What looked to be a short excursion turned out to be a grand adventure as Our Local Heritage went on location to where one of the area's first pioneer women lived over 200 years ago. It was pretty exciting to me to visit the former site of the cabin of Massey Harbison, whose home was brutally attacked by Indians. And I thought you might like to see it, too.

Lower Burrell's Dr. Reid Stewart, an area historian who has researched Harbison and other local people and places from the past, remembered visiting 50 years ago the site of Harbison's cabin where the attack took place. Dr. Stewart had agreed to tell Massey's story at the spot for our video version of Our Local Heritage. He and his wife were kind enough to escort me back to the site, located on private property (with gracious permission of the owner) in Allegheny Twp. just before the Freeport Bridge.

Due to landscaping changes, the exact spot was farther away than we expected and so what was to be a brief video shoot became an expedition over hill and valley. But Dr. Stewart proved to be an adept guide, and we arrived in one piece. After setting up my cameras, we found ourselves shooting at dusk, hoping to outrace the darkness. And so, the resulting video is shot in about the same light Harbison probably had when the attack occurred.

In 179?, her husband had moved her and their children into a cabin near Reed's Station, a small outpost guarded by a few soldiers. A ranger who was often away from home for extended periods, he thought by being near the outpost, she'd be safe from Indian attacks. He was mistaken.

One morning in May not many hours after her husband and some other rangers left the Harbison home, Massey was kidnapped, along with her children, by Indians from her home. Before the ordeal was over, she would see two of her children killed mercilessly and savagely, then escape with another child to wander barefoot for miles. But Massey Harbison did live to write in detail about her nightmare.

Dr. Stewart does a great job of telling Massey's story, only a few feet away from where it took place 21? years ago. I think you'll enjoy this video. Be sure to watch "Survival: The Story of Massey Harbison" online video by clicking on this link.

And now, Mesmerizing Memos from Marvelous Memories… Did you know them?

Ironic: Under George McMurtry’s direction, the Apollo mill prospered from negligible production levels to one of the leading producers of the world’s galvanized iron supply. Then why didn't McMurtry and the plant stay in Apollo and where did it move?

George McMurtry moved the plant for a couple of reasons. It was only partially because the workers, not well-treated at the time, went on strikes, and mainly for another reason. He planned on a major expansion of the Apollo mill, but land speculators in Apollo found out and quickly bought up the land before he could buy it for the mill. They tried to charge an amount for it that McMurtry and the current owners did not wish to pay. To spite them, he built a new town across the river from Apollo and moved the mill there to a new facility. It would become the world's largest mill at one point. The town? Vandergrift.


Cast-Away: Braeburn Steel employees decided to blast out a casting that was stuck in a mold there. The stuck casting would have a "holy" fate, methodically speaking…

When they blasted it out, it bulleted out of the mill roof, soared across the dump, then plummeted through the roof a holy place: the basement of the Methodist Church. The mill paid for the repairs to the church.


Shady Move: How come Shady Side Academy isn't in Shadyside but in Fox Chapel? When did that happen?

Just after World War 1, Shady Side Academy moved to the country soon after World War 1, today's Fox Chapel. The school had begun in 1883 closer to Pittsburgh. A school trustee bought 125 acres of land in O'Hara Twp. for the school, which built three new buildings on it in 1922.


Seasoned Move: In the 1850s Quakers constructed homes with kitchen shed and vegetable gardens for Penn Salt workers in Natrona. Why did the occupants have to leave in 1875, and who moved into their homes?

It was fairly typical at the time for companies to supply and own the houses where workers lived. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company workers went on strike in 1875. Many Polish immigrants moved into these houses to replace the strikers, who, having no job with the company, also lost their homes.


Daft Fellows?: A US President, a Supreme Court Justice and three of the world’s funniest men went into... the Casino Theatre in Vandergrift? Yep. Of all places, who would go there and why?

Nope, they didn't go into a bar. It was Vandergrift's Casino Theatre, and the two dignitaries were President William Taft, after finishing his term in office, and William Jennings Bryan, a Supreme Court Justice (whom you may remember was involved with the famous Scopes "monkey" trial in the early 20th century, which introduced the theory of evolution into public schools.) Both were brought to Vandergrift, a "mini-metropolis" at the time, as a part of an attempt to bring "class" to the common man. A series of lectures, performances and entertainment venues called the Lyceum featured many famous and accomplished speakers, teachers, professors, writers and artists. It was considered an honor for a town to have the means and desire to host such an event and thus be chosen to do so.
...OHHH!!! and who were three of the world's funniest men who performed live onstage in Vandergrift? My favorites... those wise men of old, those heroes of hee-haw, those performers of perpetual perifundity (which I think is a real word, meaning something good I hope), those actors of alacritous (yes, that word is DEFINITELY real) absurdity, none other than THE THREE STOOGES!!! Extra points if you know which three... call me if you do...


Uncommon Change: Built in 1847, it was once an old mansion that belonged to Jacob H. Parks, a prominent Leechburg druggist. You walk inside it today anytime you step foot inside this Leechburg bank.

Today's First Bank of the Commonwealth, formerly the First National Bank of Leechburg, was once a mansion and was built in 1847.


Cap'n Bob: You probably know Arnold was named after Captain Robert Parks Arnold. You might even know he was the first to ship large quantities of oil downriver to Pittsburgh. But what is with this Captain stuff?

He'd fought in the Civil War in the 15th Calvary, where he received the rank of Captain. When he came home, he helped lay out a town, and it was named for him.


Global Dust: Owned by a coal company, it was over 80' long and built 100 years ago next to Plum Creek and the Plum Creek railroad. Five buildings became four, however when… What happened, and what was it?

The Globe Powder Storage Buildings, owned by a coal company, at one time incorporated five buildings. One of the five was lost when it blew up in an explosion.


Dr. Care: Dr. Thomas Kerr of Oakmont practiced as a family physician in the 1800s, making frequent house calls. What would you have paid him for coming out?

He charged about $1.50 for these visits. Dr. Kerr reportedly earned about $2,000 a year.


It's All Academic: You might know about The Saltsburg Academy, and that it was used as a public school until 1912. But did you know it had another name in 1870?

The Saltsburg Academy, built in 1851, originally cost $3,000. Purchased in 1870, it was renamed Memorial Institute and was in operation for at least another decade. The building was then used for public school until 1912.


Heroes' Plots: Of course you know about the Harwick mine disaster. But where are the graves and monument today?

The 1901 mine explosion in Cheswick took 179 lives. The Harwick disaster graves and monument sit as a reminder of the tragedy. The graves and monument are in the old Lutheran cemetery beside a road that leads into the Colfax Power Station of Duquesne Light Company. One granite monument is a folk carving of the scene in the mine with workers and mine mules falling dead from the explosion.


Be sure, if you haven't already, to check out the Our Local Heritage online videos by clicking on this link. I think you'll really like this month's show in particular.