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Focusing on the lives
of any person or family who has lived in Little Washington,
Washington County, Pennsylvania at anytime throughout
history to recent times, through data and family stories.
NEW SEARCH BOX ADDED
McMURRAY, PA
Genealogy (often misspelled geneology) and family history
research in the area of
Little Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania from 1700 to present.
Nearest cities: Thompsonville, PA (2.2 miles ), Upper St. Clair,
PA (3.7 miles ), Bethel Park, PA (4.6 miles ), Bridgeville, PA (5.4 miles ),
South Park Township, PA (5.9 miles ), Gastonville, PA (6.0 miles ), Finleyville,
PA (6.1 miles ), Canonsburg, PA (6.9 miles ).
Latitude: 40.28 N, Longitude: 80.09 W
Merchants Move McMurray
by Judith Ann Florian
Getting to Washington Mall and the Plaza by the 1980s was often, simply, a
nightmare. If you traveled out Highland Ave. to Murtland Ave., traffic was
heavy as you passed the PA State Police Barricks and down over the hill to the
bottom traffic light. If you went from Locust St. to Oak Spring Road and
in the back way, it was easier to get into the Mall and cut across to the Plaza
through the front parking lot, but getting back onto Murtland often took several
cycles sitting at the traffic light. And, if you came off the Interstate
onto Murtland/Route 19, merging into Rt. 19 traffic was a test of bravery.
The Plaza had a K-Mart, several other stores, and a Pittsburgh National Bank
office with drive-through. I must tell a little story here. As a
brand new driver, that bank created my first encounter with the State Police.
At the time I was using a friend's car to travel between Washington and
Waynesburg. After leaving the drive-through, I got onto I-70 and took the
I-79 exit for a meeting I had in Waynesburg. It was the beginning of
winter, and my toddler was bundled in her green hooded winter coat, asleep in
her car-seat in the backseat. The music was low but tuned to my favorite
radio station and I was enjoying the independence a vehicle gives. I
caught sight of the cruiser in my rear view mirror right in the middle of the
oldies hit, American Pie. I admit, I froze a bit, immediately
dropping to 50 mph as many new drivers do when they are nervous. The
cruiser pulled into the left lane, and came along beside me, matching my speed
(which I think dropped another 5 on the speedometer). I felt and acted
like "deer caught in headlights;" I glanced sideways at the officer
but quickly looked straight ahead again. When he zoomed off, I let out the
breath I'd been holding and tried to calm my racing heart. I knew I hadn't
done anything wrong, but I'd only gotten my license a couple months before and
was very unnerved anytime I saw a cop on the road. Rounding the next bend,
though, ,my stomach re-tightened - pulled off along the median side of the road
was the officer! And as I passed by, he flipped on lights and siren!
Of course, I pulled over immediately, with thoughts racing already about what I
might have done.... did I run a red light? Weave? But my thoughts
were quickly interrupted by the Officer's loud speaker: "Show me your
hands! (Gulp! I did as he said.) With your left hand, open your door! (Oh
my God! I did.) Step out and keep your back to me! (What?! I did,
wearing only a light-weight shirt and jeans in the cold wind.) Walk
backwards towards my voice! (Tears burned my eyes. I did.) As I
neared the trunk area, he lifted my shirt, and ran his hand around my waistband.
Questions came faster than I could answer. "Where were you? Where did
you come from? Where are you going?"
As I answered, he pushed by me, looking in the back seat. Only then did I
risk asking the big question, "What did I do?" But he had turned his
attention to my license plate, brushing away the mud of Waynesburg's rural back
roads. "You gotta keep your plate clean," he barked.
"Who's car is this?" I told him I had borrowed it from a friend,
and apologized for the plate being covered with mud (technically a traffic
violation; I prayed he wouldn't ticket me). "Is that why you stopped
me?" "No! The Plaza bank was just robbed and they
reported that a white-over-blue car made their escape onto the Interstate."
"No, no officer, I was just at the bank drive-through, but I didn't rob
it." But he was already half-way to his car. "You can
go," he shouted over his shoulder. It was only as I turned around to
go back to the car that I saw what he had seen. In the backseat, the hood
of my young child's furry green coat stuck up in a point that could be seen
through the back window. She was lower than the window and couldn't be
seen. But that point on her coat sure looked like the corner of a green
bank bag! Over the next 5 miles, I was stopped three more times,
until I was in tears and begging the last officer to please put it over his
radio that I was not their fugitive!
Within a few hours, my tears had dried and my story even became humorous as I
re-told it. But, it had been so scary then, that maybe that's why I feel
kinda glad to say that the PNB branch at the Plaza is no longer open. The
bank building, along with many others there, sits empty. While Penny's and
other stores are still in the Mall next door, business had spread much farther
than when I lived in Washington!
Once one had passed the light at the bottom of Murtland, it was the last car
lot, the last fast food restaurant, and last gas station. Ahead was only
the entrance ramps back onto I-70 East before the highway overpass and West,
just past the overpass. Then there was nothing for at least a quarter of a
mile, and then, there was only a dentist office on the left and a few other
businesses.
I've not seen the area in a very long time, but I'm told that commercial sites
have been built all the wall from the other side of the overpass of I-70, and
all along Route 19. Now there are the super stores (several) and
restaurants (many). Trinity Point had been built up and merchants are the
big movers of industry and commerce in McMurray. A news article in the
Observer-Reporter within the last year or two discussed changes to Zediker
Station Road, which intersects with Rt. 19 and travels back up to Rt. 40.
I'd love to see some pictures of the area today. If you have any to share,
send them to me. And, maybe someone has knowledge of McMurray's local
history and early settlers. It would be interesting to hear about this
area as it was before 1970. I bet the changes have been huge!
SEND ME YOUR PICTURES OR MEMORIES OF
McMURRAY
PA
(washington.co.pa.webmaster@gmail.com - and put McMurray
in the subject line)
Donora Historical
Society (Est. 1946)
Regional
area of Washington County (east section)
Go Back to TownTalk
Index
Site History and Updates: Dec '05; Jan '05; Mar
'06
Email
Washington.Co.PA.Webmaster
(c) Judith Ann Florian
159 E. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
Copyright Notice - Data / info. for individuals and surnames may be
reproduced for personal family histories only, but not for any commercial use or
sale. Please give credit to Judith Florian and Catherine L. Caldwell for
locating newspaper items and original documents. You may use J. Florian's
research conclusions if credit is given. No other data or images may be
reproduced without permission. © 2005-present, Judith Florian, Copyright All
rights reserved.
This page was last updated on Friday, January 16, 2009 00:15
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The background was chosen specifically to
emphasize the matriarchal role of women in "the life" of
children and families, and the resilience of all the women of
southwestern Pennsylvania. |
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