African-American Settlement in Cambria County

This Settlement was founded in the late 1790's by Edinborough Smith and William Harshberger - whose families have called the Johnstown Area home for over 200 years.










Saturday, December 21, 2013

Browns at Christmas Time


 
After working all year to spruce up the place and get the cemetery back in shape up at Brown's - the old African-American settlement. We decided to decorate the place for Christmas this year. My friends at Big City Signs in Ferndale kindly donated the large sign you see here. So we headed up a couple of weeks ago - before all the recent snow.
My favorite brother-in-law Roger bolted it to the tree. There is me as Little Red Riding Hood.
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Good ole John Smith - Civil War Vet - USCT - a man whose life centered around the mountain.
John Brown - Co. H - 4th PA Cav - Black Civil War Veteran - who joined up in 1861 - he joined up with his friend Orange Dorman - another Black Civil War Vet and they both didn't come home until the war was over.
Some of the other graves - there are at least 77 people buried here - probably more.
At least I won't have to cut grass for a while. I believe there are most likely some hidden graves behind the large trees in the back - that will be one of my first projects come Spring.
This is one of the most sacred and spiritual places on the whole mountain.
Decked out in holiday splendor and we even have some solar lights thanks to a friend of mine.
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