A trip through Painter's Run before the paved road

Excerpt from an oral history interview with Emma Hoffman recorded in January 1975

By Betty Robinson

Q. Did you ever have trouble getting there [Bridgeville] because of weather?

Emma: Oh yes, Well, you see, at that time Painter’s Run wasn’t paved, of course, and you would have to go through the Run three times from our place before you got to Bridgeville.

Q. You mean through the river.

Emma: You drive through the water and especially in the early Spring or in the wintertime, sometimes the water would be flowing over top of the ice, and the ice would have holes in it, and the horse would step down in the hole, you know.  

I remember one time my sister was teaching school in South Fayette Township, and I went down to Bridgeville.  She came down to Bridgeville on the train, and I was going down to Bridgeville to get her and I had a buggy and horse.  I must have been about 14 or something like that.  It was in the early Spring and the water was deep across the Run, and the first Run was down there by where Stampfol’s Garden Center is now, right on this side of it, was where you had to go through.  Well, the water was so deep, and I was afraid to go through and just as I was waiting there, I stopped the horse and was watching and looking to see whether I should try it or not, Mr. Tidball, who was our mailman, had a sleigh and he was coming home from delivering the mail.  So he came across the Run and the water was so high that it went in to the bottom of the sleigh, of course the sleigh was low, and he says, “Oh, I think you can make it, Emma.” 

So I told the horse to go on, and as I got just about to the middle of the Run the front wheel of the buggy fell down in a hole and the back wheel on the other side fell down, and I was stuck and the horse stopped right in the middle of the water.  Well, I got kind of seasick as the water was rushing so fast and right up above was a trestle which the railroad train went over, and I felt as if I were moving up the stream, you know, from the dizziness from seeing this water.  I guess I would have been there yet, but the horse had sense enough finally to go on, and we got across all-right.  

Well then I still had two more runs to cross before I got to Bridgeville, but we got through them all right.  So then I said to Jean, “I’m not going back that way.”  So we came back the Hill Road, which was the Noblestown McKeesport Road, which is now Cook School Road, and right up about where the old Cook School stands now, there was a great snow drift and we almost upset going through that snow drift, but we finally got home.

Image credits:
Source identifier: PC3322
Title: Margaret Gilfillan driving a horse-drawn carriage
Creator: Unknown
Description: Margaret Gilfillan and a family member drive a horse-drawn vehicle along the carriage drive next to the Gilfillan house on Washington Road, Upper St. Clair, PA.
Date: circa 1905-1910

Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Image Collection, 1875-2011, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Merry Christmas from the Past

Wishing you holiday cheer with handmade Christmas cards from the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives!

These cards were created by Margaret Gilfillan [1901-2001] circa 1930-1950.  They depict the spring house and farm buildings on the Gilfillan farm on Washington Road.

Hope you have a happy and safe holiday season, and be sure to make many memories worth preserving!

Snow Scene

From the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Image credits:
Source identifier: PC1685
Title: Gilfillan house in snow, old wide porch
Creator: Unknown
Description:  20th century photograph of the Gilfillan house on Washington Road.  When the porch was later remodeled, the width of the porch was decreased.
Date: c. 1920-1935
Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Image Collection, 1875-2011, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Christmas Greetings from 1946

From the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Image credits: 
Source identifier: PC1702
Title: Gilfillan house in snow
Creator: Margaret Gilfillan
Description: Christmas greeting card from the Gilfillan family on Washington Road.
Date: 1946
Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Image Collection, 1875-2011, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

In 1883, in Upper St. Clair...

From the daily journal entries made by John Gilfillan [1826-1885] in the year 1883.  In a small leather book entitled Excelsior Diary 1883, John would record brief notes about his farm, the travels and events of note within his family and friends, and a few financial transactions.

Let's take a peek at what happened...

October Sunday 7, 1883
All went to the sanctuary but Rob, grandmother, and Sarah Finaziem.

October Monday 8, 1883
Lovely day
Finished up potatoes in field No. 2.
Sowed two bush wheat and 4 quarts of McGehee wheat in corner nearest old house.
Rob & Alex went to town.

