The Eerie Abandoned Neighborhood of Lincoln Way
Check out everything new thing new going on over at my Instagram – @scrap_brain
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if you fast-forwarded into the distant future only to find yourself standing in the middle of post-apocalypse? Set aside a main road in Clairton, Pennsylvania, this strange world actually exists, sitting quietly on each side of a cracked and forgotten neighborhood street. So what exactly happened on Lincoln Way that made everybody abandon their homes in such a mad dash? What kind of stories sit buried in the remnants left behind by each family previously inhabiting these 16 houses? Was it a matter of fear as urban legends state, or simply the environment? Asking local authorities, or even the locals surrounding town, you can never exactly get a straight answer, while most will avoid answering completely.
A long section of coke piles spans the foreground where a US Steel plant sits, stationed directly across the forgotten neighborhood street of Lincoln Way. I know I use the word forgotten a lot, but perhaps this space wasn’t as much forgotten as it was intentionally blocked out of people’s minds. A very strange silence filled the atmosphere as I walked the entire street examining each and every one of these dilapidated homes. Treacherously wandering through the snow, unaware of what sat beneath a blanket of white powder; nails, needles, glass and holes, I made my way up to one porch after the other, taking a journey inside and attempting to find any remaining pieces of past lives. I was completely FLOORED by what I had found in each one, or at least in most of them, since some of them were lacking any floors at all. As I walked a broken snow-covered street with wild wreckage leaning overhead at either side of me, it came to my attention that there were small sinkholes scattered through various parts of the land.
As I walked along avoiding holes, I continued to find my way up to one porch after another, each time looking back and staring down a strange, quiet neighborhood. What’s even stranger is the fact that inside it’s as if everyone had left in such an insane hurry, as beds were left made neatly, food was scattered, dishes still in cabinets, some in the sink, family photos hung, books remained on shelves and clothes were still picked out for the next day, which sadly never came for them. In one house, even a car remained parked neatly in the garage, now covered in years of dust.
Some homes have been rotting years longer than others. A few of the homes on this block housed elderly people, some of whom ended up passing away with little to no family left and for whatever reason, nobody bothered to clean out any of the houses. One particular structure has sat vacant since 1972, after the final remaining tenant; a woman by the name of ILem White died, leaving behind all furniture and other belongings, much of which is still sat to this day. After 40 plus years of nature taking over, floors and foundations can grow very weak, and should not be taken lightly…no, they should not be taken at all, because even lightly can end up quite horribly. As my friend attempted to stand atop a bookshelf to get a shot on the second story, both bookshelf and floor below it began to give away falling into the basement. Thankfully my friend jumped back and remained unharmed. I had experienced a folly of my own when climbing a bed to take a photograph. I thought it would be incredible looking down at how the room had completely collapsed right at the beds edge viewing from atop the mattress. As I attempted a very awkward hop up to the bed, my boot caught bed sheets and became entangled, pulling me back and shifting my weight as the floor bowed beneath the bed and myself. Thankfully, I was able to catch myself, because I was not in the right mood to fall 3 stories into a basement that day. I got the photo and quickly made my way back to the stairs along what could not have even been a foot length worth of floor to work with looking over the edge.
Standing at the entrance of this neighborhood street was like facing the frontlines of post-apocalypse, staring down what the world has become after most of us have gone. Toxic fumes poured from the US Steel plant behind where I stood. Some believe that the fumes may have aided in creation of these sinkholes, while others believe it to have been a combination of a gas leak alongside the fume-contaminated soil below. A gas leak is a good place to start, considering there were gas leaks reported on October 11, 2006 at 6:30pm – these were reported only shortly before the entire block had become completely abandoned. Upon confronting some of the structures burned, it had become obvious that there had been quite a few fires over time, one fire in particular occurring on November 7, 2006 at 2:16 am. The final unit was cleared at 2:35 am.
An urban legend remains stuck to the crushed and ruptured asphalt of this eerie neighborhood, and considering how incredibly quiet everybody is about its history, it might not even be far from truth. Though it is not my own story, I will do my best to retell the legend in my own words.
