When it comes to Historic Sites and buildings in Pittsburgh area its Rip tear and destroy another Landmark torn out and destroyed . The Alcoa Powder Plant in Logans Ferry section of Plum Boro

Yes when it comes to preserving the past the Pittsburgh area does a horribly miserable job entire neighborhoods are gone as is most of anything from the steel era If you want to get a feel what Pittsburgh was like before the mills went down you have to drive to Johnstown Pa. or Weirton. WV.
 So it was with great sadness while driving along Coxcomb Hill Road in Plum Boro and I saw them ripping into and removing the abandoned and dilapidated  Alcoa Powder Plant
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places the plant at one time produced the powder for Fire works and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logans_Ferry_Powder_Works_Historic_District

explosives  yet after Alcoa abandoned it no one came forward in any way to try and save it at all  and use it as some type of teaching and social center etc.
and Alcoa  has all but left Pittsburgh area and devastated New Kensington when the pulled out of the plant and research center

They could not as much as put a marker in place for the men killed their from explosions in the plant

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalleymore/8090067-74/powder-works-ferry#axzz3qC80sy87

So gone is another piece of history which when historians do give its history they will not get it right as usual just like many other historic exhibits you go to see in the area they often get fact and figures wrong because no one bothered to properly document sites before they where destroyed  , and now you can add the Alcoa Powder Plant to the list.
Developers would rather have a clean pad to develop than work with existing structures they claim cost too much and are impossible to renovate which each and every contractor knows is bull shit if you really want to save a property it can be done Carlow University proved it when they rescued a house everyone said had to go. it all comes down to one word GREED  and thats what it is all about nothing else when it comes time to renovate or destroy a historic structure . 

 It is now being used by Allegheny Valley Railroad as an unloading yard for Fracking Sand for nearby gas wells

Illegal Party Site along a Natural Gas Transmission Line in Plum Boro Pa. A potential for problems ignored by Authorities and Gas Company

I was driving up Cox comb Hill from New Kensington one night around 11PM  when I saw lights from a  open top Jeep loaded with teenagers and a keg of beer  go up a  mud lane path along a High Pressure gas Transmission line in Plum Boro.

Now besides the dangers the driver put him self and passengers in climbing this 2 rut goat path there is the serious issue of hitting the pipelines various valves etc located along its path If they start a fire there is always danger of it spreading and some one getting hurt.

When I saw them going up I called Allegheny County 911 who said they would notify Plum PD and it was like no big deal . I never heard back from Plum or 911  and had something happened up top of that hill how where police and medics going to get up there .

I notified the gas company and heard nothing either. These lines come under Dept of Homeland Security rules they provide essential gas service to  Power plants  Business and homes. Yet no one seems concerned. Just a bunch of kids partying or maybe next time some one intent on causing damage.  all thats needed is a simple barrier of some type and yes they are trespassing and it is a serious manner to be looked at. But its business as usual till something goes wrong. then its duck cover and wait for the lawsuits .

 

UPDATE:  the party site is no more since a well pad has been established on property 

A very Dangerous Situation on Highland Park bridge Motorists using a non lane which is actually a road shoulder and nearly colliding with on ramp traffic from Aspinwall

I see it almost every day motorists coming from Pa 28 onto the Highland Park bridge and instead of forming one lane they think there are 2 due to bad markings and they run down it right into the full speed on ramp I have seen numerous close calls and it is just a matter of  time till some one is seriously hurt or killed .

As you can see in above picture what looks like a lane to the left it is not Penndot needs to put stripes  across it or rumble strips and do not use shoulder signs to stop this dangerous practice.  Because if you do you this unauthorized lane you end up directly in the path of the car you see to the left coming up the ramp full speed from Freeport road from Aspinwall .

There are wrecks daily with the on and off ramps to this bridge and this is just one of the dangerous situations due to people speeding onto and off of this bridge and not properly merging and driving like pigs and it needs to stop. before there is another fatal wreck

Missing / Stolen Model 1910 Mauser 6.25 mm 25 caliber fire arm - Do you collect or own old guns did you get them checked out if not you could face serious consequnces if it is stolen like one below that belonged to me

A man my wife knew Jeff  who who did some  wood  work on our house about 20 years ago  and did gun smithing as a hobby and lived on School Street in Penn Hills Pa and is now deceased . He  either lost ,sold or was otherwise stolen from him a Mauser 1910  25 caliber 6.25 mm  hand gun which I had given him to repair . aprox. 20 years ago . It was Reported Stolen  to Penn Hills Police  and not seen since.

Not a particularly expensive  or historic gun my late uncle picked it up while in Europe during the war and millions where made and many Germans carried them for personnel protection.  When my uncle died my grandfather took possession of it and knowing I was working as a guard gave it to me on my 21st birthday.

Though the gun was well made it had one fatal flaw and that was the flat springs in the gun which would frequently break and which Jeff was going to fix for me. Well he never did and kept putting me off finally admitted to me lost it in his house.   I immediately called Penn Hills  Police who took a report .

You can still buy these guns at any gun show for around $150-$500 depending on condition and certain models could go much higher if you had case etc.  mine was closer to the $150.00 dollar  more of a family heirloom than a practical gun to carry and I would like to get it back so I can pass it down .

This is a problem with these old guns are still applicable to all state and federal firearms laws just like a brand new gun  and if you bought one and did not run a back round check on it and are found in possession of one of the many stolen guns like mine you will be charged with a felony and can face 5-10 years in prison  weather you knew it was stolen or not  If you inherent or buy or other wise find an old gun and decide to keep it run it thru the local police and or gun shop and make sure it is not stolen or prepare to face the consequences. Better to turn in a gun with no consequences than face legal and jail time .