A long forgotten location of early settlers homestead in Baldwin Boro Pa.

The walls where still standing when I was a kid in 60s along Glass Run Road a 1- 1/2 story  early frontier stone house which was built into a hill side to prevent Indian attacks. From the rear all traces of it now long gone except for couple foundation stones .Why it was not preserved I will never know but the Pittsburgh Region has a way of just destroying its history.

I contacted the Baldwin historical group for info on this pioneer home but they where of no help at all. 

As you wind down the road way from Baldwin Fire Dept about half way down you round one of the bends  will see a nice split level home with a miniature barn with Mail pouch tobacco sign painted on it 

 Back behind where the pickup is parked if you go back into the hillside you will find whats left of the 

one time pioneer home a couple foundation stones.

They can be seen better during winter time. But as Always  Remember this is private property  if you have a desire to further check it out. .

Don't know if the home owner even knows the home was back there. stopped a couple times but no one was home. .

The Secret Fur Coat Storage Business which operated quietly in a Pittsburgh Oakland Neighborhood for many years

 Back in the early 1900s into the 1980s  before all the synthetic Coats and when women where more into wearing stylish clothing . With the harsh winters of Pittsburgh many wore Fur Coats and or stoles

Those during summer time  who could afford it would pay to have them safely stored  in a cold storage vault to help preserve them from drying out and deteriorating  .

 The Numerous Dry Cleaning Stores   that where around before Non Wrinkling easy clean business clothing came out had signs saying. " Please allow Us to safely store your fur Items this summer in our secure vaults  " 

Also Furriers who sold Fur Coats would offer summer storage  as well. At one time downtown Pittsburgh had several fur stores  now their is only one.  

Since fur has fallen out of favor due to easier to care for fabrics and animal abuse activists

Of course not every store had a vault it was a gimmick just like  all the Drug Stores that all developed film Before they acquired Mini Labs.

The stores 3rd party contracted it out.

In the case of Furs it was the Pittsburgh Fur Cold Storage Company   

They had this very old Dark green box truck  with no name on it and a yellow sign on back doors warning that a BABACO Alarm System was in use .

https://babaco.com/

A lot of people thought the signs where a joke but this is a  very old line prestigious company that designed and protected valuable loads around the USA and world 

 This truck quietly went around Pittsburgh neighborhood shops picking up the furs then 

ended up backing into a buildings basement from a back alley at the corner of Baum and Bigelow Boulevard . Now a  Real estate office where all signs of the garage are gone now just a glass entry way 

but you can see how it sloped downward into basement 

 Once in the garage they where unloaded  and Furs where carefully examined repaired if requested put into protective sleeve or box  and stored in a vault with the hundreds of other coats .

I only knew about this place because I worked for Holmes Protection in 1980 for a short time before starting my own alarm business out of disgust  how they ran theirs.

I was with my assigned  trainer Stanley that warm summer night when we pulled up to the building  which had a furrier upstairs who sold fur coats .With no idea what went on down below .

 We walked inside and where lead to the very large basement with several vault's  where we repaired the burglar  alarm system that protected them overnight .

It was one of many Hidden businesses operating in the back alleys of Pittsburgh quietly  minding its business and providing a needed service.

That was till late 80s one late afternoon 2 men stole the fur truck  as it was sitting outside the garage and got away with some of the furs.

Like the Purolator Armored car garage and vault  robbery they tried to keep it hushed up but they could not and the cat was out of the bag .  

But by then Fur industry was on its way out and by the early to mid 90s the business appears to no longer exist.

An extensive internet search has yet to provide  details of the theft or the business .

But its one of those unique crimes which happened in Pittsburgh area. Now long forgotten. 

Hopefully i will eventually find more information and be able to present it.