Once again, the chill of winter has allowed the Dead Man's Hollow conservation area to fall into a seasonal slumber as the number of visitors and activity along its trails subsides.  Despite the lack of visible activity, there is still plenty that is taking place away from the empty benches and the factory ruins.  New projects and events are being discussed via email and occassionally in person next to the warmth of a glowing hearth.   Currently, the DMH website will be making a few modifications that should begin to appear over the next few weeks.  There has also been talk of launching an online  campaign in order to acquire new volunteers for the DMH Fellowship.

In addition, our friends at Allegheny Land Trust have been in contact with the Boy Scouts Of America and members who have expressed interest in assisting ALT in order to earn Eagle Scout badges.  One of the projects that began last year was the renovation of the Allegheny Land Trust's workshed and staging area near the Calhoun Road entrance.  The young man in charge of the project also built new bird houses to install throughout the preserve once warmer weather arrives.  This story and the details of this project will be featured on the DMH website later this year.   
 
A second Eagle Scout project that will certainly share the spotlight later this year is the addition of a new hiking trail in Dead Man's Hollow.  This trail, tentatively named 'The Table Rock Trail',  connects the Dead Man's Trail in the lower hollow to the Cool Spirit Trail near the Catfish Pond.   Up until this point, visitors to the area had to leave the established trails to hike from one entrance to the next.   The Table Rock Trail will most likely earn a reputation as being one of the most challenging climbs in the conservation area and will undoubtedly become a favorite of experienced hikers.

With that being noted, 2012 appears to be heading in a good direction for Dead Man's Hollow.

For the latest information on events and projects, be sure to add Dead Man's Hollow - The Official Website to your list of favorites on FACEBOOK.              

Let us take a few moments out of our day to remember those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country on that fateful morning in 1941.   

On a damp and dreary morning in late October, DMH Fellowship founder Stephen Bosnyak returned to the site of the abandon well with Richard Freese, a representative from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  Freese examined the opening in the ground and logged the coordinates into his handheld GPS unit.  He then proceeded to explain the lengthy process of 'capping' abandon wells to Bosnyak.  When asked about the possibility of the abandon well being the remains of the Snee oil derrick,  Freese was skeptical.  The D.E.P. agent's expertise led him to the conclusion that the opening in the soil was nothing more that an abandon water well.  After discussing the potential dangers and possible solutions, the two men headed out of the woods.  Freese stated that he would take the information that he had collected back to the D.E.P. and record it.  In the meantime, Bosnyak was left to continue overseeing the preparations to seal off the opening.        

While hiking on a ridge high above the hollow, Mark Huwalt of Liberty Borough spotted an unsual hole in the middle of the woods.  At first, he thought that is was nothing more than a groundhog burrow.  However, upon further inspection, Huwalt found his discovery to be quite puzzling.  The hole appeared to be some type of well.  It was between 18 to 24 inches in diameter with a drop that went straight down into total darkness.  Curiosity led the avid outdoorsman to return a short time later with a few items from his garage.  The items included a  spool of string, a lead weight and a tape measure.  After the weight was attached to the end of the sting, it was dropped into the opening.  The weight quickly decended into the unknown.  Seconds later, the sound of a splash instantly revealed that there was water hidden below.  After pulling the line back to the surface, Huwalt was able to estimate that the hole was roughy 40 to 50 feet deep to the water level.  With that, the Liberty Borough man went home and shared the news with his family.

After realizing that the hole was a potential danger to unsuspecting hunters and hikers, Huwalt returned to the well a third time to cover it with a few boards.  He followed this action by contacting  Allegheny Land Trust to alert them of the problem.  A short time later, ALT dispatched  Dead Man's Hollow site steward Stephen Bosnyak to investigate.  Once Bosnyak saw the unusual hole, he too felt that this was a threat to anyone wandering through the conservation area.  He also began to question if the Liberty Borough man had found the location of the Snee Oil Well that operated above the hollow in the late 1800s.  It was quite possible that the open well was all that was left of the forgotten operation.

Currently,  ALT officials are looking into the situation.  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has also been notified.  In addition, an effort to construct a permanent cover for the old well is underway.  Once this is complete, the DMH Fellowship volunteer network will further examine the site to determine if it truly is the Snee Oil Well.  In the event that any historical artifacts are recovered, they will be shared with the public at the McKeesport Heritage Center.

 More information and photos of this discovery will follow as soon as they become available.                        

DMH Fellowship volunteers were back out on the trails this week for a 'follow-up' project to the installation of the blue trash receptical at the hollow's main entrance.  After the trash barrel was set in place earlier this year, a minor problem was detected.  Rain water was collecting in the plastic garbage bag and being absorbed by some of the trash.  Not only was this causing the trash barrel to give off a foul odor, but it was also making the barrel an ideal breeding ground for Mosquitos.  It became quite clear that some type of  cover was needed for the barrel.

It did not take long for the volunteers to agree on a design that would allow visitors to dispose of their unwanted items without having to physically lift a lid.  A short time later,  plywood pieces were cut to size and assembled with ease.  Once the construction was complete, two coats of paint were applied before the lid was finally attached to the barrel.  Hopefully, this cover will help to keep the rain and snow from building up in the trash can.

With that, the DMH Fellowship volunteers would like to say 'Thank You'  to those individuals who continue to help remove litter from both the Dead Man's Hollow trail system  and the Youghiogheny River Trail.  Your effort makes the difference!   

Good news!  The McKeesport Heritage Center has opted to keep the Dead Man's Hollow exhibit on display until October 31st, 2011.  Highlights of this exhibit include the century old pipe remnants, volunteer group memorabilia and a scale model of the Union Sewer Pipe Company.  For more information, please contact the McKeesport Heritage Center at ( 412 ) 678 / 1832.  
            

This is an email that www.dead-mans-hollow.com received from a local resident who attended the Thomas White / Legends & Lore Of Western Pennsylvania program at the McKeesport Heritage Center on July 16th, 2011.  The website administrators thought that it was too nice of an email not to share it with others.  Portions of this message were edited to ensure the sender's privacy.

Thank you for sponsoring the very interesting Thomas White folklore discussion yesterday and, in particular, for donating gift baskets to give away at the event. I won one of those baskets and was touched by the effort you made to gather together some very useful and interesting items. What an enjoyable prize! No need for a response; I just wanted to let you know that I appreciated what you did. - Valerie 

Thanks Valerie for letting us know that you enjoyed the folklore program and the gift basket that you won in the door prize drawing.  We tried to put together a few gift baskets that would compliment the event's 'Urban Legend' theme.  Your comment let us know that we were on the right track.

Just in case you may have missed all of the other advertisements on this website... Our friends at the McKeesport Heritage Center are hosting a discussion on local folklore this Saturday, July 16th.  Guest speaker Thomas White will be examining some of the tales of Dead Man's Hollow and other local legends beginning at 2 pm.  Admission to this event is free.  For more information and directions, please refer to this website's Events page or call the McKeesport Heritage Center at ( 412 ) 678 / 1832.  Hope to see you there!