Keller Church & The Dean Family Massacre

     

Keller Church

     Right off of Rt. 22 on Fox Run Road there is a small church and cemetery with an almost forgotten past. Keller Church is in Catherine township on top of a hill, and has not held a service in years. The Church was founded in 1846 and was the prominent burial ground for the Keller family and other families in the Canoe Valley. The church is made of brick on a limestone foundation. The cemetery is adjacent on the hill-side with tall pine trees over the graves. A little history also lies with one of the occupants of the cemetery, Matthew Dean. 

 

      Living near Keller church for a part of my life, I stumbled across this piece of history while taking photographs of historical places in my area. I found a memorial to the Dean family which reads,"Massacred by Indians October 1780." I had forgotten about the memorial for a few years; however, Recently I had revisited this site and look deeper into its history.

      Matthew Dean was of Irish decent and made his home approximately 3 miles southwest of Waterstreet Pennsylvania. In the late 1700's while the Revolutionary War was taking place in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, a lot of the rural parts of the state were still faced with the remnants of the French and Indian War. In the autumn of 1780, the wife and three children of Matthew Dean were killed by Indians at their home in what is now Catherine township. Some accounts of the massacre say the family was burned in the home while others only say they were scalped and murdered. Most of the accounts tend to agree that Mr. Dean and his oldest children were at work in the fields when the raid happened on the homestead. Mr. Dean and his son found the remains of his family and they were later buried in Keller cemetery. Matthew Dean later died in April of 1781 and was buried in Hart's log Cemetery near Alexandria PA.

      This is just one of the many accounts of Indian raids and massacres that happened in central Pennsylvania. Some accounts have been lost to history; were as, others hold ground in our world by small memorials or accounts passed from generations. I hope to continue to investigate these incidents and keep them alive for another generation.

Lost Resting Places: Brua Family Cemetery

Brua Cemetery

      I had recently wrote a blog about the Bura Family of Franktown and the remnants of their mansion and orchard. Upon researching the families property I found out they had a family cemetery but failed to find the location. Finally, I have was able to track down this elusive cemetery. The grave yard sits a short walk from the foundations of the Brua home. You can also get to this cemetery by parking along Locke Mt. Road and walking up a hill to a grove of pine trees. Not many monuments are left, and many of the markers are fieldstones. The cemetery is in disarray but at one time was the main cemetery for Frankstown until the Geeseytown Cemetery was built. As always, if you plan to visit this resting place be respectful.

 

Lost Resting Places: Allegheny Cemetery

Former Allegheny Cemetery

      Recently I have been researching some of the lesser known cemeteries in central Pennsylvania. Living near Altoona, I have become very familiar with the early people who built the city. One of

Base of a grave marker

which being the Baker family.Elias Baker, a prominent Iron Master of the area, built his home The Baker Mansion and the Allegheny Furnace in Altoona. The mansion and remnants of the furnace still exist and are now in the care of the Blair County Historical Society. Elias Baker and much of his family and employees now rest in the Fairview Cemetery in Altoona.  A little known detail is that he was first put to rest in the Allegheny Cemetery. The Allegheny, or sometimes referred to as Baker cemetery, used to be located along the ridge above the furnace. The Baker family and employees of the furnace were buried there.The first interment was an infant of a furnace worker in 1812.  I say “used to be” since the bodies of the cemetery have now since been moved. The only remainders of the cemetery are a few scattered bases of tombstones and the indentations where graves once were. The almost forgotten grave yard now lies behind the Altoona Mirror building and is covered in creeping myrtle and lily of the valley giving it an eerie feeling. The cemetery had been restored a few times in the past; the last time being in the 1970's. Not much else is known about the cemetery and no current records indicate who owns the property.

Leaves filling in the recessed ground

Chimney Rocks Park

    

     Heading north on Rt. 36 leaving Hollidaysburg PA, it is hard to miss the huge limestone formations overlooking the borough.The rocks get their name from the resemblance to chimneys. Local history tells of Native American tribes using the rocks as a lookout over the valley. The borough of Hollidaysburg bought the land that is now Chimney Rocks Park in 1994. Up until its purchase, few poorly maintained trails allowed access to the rocks and lookout. By 1999 with help

Part of the recreation area

from local and government agencies, a small recreation area was constructed including better trails, picnic pavilion, play ground equipment, and safer lookout spots. One curious aspect of the area is that a small cave is said to be near the highest lookout. While meeting fellow hikers in passing, some have heard of the cave, but none know the location. I have yet to find any clear documentation of the caves existence or anyone who knows more than the rumors.

