Unknow structure identity help

[deepskyal]

Okay....for you railroad buffs...or anyone else up on historical places....

The area I have circled in green has me baffled. Looks more like some martian signage than a building complex...but the way this complex is set up...what purpose could it have served?

This area has history as far back as the settlers. It's become obvious that the area has morphed several times over the years.

The Kiskiminitis river flows into the Allegheny here. The area in the yellow is the remnants of the viaduct that once crossed the Allegheny River. The railroad bought all that property and filled in the old canal system.

The red dot shows where there is still a fire plug that dates to around 1920. Evidence is still there of telephone poles and possibly streetlighting. It's nonfunctional but still in place. This was a 4 way railroad intersection.

And why a fireplug here? Why next to a steel railroad trestle, at the top of a steep slope?

Back in the 1700's this was a popular place for Indians and settlers and soon became a town called Lucesco.

There was an oil refinery there that processed coal oil, there were mines, and company housing back in the mid 1800's.

The structure circled in green is visable on a later photograph from the 1960's but is gone now. This photo is from 1938.

The central building has long extensions that go to long structures that parallel the railroad tracks.

I've detected some areas here but it's tough going with the amount of slag and old railroad debris that has been bulldozed everywhere.

But not far from that structure, or rather where the structure used to be, is an area I found with the remnants of a nicely bricked walkway or road. We found a copper grounding rod still in the ground for a house or business.

The railroad is now only 3 way, but only the main track is used...the one that parallels the viaduct. The other trestle that crosses the kiski is unused but still obviously maintained but the tracks going inland have been torn out.

There are quite a few mysteries about the history of this area...what happened to the people, the houses, the businesses.....besides being bulldozed that is. There's no history written that I've been able to sift thru that speaks of the decline of the town or people. Nothing about the businesses folding and going away.

If you look at Google Eath images of the area today, there is nothing left except the railroad tracks. If you zoom in, you can barely make out the area where the brick paving has survived the years, although most is obscured by the vegatation.

So...any ideas on what this is/was?

Al

 

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[sqwaby]

The fire plug mat have been added to a waterline that was once a water supply for steam locomotives. When the need for it passed, the line was already in place so why not convert it to a fire plug.

 

[deepskyal]

Interesting thought...hadn't thought about the old steam locomotives...

In the old photos, there were apparently quite a few spurs for parking rr cars in this area.

Here's what it looks like now...courtesy of Google Earth.

Al

 

[seger98]

As far as the fire plug it could very well be what sqwaby said, also I would add that when a waterline is put in there needs to be a place to flush that line periodically, so there for the need of the hydrant.


As far as what the place was used for, looking at the location of the railroad lines in proximity to the rivers, might have been used for a loading & unloading dock area?

The walkway/road could have been a wagon loading area??


Chris

 

[seger98]

Also, should have asked if there are any pillars in the water?

 

[deepskyal]

No pillars that I've been able to see. They probably went when the old viaduct was torn down and the dam put in.

The more I look at it and compare photos...I think you're right Chris.

Probably a transfer station between the rail lines for the north/south to transfer goods to the east/west line.

The buildings parallel to the tracks were probably loading docks and the outer walkway for larger items.

In the series of photos on Penn Pilot...it appears to be a couple hundred train cars...I'm guessing that's what they are from the aerial photos...(kinda grainy, from 1938)...sitting in yards for transfer, loading and unloading. One large rail yard along the Allegheny and one along the Kiski.

There is no trace of these tracks anymore. Just piles of old rr ties which I thought was just from a single line....seems now that they are from many lines.

I think I'm going to have to do a little more research on where that rail line used to go up the Kiski...that's the one that is gone now.

Al

 

[seger98]

Glad I could maybe lead you in the right direction, Have you seen "Ant" banner finds? It is currently second from the left on the banner! He's made some excellent finds around the reailroad yard.

It looks like a excellent area that you have there, along time in history, not telling what you could find there. Good luck hunting it.


Chris

 

[deepskyal]

Wow...I need to look in on that forum more often. He has some awesome finds.....making me excited...lol

Yea...a lot of territory to cover....just gotta figure out where to start.

Thanks Chris,

Al

 

[OPUS1]

Star and don't stop. Alot of ground to cover.

Good Luck!!

 

[Lowbatts]

Look at it's location to the tracks and orientation with apparent access to all tracks. Coal shed?

 

[deepskyal]

Look at it's location to the tracks and orientation with apparent access to all tracks. Coal shed?

I'm open to any ideas. There is no trace of the building anymore...but parts of the brick walkway is. And what suprised us even more was finding out how wide that walkway was...back in the woods. We peeled up layers of compact grass and soil a couple inches thick and were finding perfectly layed, mortared bricks. Just like the day they were first layed....so perfectly preserved!

I don't recall seeing much coal on the ground anywhere, but there could be very well with all the large piles of debree, mostly rr ties...but what I thought was slag.

Maybe I was too hasty in assuming it was slag without a close look. It could be a lot of coal mixed in.

Gotta wait on this freeze to break and get some warm weather before I attempt driving back into that local. If I got stuck....nuthing around....

But I'm getting itchy digging fingers.

Here's where i originally posted pics of the walkway.....http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,180467.0.html

I believe now that this walkway was part of this complex.

Al

 

[smurf-42]

Al,

I have this copied from the local library here. One of these days I will bring the whole article over to you.

"The plant, Lucesco, was a few hundred yards south of the Kiskiminetas Junction. The firm also built 30 houses for workers families near the works. Cannel coal can still be found along road cuts in the area where the plant once flourished. A four arched stone edifice, said to be part of the Lucesco Channel Oil Refinery, still stands at the river's edge." Copied from Old Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, PA

So we do know that there were houses down in that area. I will continue to look for information on this.

Sue