This past weekend the Wild West came to life at the Old Bedford Village in Bedford Pa. With reenactments of historical events that took place in the Wild West. The village was filled with Cowboys, Outlaws and Law Men. There was gunfights on the streets and stage coach rides through the town. Blacksmiths were hard at work as well as the tin smith, candle maker, bakery and of course the General Store was open for business. Here are a few of the photos I took during my visit on Sunday.
Yesterday was a fairly nice day, as far as weather goes, so I decided to take a ride. I live in the Laurel Highlands area of Pennsylvania so with a quick ride to our mountain and I was able to find ice and snow.
It really does a person good to just get out and enjoy nature.
Here are a few of the scenes from my ride.
Recently my camera club and I took a trip to Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh Pa. We enjoyed some of the nice weather we were having as well as some much needed time in the outdoors with friends. Some friends which I had not seen in person in over a year.
So here are a few of the photos I took during our outing to the Allegheny Cemetery.
So I’ve been working on some new things as photography has become a little stale to me. I’ve always been fascinated by video and now even more with the purchase of a drone.
So it’s a new challenge for me and something to learn and practice everyday. I haven’t given up on photography, I’m just adding a different type of photography to my passion.
Below are a couple of the videos I did recently hope you enjoy them. Just remember this is a new venture and I’m still in the learning process.
The video above is of Wharton Iron Furnace located in Fayette County, Pa. The furnace, built by Congressman Andrew Stewart, ran from 1839- 1850 producing cast iron. During the civil war the furnace produced cannon balls.
Above is a video of the Watering Trough park on the National Road in Fayette County.
The Watering Trough started as a house after the Revolutionary War. Eventually developing into a restaurant which lasted well into the late 1990’s. The new park is a great little spot to have a picnic and enjoy the some of the great history that Fayette County has to offer. The Park is located on Route 40, West, below Jumonville Road and the Summit Inn.
I hope you enjoy my video from up in the air as well as a walk around the park.
For more videos like this and some from my other hobby RC cars and trucks check out my YouTube channel.
Uniontown, Pa founded on July 4, 1776 by Henry Beeson. In the early part of the 19th century the National Road was routed through Uniontown which allowed the town to grow as the road did.
Over the years Uniontown has played a role in numerous historic events, from being a stop on the underground railroad for slaves fleeing north for their freedom to the violent coal miners strike in 1894 which resulted in five dead and eight wounded.
During the early part of the 20th century, Uniontown was home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States.
From 1916 to 1922 Uniontown was also home to the Uniontown Speedway which was a wooden track over a mile long.
Uniontown was also the birthplace of the Big Mac which I’m sure you all have eaten at least once.
The photos below are from a few places in the city including the Fayette County Courthouse, Elks Lodge, the County Building, and a few other places.
(Information for this post was found on The City of Uniontown page)
Visiting places of historical value is something that I enjoy very much in my life. Especially if they are historical to my local area. I’ve visited this place on more than one occasion and feel that it is worth another post.
The WA Young Machine shop was built in 1900 by William A. Young in a little town along the Monongahela River called Rices Landing. In 1908 they added the foundry and in 1928 electricity was added. The foundry and machine shop continued to service the town and steamboats on the river until it’s closure in 1965. They were known for making parts for the boats from scratch utilizing the wood shop to make molds, the foundry to pour the pieces and the machine shop to finish the product. A truly invaluable service along the river for steamboats carrying goods up and down the river.
Today you can visit this machine shop and listen to the stories about the place from the gentleman that keep it going today. (Once we get through the lock down) Take a look at some photos from my last stop and also take a look through my blog for other post about this place.
For more information about the machine shop visit the Rivers of Steel Website here: WA Young Foundry
The Hotel Belvedere was built in 1905, by an immigrant from Switzerland, Joseph Gianini. When the hotel was built it was across the railroad tracks from a railroad station.
The hotel originally had a candy store and ice cream parlor on the first floor with the upper floors as the guest rooms. Eventually the first floor turned into a bar and the rooms apartments. In 1979 Lanna Planitzer purchased the hotel with the hopes of restoring it to it’s former self. That having proved to be too much of a financial burden for her. She did however live in the hotel until it was condemned in 2017.
I had the chance to visit the hotel last year not long before the place caught fire and burned to the ground. I truly wish that we could have seen this place when it was in it’s heyday. I can only imagine how nice the hotel would have been.
Information for this post was found in a post from the Apollo Area Historical Society, for more photos and information please visit their site at: www.apollopahistory.com
A few times a year I take a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo to do a little photography. And recently I made another trip with a great group of friends from the Westmoreland Photographers Society. The difference and challenge I faced this year is that I have decided to only produce photos in black and white. So instead of looking for the colorful birds I was paying more attention to highlights and shadows. I’ve decided to work only in black and white to help myself look for the light and composition that will bring impact to the subject and photograph.
I hope you enjoy the Pittsburgh Zoo in black and white.
In 1900 William A. Young built a machine shop along the Monongahela River in a little Pennsylvania town named Rices Landing. Eight years later the machine shop was expanded to add a foundry and in 1928 electricity was added to the shop. From the beginning the shop has been primarily run by a single engine using an elaborate system of pulleys and belts, which is still in use today. The foundry and machine shop continued to service the local town and steamboats on the river until its closure in 1965. Today the foundry is listed on the National Historic Landmark and is open to the public on Sundays for tours. For more information take a look at their website below.
Below are some photos from my most recent trip to the foundry.
From time to time we should all take a moment and look up into the sky and think about the vastness of the universe. Many live in cities and towns and never have the chance to see the sky from a truly dark place where you can see so much with the naked eye. But I highly recommend taking the time to go visit an area where you can look into the sky and see the stars. These photos were taken a few nights ago while on a Milky Way walk with some old friends and a few new ones as well.
Go outside and look up….
2Eight Photography 