A forgotten and one time secret Cold War US Mineral Repsitory Near Elrama Pa.

 As you travel  and windup Finleyville -Elrama Road in  the Finleyville  area  from PA837 you will notice a very official looking gate entry up into the hill side known as American Way

While today its in private hands it was once the US Defense Dept Strategic  Mineral Depository  where large piles of Iron Ore , Magnesium, Molybdenum  etc where stored in case of a War breaking out and US would not be able to obtain it.

 Much like the  Strategic Oil Reserves the Government Keeps .

The site was abandoned in 80s after it was determined it was no longer needed and minerals sold off  after so many mills which would have used the reserve had closed down.Including Homestead where much Armored plate was once made .

The gate has since been fixed up and area repurposed and most people traveling the road have no idea the significance this once Cold war storage facility played in protecting the country  I also believe part of it may have also served as Nike Missile or defense site  site  further up the hill were old military type structures that once existed all that's left is the fence

Obviously due to sensitive nature of this subject little is available for public knowledge as it is still a security concern . But their was massive planning when US was threatened by the USSR  we will never know about .

Thank God there was this planning  and was never needed.

Forgotten Horrific Accident that saw the deaths of 2 Pittsburgh Police Officers who where responding to an emergency in Pittsburghs South Side

 As you drive by the corner of 26th street and Sarah street you pass a now vacant corner where a walk up ice cream stand once was stood

They had good ice cream but then closed one day never to reopen and eventually it was torn down.

However few now recall the tragic story this stand played on March  6 1991 when Pittsburgh Police Officers  Joseph Grill and Thomas Herron would loose their lives in a horrifying accident running into the stand after colliding with another pair of officers who where also in chase of a stolen car in Pittsburgh's South Side 

Both pairs did not realize they where both approaching the same intersection and tragedy happened 

https://state-killings-in-the-steel-city.org/2018/12/03/joseph-john-grill-and-thomas-lawrence-herron/#:~:text=Officer%20Joseph%20Grill%20and%20Officer%20Thomas%20Herron%2C%20partners,officers%20in%20the%20other%20vehicle%2C%20were%20seriously%20injured.

 

 Its been 33 years since the accident and they are both missed. I knew both of these Station 7# officers having worked with them as a security guard during a massive power line project by DLC which where where both protecting .

The old station 7# is no longer used except for weekends as a temporary command post  but outside you will find a granite memorial and marker which remembers these 2 brave souls.