It’s hard to truly conclude what is fact or fiction with Lincoln Way, but the legend tells of a creature; something not human, but unlike any animal that it could be compared to. People claimed that this creature would torment residents, while pets would go missing, later found disfigured and maimed at the forest’s edge surrounding town. Aside from mangled pets, gardens would be found torn to shreds by bigfoot-size paws, far too large to belong to any animals native to Pennsylvania. People would sometimes talk of the creature thumping, rattling and scratching at the sides of their homes.
In one incident, a young man and his friend ventured to the neighborhood at night in an attempt to debunk the legend, only soon finding that they had made a horrible mistake. Parking their blue pickup truck at the beginning of the street, they set out determined to explore and prove the legend wrong. As they ventured through each house, noticing how all items from family photos to neatly made beds remained, the sun slowly went down outside. Suddenly, right upon their exit, they heard three long scratching sounds followed by a loud ‘BANG!’ Noticing it was coming from behind a house, one of the two decided it would be worthy of checking out, still wanting to prove everyone wrong. Sneaking to a backyard where the noise was coming from, he inched his way, back against the house’s side, slowly making his way toward the noise. He could hear something large creeping towards him through the tall grass, when suddenly a deep and hellish growl brought him to full attention. Now staring at the wicked beast, he could see that it stood on all fours, as big as a horse with what seemed to be thick black hair covering it’s entire body. Noticing that the beast had razor sharp claws longer than fingers and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, all he could do was stand completely silent in horror. Becoming suddenly spooked by one more growl, he dropped the flashlight and immediately began a sprint back towards the truck, diving in as fast as he could.
Legend says that the beast is not alone. When they had turned their truck around, for a moment the headlights faced the forest and pointed into the trees, revealing numerous sets of blood red shining eyes in the darkness of night.
This story led to the belief that the street was abandoned out of pure fear. As the creature’s torment began to escalate, a very dark terror began to sweep in and the numbers began to drop. At first, only a couple of people left, one other dying from what was thought to be just old age. Pretty soon, fear became far too great and the entire remaining community decided to pick up and leave as fast as they possibly could, without saying a word. When you’re scared to near death, faced with what seems like a demon spawned from hellfire, it’s kind of difficult to pack your Kudos bars and Spongebob DVDs, let alone couches and chairs.
We may never be quite completely certain as to why Lincoln Way was left the way it was in such a blind hurry, but it makes for a very eerie, interesting mystery. Who knows why the city won’t say a word, and who knows why neighboring areas are so shy about it? Is it out of fear, or something else?
Very often, I’m asked what gear I use for my photography, videography, etc. Questions ranging from what type of camera/cameras I use, what lenses I use, backpacks, memory cards, even what type of laptop I recommend, or what type of introductory camera I recommend…all that stuff, and more!
Well, of course I love to recommend camera gear or adventure gear that I trust and love, so at the end of each post I create here on my blog, I like to give a bit of a run-down on gear I use almost all the time!
So here it is! My entire (or most of it) list of photography/editing/adventure gear that I use.
My Camera (Sony a7riii) – https://amzn.to/2AFtzQv
Alternative Camera – https://amzn.to/2VHjR9h
Theta 360 Camera – https://amzn.to/2CaRwzm
Sandisk Memory Cards – https://amzn.to/2SN5sX6
Sony 16-35 4.0 – https://amzn.to/2HgLFhN
Zeiss 55 1.8 – https://amzn.to/2SK4Dys
Zeiss 85 1.8 Batis – https://amzn.to/2SNRQLm
Laowa 12mm 2.8 Zero-D – https://amzn.to/2AESLXD
My Favorite Backpack – https://amzn.to/2RKTi44
Tripod 1 – https://amzn.to/2SKxxON
Tripod 2 – https://amzn.to/2M2gUM6
MSI Laptop (great for editing, & much more) – https://amzn.to/2shGfZn
My e-books – https://amzn.to/2Bumcwo
Hardcover books and prints available at – www.oddworldstudio.com
Totally freaky and wicked cool! I read about the urban legend here http://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/2537s3/the_beast_on_lincoln_way/
Do you believe?
