Livermore : Silenced by Water

    If you have ever driven west on route 22 past Blairsville, there is a great chance you have missed one of the most infamous little towns in Pennsylvania: Livermore. The town of Livermore was a bustling canal town from the early 1800's until The Johnstown Flood of 1889. The flood would move most of the western canal towns to a slow demise due to the damage it rendered. The small town was once again flooded on March 17th 1936, which was later deemed The Great Saint Patrick's Day Flood, which claimed an estimated 80 lives. After this the United States Corps of Engineers started a project to protect the lower Conemaugh River and its surroundings. The town of Livermore was demolished to make way for this new project.

     Once the project was set in motion, the cemetery had to be moved up hill from its resting place inside the town. This cemetery now is the infamous cemetery in George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Being that it has attracted many visitors and people that have defiled the site, it has been made a private property and has “No Trespassing” signs all around. However, some very reliable evidence also shows that the cemetery was not the one used in George Romero's movie. The old canal was made into a trail, like so many others. You can still pass the site of Livermore if you bike or hike the William Penn Trail.
     Some people believe the floods that swept the town were not a coincidence. There is a legend that a woman in the early 1800's was prosecuted for witchcraft in the town. Before she was burned alive she decreed that the people would be cursed and the town would be flooded. Besides this folklore, no actual evidence has been found to make this a factual account. Nonetheless, this story has stuck to the grim floods that plagued the town.
      People also believe that once the cemetery was moved the souls of the town became restless and still roam above the water and on the riverside that was once their home. Accounts of phantom houses, dogs barking, ghostly outlines walking the trail, and even spirits walking above the water have been reported.
     Upon arriving to this location you first notice that it is an entrance to the William Penn Trail. No human developments exist for miles around the perimeter, which some believe gives validity to the claims of ghostly voices and phantom barks of dogs. Once you enter the trail you take a right and walk a few minutes and come to a bridge. This bridge marks where the town used to be. To the right of the bridge upon the hill is where the cemetery was moved and is still located today.
     When I visited this location, my companions and I saw swift moving shadows run across the trail, and a white figure for a short moment alongside the riverbed. At one point we were sure that other people were there when we heard voices all around. It was hard to distinguish what they were saying; however, we knew the location that the voices were coming from. No other cars were parked around the location and we checked the trail and cemetery before we decided to investigate the town’s old location. I would recommend stopping by this lost historical town, not only is it a wonderful trail to walk, but you may just get a history lesson first hand from the residents of Livermore.