Railroad Hoppers dug high up into a steep hillside in Rochester Pa But why.
As you ride along Pa 65 as you drive along the river by the YMCA and Hanks and look high up into the hillside you will see a strange assortment of Railroad Hoppers dug into the hillside and filled with dirt. ,a rather strange looking situation but then look again closely and you will also see old wooden trestles way high up there at an angle as well.
So whats the story?
Well at the top of the hill was the one time H.C.Fry Glass and other factory's which needed Railroad Siding Service .
But as high up as they where on top of the hills side approx 800-1200 feet The railroads felt it was not worth the effort to get their engines up their do to the costs and dangers of such an elevated track.
Often only one car at a time could be taken up and down the tracks due to being made slick from natural springs and water from abandoned coal mines . But despite it all the railroads and businesses made millions of dollars with the completion of this switch . Which had its own special maintenance crew to keep it operating due to constant landslides , trees down and water flooding
The switch Operated from the early 20s into the 80's when the whole beaver valley was badly hit by closing down of steel industry and demand for products no longer existed. Much of the old right of way can still be explored including whats left of Morry's Speakeasy an old rock n roll club at top of the switch.
Which started out as Graystone Gardens
For more pictures and information check out the face book group Beaver County Past, Present and Future
The Aurora Club the Forgotten Jazz Club with a Notorious Past
I was doing work across street from this building and figured it had a story to be told and I was right
Every one Knows about The Crawford Grill and Walt Harper's Attic when it came to great Jazz Clubs in the Pittsburgh Region.
But there was another club as well The Aurora which is not as well known or acknowledged due to its ties to local mob gambling rackets and violent activities both with in and outside the club which resulted in at least 2 homicide
Which resulted in its forced closure in 1999.
Located at 5th and 11 Pride street in Pittsburgh's Uptown in what was filled with stores of Jewish Garment Jobbers who sold clothing wholesale . The rather unassuming Red Brick Building is now sadly in total decay and home to rats and junkies .
But back in the day Upstairs the finest Jazz could be heard . While in the basement mob bookies meet counted there money .
The building was owned by Anthony"tony" Ripepi since 1950 a well known local mobster and for many years it ran under the radar of law enforcement .
with a protected status from bribes of police and others .
The first floor served many different stores over the years and several celebrities are known to have patronized the club including Muhammad Ali first wife who sang there and Hubert Humphrey who stopped by for an evening of entertainment .
But the club became known as a trouble spot and after a person was killed outside the club in 1984 local councilman Sula Udin vowed to close it which he did around 2000. ad the building has been decaying and collapsing since .
An excellent article with more details can be found at link below
https://blog.historian4hire.net/2020/03/25/the-aurora-club/
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