This is such a weird story of how the journalists saw a monster of some sort and it had red eyes (literally crying). The houses on Lincoln Way were so misterious of how they had the sinkholes im so sad for the families. The US Steel was probabky not the problem i dont know my dad works for them and i dont think it would be the companys fault
You are very brave taking these photos. I am thinking mine subsidence? Never heard of this legend or of this forgotten neighborhood, really made me ponder the possibilities. Superb photography. I viewed it twice, because your photos actually says wastelands to me. Very interesting.
Yeah sorry to burst your bubble, whoever you spoke to gave you invalid information . It is not a neighborhood it is a street in another neighborhood, the reason for the sinkholes is simply from the mines underneath this whole town, the people left because they were paid to because of a road expansion that was supposed to go through there which it never has. All the junkies tore the houses apart looking for stuff to sell another reason the rest of the people left, the eldery went to care homes therefore no longer needing half their stuff left it there. Theres no mystery and no urban legend sorry!!!!
That is some very interesting information! I have read so many different stories, it is so hard to pin it. I even asked some city people and they completely ignored. The urban legend was one that I had heard online, and of course an urban legend is simply a made-up story (usually) of a creepy or interesting place. It may go down forever as that creepy place, who knows.
Urban legend or not, great pictures and cool story!!
Thank you Tracy! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I lived on Virginia Drive from birth to age 21. all the kids were in the woods a lot of the time building shacks running just chillin. In the mid 1970’s there were some animals in the neighborhood that were mutilated. Family pet of my neighbor who still live on Virginia Drive. It was found out to be a pack of wild dogs. While in the woods at around the age of 7 most of us were 6 7 8 years old I can remember walking through the woods and there was what looked like a tunnel made out of Jagger bushes. When we got close there was a deep low growl. We all just ran out to where my backyard abutted the woods. No harm no one saw anything. We did find a lot of arrow heads made of stone. Occasionally late at night I would open my bedroom window and sometimes I could hear drum beats. I haven’t been back their since I was 21. 24 yrs…and am shocked over the pictures of dilapidated homes. Sad to see.
It would be great (if possible) to interview some people about this location and get the most factual information as possible. I would love to make a complete documentary on it! Please let me know if this could be possible. I can be reached at urbexus@gmail.com
Yea I grew up on this street lived there for about 18 to 19 years an all this shit is bullshit nobody was payed to leave most people own there house there move an used it as storage an just never needed to return for it like me an my family that lived there an my toys I didn’t need to go back for because I was grown wen I moved an most people moved because theres nothing really in that town they moved closer to there jobs an used there old house for storage because they couldn’t take everything with them an one lady that I knew was a hoarder an died her family came an got what they could an wanted an left the rest an the street just grew in an sick holes opened up so why would anybody else wna move there an its not haunted nothing scary about it unless your scared of the dark an falling in a hole other than that I had a blast when I lived there u can ask everyone I knew that lived around Wilson that knew me because they would all come down there to hang out so stop making shit up an talk about shit u don’t kno nothing about an squatters did not start the fires the cops did I witnessed it only people that were scared to go there were people that were scared of my pit bulls or people who didn’t kno were they were that’s all that other shit if u didn’t live then shut the fuck up cuz u don’t kno what ur talking about thanks an if someone got paid to leave let me kno who it was I want my 💰 lol
Why do you have to swear and talk such trash?? And you wonder why no one cares. Smh
Apparently they didn’t have a school nearby either. That whole post was a mess.
Apparently they didn’t have a school nearby either. ^^^That whole post was a mess.^^^
Nice Grammer, can’t spell, can’t articulate, Go back under your rock
Really? Can’t spell, can’t articulate, ” cuz, kno, u, ur, an, wen,wna” you’re not texting, this requires real words, not getto abreviations
Learn how to spell so people can actually take you serious.
If you’d actually take the time AND spell correctly and used proper grammar, then maybe people would actually take you serious.
