Carrick the 29th ward of the city of Pittsburgh was at one time a stand alone borough and during that time many things happened which are still unanswered to this day including a more modern mystery.
I grew up in carrick after moving as a young child from Lincoln& Larimer section of E. liberty section of Pittsburgh .
In 1975 I started my Eagle Scout project and started to put together a massive research project and display on carricks History.
During this research I cam across many an old timer who gave me much information and which also revealed a few mysteries. here is the original article I wrote in 1976
One of the first Mysteries.
What happened to the Devlin Log Cabin? one of the original family's to pioneer the area it was said to have been moved to Phillips park yet no one remembers it being there yet another old timer told me he remembered it and it had burned down no one knows for sure.
Another mystery a old timer told me about a school behind A Automotive in carrick across from carrick Shopping center again no one remembers it or has any information.
There was also allegations made and still a mystery to this day that the day Carrick voted to disband its Boro status and join the city of Pittsburgh that a 2nd ballot box had surfaced then disappeared. If this was the case carrick might not have joined the City after all.
But one of the biggest mystery's is what happened to the WWII memorial which stood next to Hazelbarths Hardware.
Well that part was solved but then became a further mystery.
When the marker was taken down the name plates where put into a 2 foot square cement marker with brass metal plate on top and then placed next to the WWI monument in Phillips Park. and a row of Red Oaks was planted along the main side walk in the park only a couple of which still survive. According to WWII veteran frank Russel which now defunct Carrick VFW members verified.
Except when they went to dig under the marker not only was the WWII small marker missing but the name plates as well. was it removed by park employees or by some one wanting to steal the brass plate and took whole marker with them. very good possibility as one of the brass markers at nearby Carrick High was stolen in late 70's which was on either side of doors and remaining one is now high above original entrance.
But then in 1990's the WWI marker was moved down to intersection in front of the park when the new recreation building was built but the small separate WWII marker was gone.
and to add insult to injury a base stone was added to the WWI marker saying the row of red oaks was planted to honor the WWII and Korean Veterans.
This is wrong they where never planted to honor the Korean veterans in fact there is no separate marker or any other memorial to Korean veterans other than a generic all veterans marker in South Side Cemetery. The city screwed up the WWI marker and lost the WWII marker stone and plate unless it was buried under the WWI marker when it was moved but as usual with the city of Pittsburgh no one knows anything.
What a mess and of course city is not going to fix it any time soon and properly honor carrick veterans.
