BentleyvilleLarry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-57715376455273614002009-07-23T07:19:00.000-07:002010-07-05T14:12:40.109-07:00Ten Mile Trivia # 3Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and an early official of the federal government, once owned 41,000 acres of land in Greene County. Much of his widespread acquisition of land was accomplished with borrowed money. That helped lead him into financial difficulty and eventually bankruptcy. Earlier, George Washington was the largest landowner in this section of Pennsylvania, Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-46464853072962505482009-07-08T02:57:00.001-07:002009-10-20T11:05:16.891-07:00A Visit To The Monongahela River Buffs MuseumA few weeks ago I had the pleasure to visit the Monongahela River Buffs Association Museum in Monongahela Pa. This group began in the late 1970's at Greensboro Pa ( mile 84 ) by a small group of river enthusiasts headed by Bill Young, Ernie Gabler and Bill Bennett. In 1986 MRBA moved to it's present location in Mon City.Entrance to the museum, note that the OPEN sign is extendedMy son Casey and ILarry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-89964998922443131022009-06-24T07:28:00.001-07:002009-07-22T20:27:23.028-07:00New Feature Added To This Site - A Button For Sharing Called - AddThisI have added a very cool feature to this site. At the bottom of this and all posts you will find a button like the one below. This will save and share any post here to one of over 60 different places. With one click you can bookmark to your favorite folder or share any post to Facebook, MySpace, Delicious, Blogger, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Stumbleupon and many others I've never even heard of. Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-68787215220666480162009-06-10T17:08:00.000-07:002009-07-14T08:25:09.381-07:00Clarksville's Centennial CelebrationHere's a few pics from the well attended event last Saturday. It was beautiful weather that day, in the middle 70's and a clear bright sky. The crowd was quite large with smiles all around. The entire square was filled for the Dedication of The Veterans Monument. It was nice to see some life in the old town once more.Folks watching the parade. More pics of the weekend can be seen at the excellentLarry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-23874527036166864332009-06-04T10:28:00.000-07:002010-03-08T08:08:29.736-08:00More Clarksville Baseball TeamsClarksville native Den Chulick sent a few photos of Clarksville baseball teams to share here. His father, John Chulick, was as active as any man in the community regarding baseball. He helped organize and coached both Little League and Pony League ball.Clarksville Pirates, probably 1960Front Row : Jay ( Farmer ) Doman, unknown, John Bevelacqua, Richard ( Dickey) Swinchock,Gary Mylan, unknownBack Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-10540570760253152342009-05-27T09:39:00.000-07:002009-06-23T19:44:23.117-07:005,000 Visitors On This SiteYesterday my visitor total on this site reached 5,000. I am thrilled and humbled. I started this last November and my goal was to give a little back to the area that gave me so much. Much has been done and there is still much more to do. My most sincere thanks to all who look, to those who have sent kind words and to all who come back occasionally. Please remember I often update older posts with Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-35961545960476961682009-05-21T07:58:00.001-07:002009-06-25T10:15:48.242-07:00Clarksville Centennial Celebration Schedule June 5,6,7 2009Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-41278422775718014232009-05-08T00:02:00.000-07:002009-11-21T09:05:42.280-08:00Waynesburg Post Card ViewsEnjoy some nice old views of WaynesburgMany kisses on this old view of the Waynesburg & Washington DepotFive firemen lost their lives when the Downey House burned in 1925. Not often noticed by pedestrians is the plaque to their memory on a building just to the west of the Old Fort Jackson / County Office building.West WaynesburgWaynesburg's and Greene County's tallest skyscraperThe old Ross Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-18381372867106741322009-04-19T09:30:00.000-07:002009-12-01T13:06:38.729-08:00Mine Mules A mule hauling a coal car out of the Vesta Coal Company No. 1 Mine. Mules were used almost exclusively to pull coal cars before mechanized vehicles, because Percheron's and Clydesdale horses were too expensive and too large to maneuver in the tight quarters of the mine. After electric engines ( motors ) came into use mules were still used near the face ( where the coal was being worked / loaded Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-41479091465422936842009-04-08T04:47:00.000-07:002010-07-05T13:52:40.981-07:00Ten Mile Trivia # 2Ten Mile Creek came to be called so because it's mouth is ten miles above Old Redstone Fort at Brownsville. In the early days they named creeks and other landmarks as being so many miles from a known place, as Brownsville certainly was in the early days. Islands also took mile marker names, for instance above Louisville Ky is 18 mile island then 12 mile island and then 6 mile island.
Some think Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379922924694926.post-52849497754951231262009-03-30T11:00:00.000-07:002009-07-21T10:58:07.495-07:00UMWA's Mitchell Day In Clarksville 1959The observance of Mitchell Day every April 1st celebrates the occasion back in 1898 when the United Mine Workers Of America gained the 40 hour week and the 8 hour day which was eventually made the standard for all working people. In most mining towns this meant a large gathering, sometimes with a parade but always with speeches from politicians and labor leaders, food, drinks and a local talent Larry The Kidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484368651867738681noreply@blogger.com3