Greentree...Whiskey Hollow

[deepskyal]

Pittsburgh Press Oct.18th,1960

Residents of the Whiskey Hollow region that live on Aria Drive that rims part of the valley, are trying to stop development of the valley for commercial purposes.

This area was a battle ground between the Feds and Rebels during the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790"s. Part of the valley is close to the Parkway West.

The officials were trying to build a public works building.

*Is this developed now? Could be some places left around it to detect.

Al

 

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[mhammer]

Hi deepskyal, i took a ride down to whiskey hollow this morning and looked around a bit without my detector and wouldnt mind trying it out. If your interested, let me know. Mabye we could head down together. I could use a good hunting partner here in pgh. I know of a few good spots around. I'm a dfx owner. What do you have?

 

[davew0710]

Hi Al,

Check out this link about whiskey hollow: http://www.ccpcusa.org/Frames/AboutUs/History.htm

This church is located at: 1630 Greentree Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15220

 

[mhammer]

sounds good guys. The more the merrier. I just got back from some detecting this morning at a couple of tot lots and a drive in and a fair grounds. Got about $3.00 in clad. I'd love to hook up with you all and find some good spots. I live in crafton. Where are you all from? I'm layed off right now, so i'm free in the mornings. Talk to you all soon, mike

 

[deepskyal]

Hi Mike,
Welcome to the forum. I'm in Natrona...up off 28 North, exit 15. I got the new Vision along with my old 6000Di Pro and a couple even older machines.

Sorry to hear about the layoff. I've been going thru intermittant layoffs on my job. A week here, 2 days there...Steel industry is struggling right now.

I detect darn near anywhere....have car, will detect!

I used Google Earth a while back looking at the Whiskey Hollow area. Looks like a lot of woods still around. It would be nice to know what point the skirmishes occured. I didn't look at Dave's link yet.

Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be hitting an old homesite I found...if it ever quits raining. I found it while hiking where there's an old ghost town but I was denied permission to go down to the area on railroad property. This, fortunately, is right at the area where the gate is, so being anywhere near their tracks or property is nil. Missed it last year because of the weed growth. It was hidden from view.

But anyhow....If you want to get into some detecting...let me know...Crafton isn't that far from me.

My work schedule is almost day to day anymore. Never know when a layoff will happen. But I work til about 4 and usually pretty nasty dirty from my job. I'm more inclined to weekends right now...if I'm not working.

Al

 

[hotrod53]

You guys are sparking my interest, I work in Greentree but I don't know where you mean. I'm not sure exactly where you are talking about but there is a hollow right by my office on Alcon Street. Is this place the area where the road is closed off going down thru the hollow?

I just saw a little blerb on TV yesterday about the Old Stone Inn righ there at the bottom of the hill in West End.

 

[deepskyal]

Hi Hotrod,

That's another I viewed on Google Earth. The Old Stone Inn is, what they think, the oldest building in Pittsburgh. Dates back to 1756...older than Pittsburgh itself.
Looking on Google Earth, it's nothing but concrete everywhere in the area. Doesn't look like there's even a square foot to detect.
There was a very good article in "The Region" section of Sunday's Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 5/3/2009. They think it could have been a meeting house for the Whiskey Rebellion.

As far as Whiskey Hollow is concerned, I think the building I see in Google Earth probably is the Public Works building people were trying to stop. So...if you can see that from where you work...you're probably close. I'd have to look again but I think the "hollow" is pretty prominant with what looked like a creek running in it. There seemed to be an isolated housing plan on that Aria Drive on an upper portion of the hollow.

Does that seem right?

Al

 

[mhammer]

i'm wondering if this is the same whiskey hollow that im talking about. The one that i know about is under that railroad bridge that crosses the parkway west on between greentree and carnegie and i didnt see a public works bldg there but i could be wrong

 

[deepskyal]

Maybe not. The image from google earth...i circled the RR bridge that crosses the pkwy in red. Aria Drive is towards the bottom right.
I suspect the hollow follows the yellow trail. Didnt look close up, but like I said...pretty sure there's a creek down there.

If you zoom in on the area in Google Earth. check out the photos of the area....doesn't appear to be any buildings down along that Bell Rd. Bell seems to run along the base of the hollow, along the creek.
Underbrush and weeds probably growing pretty fast right now but would still think around the creek it wouldnt be too thick.

And...actually...the Old Stone Tavern isn't really that far for travelers of that day. Could have been a lot more activity in that hollow than just the rebellion.

Al

 

[mhammer]

okey we are on the same page. you can drive right up under that rr bridge. Thats where there were some real old houses. They're gone now but i rember them being there.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Okay my fellow Pennsylvania TN'ers..........


I don't know ANYTHING about your area in SEPA....so this was a little tough to get the old photo oriented -


But here is your Whiskey Hollow as it looked on 17 May 1939!

Wide View:

And a little closer withe 'Bell Drive' pretty obvious:

Weird.....the pic resolution isn't as sharp as the same pics for my NEPA.......but I just thought I'd share anyways!



-

 

[mhammer]

nice pics gary. Would you mind if i asked whwere you got those? I'd like to see a pic of the first one a little to the left. I'd also like to see what my house looked like in the 20's. Would you mind sharing a link to those ariel photos? thanks mike

 

[deepskyal]

Hey Mike...look like Penn Pilot photos to me.
Here's a link....http://ceiwin1.cei.psu.edu/pennpilot/

I'm gonna bump the topic back to the top.

Al.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Yup........

deepskyal got it right!
PennPilot!

It was a little tougher for me since I'm not familiar with SEPA.....but the rivers and rail system were still intact - I went of of that.


-

 

[mhammer]

thanks guys, i'll check the link tommorrow.

 

[deepskyal]

Here' a copy of the 1906 topo of the area. I see a couple houses under that bridge Mike, and a couple that seem to be along Bell Creek.

I highlighted the path in red that would have led from West End and where the Old Stone Inn was, to where people might have traveled. Easiest contours that follow that rail. If Federal troops came up to fight, they probably would have come the same way.

The Yellow area is where the new housing sits on top of the hill, where aria drive is now.

From what I've been reading, a lot of activity was down in the Bower Hill area, about another mile south. I'm including a link to the full topo map from historical topo.....http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=crng06ne.jpg&state=PA.

Still think this could be an interesting area.

Al

 

[mhammer]

thanks, Well, if you would like to try it soon, let me know. I know where the road is that you can drive a car right up under the train bridge and park. It's nice and private there and we won't get bothered by anyone. And if that doesn't pan out for us, i know where there a couple of spots near by that we could try

 

[mark v]

My brother lives in the area and has talked to a few people about the Whisey Rebellion. I'll see if he knows, or can find out anything about this place.

 

[rugratt]

Hey all!

Did you guys go out to Whiskey Hollow? I live in Erie, and would be willing to hook up if you dont mind?

Mike

 

[mhammer]

hi rugratt, I'm thinking about going there now with the detector just for a quick test hunt and to see if it's not too grown in. I''''ll probably only be there for a half hour or so. So i wouldn't suggest comming down today but yes i would like the company if it looks worthwile. Hey , i got a camp up in albion and when i come up, i could use some one to show me around up your way. My family is comming up this weekend but i can't go. But i'll be up your way soon. I'll let you all know what it looks like at the hollow and if i found anything. I have a feeling it's gonna be real trashy so i'm taking my 6x9 and my 4x6 coils. I'll write back real soon, mike