October Tuesday 9, 1883
Lovelier than yesterday
Raised potatoes in [truck] patch.
Ella went to town.
To cash Ella $15.00
Put on load of hay.
H. home
Picked load of apples.

October Wednesday 10, 1883
Jim Rankin took three horses [illegible]
Billy had the two charlies.
7 barrel apples 3 band potatoes
To repair to harnes .90 cts
expenses 85 cts
By cash for apples and potatoes $18.00

October Thursday 11, 1883
Billy hauled 50 bush coal for himself and To cash Billy $7.00
put on load of hay. H. home
Jim R. fixed up hog pen.
John Willson and Mrs. Porter came out this evening.
Alex and Maggie went over to Uncle Wills to hear a base drum play.

October Friday 12, 1883
warm
sent Dave to mill 12 bush wheat
had on 3600 lbs hay to car stables
expenses 65 cts
Alex and I went over to [Langs]
told Arthur about taking back the farm in the spring.
J. Rankin got 105 lbs ham.
got Buck at Bridgeville.

October Saturday 13, 1883
warmer
Mother, Retta, Sara, and John and I went to Uncle Thoms.
Rob came back with us.
drove the two charlies

On this day 130 years ago...

This post is the first of many to highlight the daily journal entries made by John Gilfillan [1826-1885] in the year 1883.  In a small leather book entitled Excelsior Diary 1883, John would record brief notes about his farm, the travels and events of note within his family and friends, and a few financial transactions.

Let's take a peek at what happened...

On October Thursday 4 1883

[illegible] and daughter, H. Murray and Laura, Ella, Alex, Rob and I all went to the fair.
drove [illegible] spring wagon.
came back to gas well at 6 o.clock.
got to Hicory 1/2 [illegible].
7- had supper stayed all night
very tired
extra for sundries

October Friday 5 1883

This entry consists of John's transactions from the day, such as, "By cash for load of apples about 25 bush $15 50" and "To cash paid hotel bill five dols"

October Saturday 6 1883
[illegible] sheep frame
very much pleased with my purchase all round

Party Time in Upper St. Clair

With fall here, we will likely see cooler weather before too long, which for many people means spending more time indoors.

Before televisions, gaming consoles, and computers, what did Upper St. Clair residents do to pass the time? A hundred years ago, friends and neighbors would get together on occasion and throw a house party.

According to a 1975 interview with Emma Hoffman [1903-1982], the small youngsters, as she called them, would go into a room at parties so that they could play games, pop popcorn, make taffy, etc. away from the hustle and bustle of the older "youngsters."  The older age group would usually dance, and the older men played euchre on occasion.

What does a house party look like? The interviewer asked Ms. Hoffman, "How did they dance in the homes? Did they just roll back the rug, or what did they do?"

Ms. Hoffman replied, "Well, they either danced on the carpet, or we had a piece of muslin that they used.  Of course, the carpet was from wall to wall, they didn't have rugs then, it was mostly carpeted, and to make it slide easily, they would put this muslin over top of the wool rug.  There was always somebody in the party who played the violin or played the piano."

Ms. Hoffman goes on to explain that these events were family gatherings. "It was a family type activity- children, all ages, would go with their parents to different houses."  Even though dancing was the highlight of the evening, the young folks didn't think too much about dancing with the right guy or gal.  They were just there for an evening of fun with other local families.  The young folks didn't go out in couples but came with the entire family for what sounded like a good time for all.  "A crowd of us would get together and we had square dancing and round dancing."  If during the wintertime someone's house wasn't available to host the dancing party, Ms. Hoffman says they would travel to Castle Shannon to the dance pavilion at Grove Station.

While you might not roll out the muslin fabric for smooth dancing this winter, we hope you have a few fun family gatherings of your own to look forward to as the chill begins to set in.

Image from the Archives of the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair. 
20120210-hpicusc-0020. A group photograph with corn husks ca. 1910-1930. Unknown creator. Possibly those pictured were members of the McEwen family.