Connoquenessing Creek
If
you look to the right there are 2 interesting structures one an old
very high bridge pier support which carried the fabled Harmony Short
line trolley to New Castle
The
other Structure down in the creek which is a double line of old very
rusted steel pipe embedded in the concrete base which runs across the
creek.
These pipes back in late
60's early 70's where used by the people who live along the creek to
help dam it up in summer time so small motor boats could be used along
that 2 mile section of the creek.
Every
spring the cabin owners would clean out the creek bed with rakes where
their docks where then everyone would get together go down to where the
pipes where and help put steel plates aprox. 10 by 5 ft high in place
and cover them with plastic to help hold the water in place. some times
plates would fail and they would have to be replaced during the summer
after storms .
This
was done for many years and my father and brothers and I helped several
times when we stayed in our camper trailer with my dads friends the
Jackson's who had a cabin along the creek. on McKim Rd. in the summer
time to get away from all the pollution in Pittsburgh. We often hlped Charlie with projects around the home and even after his death .
Unfortunately
some one along the creek complained to the Fish and Boat Communion who
took command of the section of creek and started putting too many
regulations in place and the creek was no longer damned some time in
late 80s. and by then most of us kids who grew up there those many
summers had grown into adults. a disastrous flood in 2004 caused by
Hurricane Ivan made sure Mckim way and those great days we had as kids
would never be again. As it whipped away many homes along the creek . Both of the Jackson have passed the home still
stands but has been horribly altered and Dee Jackson's Kids wanted
nothing to do with any body up there and sold it . They where so nasty
to us and the neighbors in the end .When my mom went to Dee Jackson's funeral they completely disrespected her for no reason. Still think its because any time Charlie or Dee called we dropped everything and ran up to help and her kids did not.
