When it comes to taking its place in American history, Greene County is unparalleled. And it’s because of a parallel of latitude that Pennsylvania’s southwestern-most county stands above all others. The famous Mason-Dixon Line, run from 1763-67 by British astronomers and surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, ends its journey at the edge of Greene County.
Waynesburg is perhaps best known for a summer-time event, their annual Rain Day celebration on July 29. The local holiday is known around the globe and receives national attention each year as locals enjoy the festivities on High Street in Greene County’s “County Town” hoping that rain will fall from the sky, keeping a tradition alive that dates back a little over a century. But how did such a small rural community get their own holiday?
We have our share of Native American Sites to be sure. Burial grounds, carved and painted rocks and caves. But there is one amazing artifact that remains that’s been overlooked in all the histories, guide books and in our own living memory. The Indian Trail Tree.
It’s quiet down on South Richhill Street, where the train tracks encounter South Fork Ten Mile Creek in Waynesburg, and that is what makes the location so appropriate for Jennifer Adamson and her partners at Kiln to Table. The newly-inaugurated restaurant, which opened its doors on Oct. 23, might be out of sight for those passing by High Street, but that is part of the charm. The mostly silent surroundings provide customers with a space to work, study or even just enjoy a meal in a peaceful environment.
Born from a fiery gospel writ from burnished rows of steel. Smoke lay heavy under the canopy of the trees and confusion was rampant. The order to “Fire at Will” was given, and shots rang out from all directions. It was difficult to see who was on your left and right. All you had to follow were the commands from the Captain, barely audible and muffled by the sound of rifles firing.
Just before the start of the Civil War legislation was passed in Pennsylvania, and many other states throughout the country, for each county to establish houses to care and support the poor. These houses often started out as converted family homes, usually beginning small in scale and expanding greatly over time.