Looking over Hollidaysburg

Arch Spring

 

View from Kettle Road

     If you ever find yourself traveling to the larger attraction of Tytoona Cave in Blair county, Arch Spring is worth a stop. Arch Spring is thought to be the master conduit of water coming out of Tytoona Cave. The spring is named after the natural bridge like formation that suspends over the spring. Multiple dye tracing and analyses have been made to confirm that the spring is an outlet from Tytoona cave, however the exact route the water takes has never been physically followed. The arch itself is about 50 ft high and has a 20 ft diameter. The water collected under the arch is thought to be from a sinkhole that was once part of a cavern that collapsed. The Arch is visible from Kettle Road, however, the best view is from the other side but lies on private property on the near by farm.

Denny's Beer Barrel Pub

     After a great trip to the former town of Helvita PA, My friend Brian and I were looking to grab some food along the way back home. After plugging restaurants into my phone application the first one to pop up was Denny's Beer Barrel Pub. I instantly remembered reading about this restaurant online and was quick to suggest it. I began to tell Brian about the enormous burgers, challenges, and seemingly endless ways they prepare hamburgers. Like any American food loving guys we both instantly agreed to try these “legendary” burgers.

      The restaurant got its start in 1977 and soon became a local hit. To attract more consumers, the restaurant started to expand on their menu and offered giant burgers which are now the hallmark of Denny's Beer Barrel Pub. In the late 1990's the restaurant started to add 2 pound, 3 pound, 6 pound, and even a 15 pound “Beer Barrel Belly Buster” which claimed the Guinness world record for largest burger. Denny's has gained popularity in Pennsylvania and has been featured on a few TV Networks.

      The Pub is on the corner of Daisy St. in Clearfield PA. The first welcome as you arrive is a huge sign that couldn't be missed from the road in the shape of a burger. Once inside, the walls are covered with photos of attempts at the burger challenges. As we made our way into the Pub, we were greeted by staff and took our seat by the bar. Before we were able to talk about our most recent exploration, the bartender got our drink orders and provided menus. We received out food timely even-though the place was busy and had a wait at the door. The atmosphere was much like any little hometown pub with great food. We left full for a fair price and definitely wanted to come back with a group to tackle the 2lb-15lb huge hamburgers they have to offer.

Helvetia - Another mining ghost town

     Helvetia was once a company town in Brady township in Clearfield PA. The land was purchased by a wealthy banker from new york in the early 1890s. The town was made to house the 50+ workers in the near by coal mines. The company town at one time had all the infrastructure of towns today including: a church, school, general store and even a power plant to generate electricity for the mines and town. R&P took last ownership of the town and mines, and in the late 1950's the mines were officially closed. Unfortunately like many coal mining towns, new forms of energy and better opportunities lead to a steady decline in population in the town of Helevita. Now a few buildings stand and are privately owned and maintained such as the general store. A sign and a memorial to the town still exists on the old towns boundaries along the road.

      Arriving to the former town one is greeted by an ominous site of the old power plant. The buildings shell still stands behind the man-made lake that was used to generate power. Once on foot we set out towards the lake and power plant. Along the dirt paths a few remnants of sidewalks and stairs leading into long-gone doorways can be seen. Once at the lake, we met up with a local that was fishing and gave us a little direction to the power plant, as well as, other points of interest to check out. Along the way we came across remains of train cars and rails. Coal seemed to litter the top soil. We finally made it to the old power house which is now covered in vines and trees that block most of the building from the ground entrance. Once inside, much of the area was empty. On the first floor we found old coal shoots and various pipes still intact. The 2^nd floor seemed to be sturdy so we ventured up the crumbling staircase. Once we reached the 2^nd floor, grass and small plants

were growing from the floor. A crane still hung above from the roof on a rail system.

      Besides the old power plant, not much was left to explore. The old mines had been filled in. By using old photographs and current satellite images we could not find any other old structures. There are a few ways to get to the power plant, we unknowingly took the longer way. However, we could spot more of the remnants along the way. I would recommend going to see this place in early spring or late fall when its easier to get through the dense wooded areas. To get to this ghost town, just head east from Luthersburg on Helvita Road and keep an eye out for the power plant in the distance.