Burrell+turns+50

 =Burrell turns 50 = By Alina Phillips Editor In Chief

A drive-in, a beach, and a pink pig are not normally things that would come to mind when thinking about Burrell. Surprisingly, these are all associated with Burrell’s past. Burrell may not seem to be all that interesting but this little town has a lot of history running back centuries. Since Burrell celebrated its 50th birthday, it only seemed fitting to describe what it was like in the past.

The area of Burrell has not just been here for 50 years, it has actually been here for centuries. The area was inhabited by the Allegewi Indians, which is how the closely located Allegheny River received its name. As everyone has learned in their history classes, Pennsylvania was named after William Penn who was given the land of Pennsylvania by the King of England. Burrell has not always had this name. One of Burrell’s history teachers, Mrs. Prather, knows some important facts concerning Burrell, “Up to 1852, Allegheny Township took up the entire northwestern corner of Westmoreland.”

This means that even though Burrell is now apart of Westmoreland Township, it used to be considered part of Allegheny Township. In 1769 John Little paid our state $181.76 for the area that is now Parnassus. Little named Parnassus after a mountain in Greece according to the City of Lower Burrell 40th Anniversary booklet. This book also refers to Burrell’s neighboring city of New Kensington as being named Hermitage and later the area of Arnold was purchased.

During the Revolutionary War, Fort Crawford was created near Puckety Creek. One interesting fact involving the area surrounding Burrell was an Indian attack during the Revolutionary War against women and children in the Valley area.

Following the war, a canal along the Allegheny River was completed. Present day Pittsburgh from Burrell only takes around forty minutes depending on the traffic but when the canal was completed it took ten hours from Valley to Pittsburgh.

One very important person that relates to the history of Burrell is its namesake, Judge Jeremiah Burrell. The citizens of Allegheny Township wanted a new township near their own. Thus, Burrell Township was then formed. The division took place in 1879. As residents of Burrell know, there is an upper and lower part of our township. The division of Burrell took place in 1879. The eastern part of Burrell is considered the upper part whereas the western part is considered Lower Burrell.

Another important part of Burrell is Kinloch. It was named after Henry Kinloch who owned the mines in that area. The area eventually developed because it was a major mining town; houses and businesses were created for the mining families. Two tragic mining events occurred. One explosion took place on February 14, 1928 when an explosion killed thirty-four men. The City of Lower Burrell 40th Anniversary booklet also states that “there was never any record kept of who was working in the mine at this time, so for this reason it is possible that some of the bodies may still be buried in the mine.”

Another explosion occurred on March 14, 1929 that killed one hundred and twenty-nine men. The mine officially closed in 1936 and since the Valley Camp Coal Company owned the area, it was sold to the residents of the Kinloch area.

Lower Burrell became more residential in the 1940s when the first homes were built on Arizona Drive. Stewart School opened in 1931 followed by the creation of Glade View School which was created in 1949 on Iowa Drive. The middle school was built in 1960 followed by the high school being built in 1964. Lower Burrell became an official city on January 12, 1959. The first mayor of Burrell was Earl F. Hill.

Burrell also had many fun attractions back in the day. There was Braeburn Beach which people swam in. The beach was the Allegheny River. According to Mrs. Prather, there was a drive-in located at the present day location of J.C. Penny’s and Ward’s space. There was also a restaurant called The Pink Pig on Wildlife Lodge Road. The restaurant was create in 1969.

Burrell keeps many traditions according to Prather, “there are the parades, Community days, and strong sports traditions.” As a graduate of Burrell, Mrs. Prather states that the one thing she saw in the past of Burrell that she would like to see return is “the pride come back to the school.”

Prather also said that it is important to learn the history of Burrell because “it is very interesting, plus it is important to know the history of where you live.” Burrell may seem like a small town, but we are a strong community that has much history associated with it.

Sources: City of Lower Burrell 40th Anniversary