New Kensington
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Parnassus in the Spring
Here is Parnassus in the spring. I intend to post more in a few days. Tonight I will listen to Jonathan baking bread and try to forget that we still have to finish…
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When the Johnstown Flood Came to the Alle-Kiski Valley
Here’s something that I learned this winter: Shortly after the Johnstown Flood of 1889 (the flood that killed 2,209 people), tourists took picnic lunches to Johnstown, Pennsylvania so they could sight-see the damage.…
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Why Places Matter
I will always remember our Halloween this past Friday in Parnassus. Why? Two reasons: 1.) We got over 200 trick-or-treaters at our house, just like last year and the year before that. 2.) …
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5 Spooky Places for New Ken Ghost Stories
I love ghost walks and ghost stories based on local history. The last time that I Googled “PA Ghost Walks,” I found several dozen cities in the results. Gettysburg. Pittsburgh. Philadephia. Erie. Harrisburg.…
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Elegy to My Old Front Porch, c1930 – 2014
I am getting a new front porch for my birthday this year. Jonthan and I planned and saved for this for years. We tweaked some of our career goals for this. We can’t wait…
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A Short Trip to some Local Parnassus History
Hello reader people. Jenny and I were sitting on our soon-to-be-rebuilt porch this evening as the light went golden. We were just reading away, enjoying the evening as the temperature started to cool…
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Remembering World War I
This month (June 28) is the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. The aftermath led to World War I. My relatives suffered and sacrificed as a…
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The “Ghost” of Simon Girty
My Grandma Gaffron often joked that the ghost of Simon Girty hung around the Gaffron family property in North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County. “Simon Girty took my glasses,” she said when she couldn’t find…
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Christmas Past in My Parnassus
Ten years ago this month, I drove into Parnassus (and New Kensington) for the very first time. On that bright, warm December Saturday I followed Jonathan’s directions from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I drove…
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Parnassus is Not Gone: A Non-Review of “American Elegy” by Jeffrey Simpson
When I found Jeffrey Simpson’s 1996 New York Times article about Parnassus two weeks ago, I was so excited that I posted a link to it on a Facebook page for local historical…