Valley Independent
23 September 2008
By Stacy Wolford
A local revitalization group wants to help create a Mon Valley Industrial museum and create a map for everyone using area waterways.
The Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation recently pledged its support to a regional project initiated by the Monessen Heritage Canter and Historical Society and the Mon Valley Progress Council to create the Mid-Mon Valley Industrial Museum.
The former Cooper building in the Monessen Riverfront Industrial Park is the proposed site of a Mid-Mon Valley Industrial Museum.
BARC is also in the planning stages of developing a Mid-Monongahela River Water Trail map.
Stefanie Chitester, who was recently hired through the Americorps VISTA Program to work for BARC, said she is excited about the partnerships.
"BARC believes that working on projects like the water trail and industrial museum shows both our citizens and d our our potential funders that we have what it takes to band together and get things done," Chitester said.
The industrial museum will represent communities from Brownsville to Elizabeth.
The new museum will be located in the former Cooper building in Monessen's Riverfront Industrial Park.
The museum will tell the story of coke, coal, steel, boatbuilding, glass. and other industries in the Mid-Mon Valley.
It also will feature both permanent and temporary exhibits and serve as a conduit to all the communities in the region.
Cassandra Vivian of the Monessen Heritage Center and Historical Society said organizers have renewed their efforts to open the museum thanks to the new partnership.
Vivian said they have formed a regional committee of Mon Valley organizations from Brownsville to Elizabeth and decided to meet at 5 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month.
BARC member Norma Ryan, of Brownsville, is also looking forward to the partnership.
This is a wonderful project that encourages each community to share their heritage in a common museum to enhance the story of 'The Making of America'. " Ryan said.
Mon Valley Progress Council executive director Joe Kirk echoed those sentiments.
"By working together we can have an important regional asset that will bring pride to the Mid-Mon Valley and will tell the story of our shared industrial past, present and future," Kirk said.
The museum also will feature historical industrial themes and celebrate the region's renaissance into new industries.
All Mid-Mon Valley communities are being encouraged to participate. Each of the interested organizations can appoint two representatives.
In addition to the museum project, Chitester is also busy with the Mid Monongahela River Water Trail map. She said a water trail is a map for canoeists, kayakers and other recreational users. It will list access ramps, amenities and points of interest along the river.
Approximately 15,000 will be printed with 5,000 distributed locally in the Mid-Mon Valley and 10,000 dispensed all over the eastern seaboard by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Chitester said the water trail will complete the only remaining unmapped portion of the Monongahela River, joining two existing water trail maps on the upper and lower Mon.
The Upper Mon Trail was designed and updated by the Upper Mon River Association in West Virginia. It stops at Maxwell Dam. The lower Mon is shown on the Three Rivers Water Trail, which was done by Friends of the Riverfront in Pittsburgh. It maps the river to McKeesport.
"Letters explaining the water trail project will be going out soon to the boroughs, townships, and cities along the river, inviting them to participate," Chitester said. "Although these letters will go to local governments, BARC welcomes other community organizations, such as historical societies, chambers of commerce, etc., to become involved if they have an interest."
To promote the project, BARC is hosting its first ever gSojourn on the Mon" Oct. 12.
Staff from the fish and boat commission will lead the 2-mile round trip, which will start at the Brownsville Riverside Wharf.
(For more information, call 724-785-5072.)