HOODLEBUG TRAIL GUIDEBOOK
...on the Path of Remembered Terrain
body’s immune system
trail’s has written “the act of remembrance affirms their value, our value, and gives us freedom from the clutches of time”.
Ed Patterson, Director Indiana County Parks & Trails
Society’s Caboose Museum
asphalt pathway that links the IUP’s main campus to its
Hoss’s Restaurant is located at the northern end of the trail. The restaurant
County Tourist Bureau provides extensive information about the County’s
selected as one of the country’s America’s P
ride ‘downhill’ to Saylor Park in (elevation 980 feet) and then slightly ‘uphill’ to
Indiana County Sheriff’s Department or the PA State Police.
and are no more than 36” in width.
tarted gettin’ cars, they didn’t need trains, or buses, or nothin’ anymore.”
“What is a Hoodlebug?”
, PA’s most
were called ‘Galloping Geese’. Galloping Geese were usually converted from
provide electricity to traction motors. The traction motors operated the car’s
‘Hoodlebugs on Two Branches’
“Two that.”
s “The Hoodlebug.”
ylvania “Hoodlebug” appeared from
It was after the park’s completion that the idea of of ‘rails to trails’ was
Pennsylvania’s first rail
“There is no use trying,” said Alice. mpossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the “When I was your age, impossible things before breakfast.”
Spring, also known as Armstrong’s
Clymer’s proposal won out
“When I hear the iron horse make the hills echo with their servants for noble ends!”
the county’s residents sub scribed $170,000 to the company’s stock. In today’s
just six months, showing how serious the county’s
section between Campbell’s Mills (near present ’s Mill
in today’s dollars)
‘Chestnut
’, although earlier the ‘Henry Clay’ and ‘United States’ locomotives had been used to haul iron and supplies during the railroad’s construction.
illustration, America’s Industrial Heritage Project.
Street, connects IUP’s south campus and hool’s classes, student ‘town complete within itself’
Bird’s eye view of John Sutton Hall and
IUP President’s Office.
1927 the school became Indiana State Teacher’s College. In
‘residence hall revival’, featuring the construction of numerous suite style
churches and other ‘character building’
1960s rock n’ roll music scene.
the ‘place to be’ for young people
Herman’s Hermits, dating to the rock n’ roll days of the
into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Notice of “Jelly Roll” Morton’s engagement
Cliffside Park was severely damaged by the 1936 St. Patrick’s Day Flood
as ‘Lucerne’ to many
store, doctor’s office, mine official houses and a ’
several of the company’s other efficient that the plant’s
diana County’s mining
‘Yankees’), to build a home here in 1882 to work as a foreman at the J.M. Guthrie sawmill. The ‘Tuck’ house is a Barletta’s, DiMarco’s,
George Clymer’s land donation in Indiana Borough it is likely Homer City w
’s sponsored by the Indiana Roadrunner’s Club. the county’s trail system on numer
located on Two Lick and is supplied by a ‘race’ from Yellow Creek.
Stewart, open a tannery and saddler’s shop.
The community’s first newspaper the
St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox
Trail is selected as name in ‘Name the T rail’ contest.
expanded the company’s market a
The “Famous Prairie State’ was
incubator box provided for the ‘highest chick vitality’. The heater on the right of the double
equipment would be the company’s
yandt’s retirement the company was
The ‘Prairie Addition’
‘paper streets’ in the nearby
other unrealized aspect of the area was “Nix Park” a park that was never
he ‘Prairie Addition’ to
“…an old story of life in the Pennsylvania
Lamar… A band of outlaws, organized by quick with a weapon, and a bit of luck. “
read ‘Laura Lamar Class of 1967’. Prior to
buildings and property. The 1936 St. Patrick’s Day flood swamped the mine and
ip’s population
wnship’s population had decreased
Graceton, Home of Indiana County’s Pioneering Coke Works
After Mikesell’s initial success the area became known as Mikesell ’s Station; iously been known as Ranson Station. Mikesell’s success caused his
one of the McCreary’s had a daughter named Grace, but that has never been
McCreary’s method of cleaning plants,
“the best country”,
More Valuable than Coral’
oral was originally known as ‘Oklahoma’ when this
town of Oklahoma was changed to ‘Coral’, would “one day be as valuable as coral”. It
McCreary’s guidance 300 coke
The town’s company houses were constructed by the Johnstown Construction The houses were rough framed in the company’
Coral was the site of a miners’
radicalism, known as the ‘Bolshevick issue’. R.E. Mikesell, local postmaster, was
‘res’ or floating on wooden planks was a popular way to idle away a hot
. One of the power plant’s most
fourth power plant, at Seward, burns waste coal from the area’s boney piles.
County’s workers
the trolley’s Two Lick Power Plant, Apple’s Orchestra. Dances were also
“The trolley system, providing frequent and easy access to the county for the comfort and commerce of all people.”
trolley’s path and plows had to go over the
Albert’s book.
. Hoy’s work, written for a ter’s thesis
County’s ability to deliver coal to markets to the north,
of BR&P’s line was double tracked.
round was a driving force behind the BR&P’s devel
needed transportation to deliver R&P’s coal to the motto of “Safety and Service”.
Santa Claus Comes to Town…
e area’s coal mines began
nxsutawney. Santa’s trip to Indiana by Troutman’s Department Store.
Troutman’s from the train statio
Bell’s Mills
as a ‘vast caravansary for the accommodation of man and beast’ due to the
’s ms that depict the town’s extensive on Blairsville’s ‘Diamond’ was
St. Patrick’s Day
“The bridge had two wagon tracks separated white and yellow.”
provided at Hoss’s Farmer’s
. Hoss’s Restaurant, adjacent to the trail entrance
esident’s home.
company’s storage buildings. Just past Lezzer
County’s ‘ Bridge to Nowhere’.
In honor of Patty’s memory,
as ‘Mazza homes’; the
Yankeetown’s original Yankee, who late
days of the town’s
‘Red Barn’ were written in large white rocks at one time
, located on the trail’s Sportsmen’s Club. Teams from the Indiana County League use
churches in the area. The congregation’s
Vintondale. A passenger train, known as the ‘Mountain Goat’, ran
ustrial heritage along the trail’s path
“Today the large coal mines, miles of railroad track, the has followed the trolley and railroad into oblivion.”
“As travelers age, we carry landscapes get infused with temporal ones…Since each day lived gets live one moment a score of times.”
The guidebook’s historical the county’s history for future generations. ’
Mr. Albert’s book an interesting part of our county’s history that is not as well
the trail into today’s conte
reconnect with my own father’s experience of working in the area’s coal mines.
father worked at numerous jobs in many of R&P’s rintendent. My father’s story i worked in our county’s coal mines –memory of the area’s coal miners, coke oven workers, factory employees and
Indiana County offers one of Pennsylvania’s most extensive park and trail
you plan your trip and enhance your understanding of the area’s rich history
trolley lines that shaped the area’s
f Pennsylvania’s longest