This is crazy. I always said there is a dark cloud over this town. I stay away as much as possible just for that reason. Although I have family there. One thing I ‘ve notice is a lot of the people there are hush hush don’t tell don’t believe it kinda people. Surprisingly a friend of the family told me years ago she saw with her own two eyes This Bigfoot! And she up and moved to another state said noone believe her she was laughed at.There’s no doubt in my mind this isn’t true! Not to mention this world is getting worst believe it or not.This is only the beginning of what is yet to come! We ain’t SEEN NOTHING YET!
isnt it that centralia?
No Centralia is another abandoned town. And despite the urban legends, there is nothing paranormal about Centralia. I grew up there, and despite a constant stream of ghost hunters, the story of Centralia is about human failure, and not one of the other-worldly.
Even if people were paid to move, they wouldn’t take personal property?, same for any Elderly who may have had to move.
I lived in the Wilson area of Clairton till 1971 and never heard of anything going on there like what is being mentioned here or paranormal or eerie going on there. I still have slot of friends in the city that have never said anything. Grew up with friends in school from there and they never mentioned any of this. It’s a dead end street with nothing but hillsides on both sides with a poor economy. Clairton is not what it used to be years ago when all the were going strong but I still consider it my hometown. Will root for the Clairton Bears always.
Indeed, it is very difficult to find much information, so I went off of news stories and fire reports from 2006. As for the urban legend, it is something that has been getting passed around and of course I found it interesting and creepy. Urban legends of course are (usually) made up stories normally about creepy or interesting places. 🙂
Where are you getting these posts date 29 January 2015 when it is only 11:56 PM across the river on the 28 January 2015.
This happens so often.. as being from an abandoned town myself, I see it..
I didn’t see here much history about this street . I was always told by my father that the homes on this street were all built by the steel mill in the early teens. They were company houses built to house their black employees. They were built in this hollow because at that time there was segregation. The houses were all built as duplexes which made them very small. Most had been opened up be a single units years later. When built none of them had bathrooms. The first house on the right when entering the street was a Community bath house for all the residents of the street, later the bath house was converted into a home . A law was passed I believe sometime in the30s that companies could not own the residents of their employees and the houses were sold off. This was also the case of most of the other homes in Wilson ( new town). That’s all I have.
It would be great (if possible) to interview some people about this location and get the most factual information as possible. I would love to make a complete documentary on it! Please let me know if this could be possible. I can be reached at urbexus@gmail.com
I am also from Wilson. Where is Lincoln Way?
It’s right past the VFW on 837.
I hope my comment didn’t post twice but Dolores Lincoln Way is right past the VFW on 837.
over the hil from Massachusetts Ave.
These pictures are very pretty. I have been inside the houses multiple times in the past, and after doing some research myself, I have come to understand that the street is abandoned because the state bought the homes in order to use the location as a future access ramp for Route 43. Pretty plausible explanation, I think…but its fun to imagine the other reasons for this 🙂
Thank you! And indeed, I will be making a separate edit once more and more information is compiled (nothing I post here is truly a FINAL edit or complete section) And of course I feel the same way! Who doesn’t like a good little urban legend? Creepy and interesting, of course not true 🙂
While I can understand the street being uninhabited because of the state’s expansion plan, I don’t see how this explains why the houses all look like everyone just left in a hurry. If this reason were valid, the families would have had plenty of time to look for a new place to live, pack, and move… Its not like they just went off to work and school one day, the state bought the houses, and they were never allowed to return home again.
Awesome article & really cool pictures. And as an urban exploration buff & paranormal junkie myself, it is nice/neat to imagine that there is some sort of supernatural, otherworldly explanation for this…But, like others have already mentioned, the reasons are actually very mundane, very common, & very familiar to anyone living in SW PA — Mine subsidence issues & urban sprawl/road expansion issues. Old mill towns are dying piece by piece, collapsing street by street, as people leave the industrial wasteland & bolt for the ever-expanding suburban wasteland. This same thing is happening out near where I live in the South Hills. Between Bridgeville & Canonsburg (2 mill towns that have managed to survive), also as a result of the Mon-Fayette Expressway project, there is/was a 2-3-5 mile long stretch of abandoned homes in Cecil & South Fayette which were bought up by the state as right-of-way for a stretch of the highway that is supposed to go all the way out to the airport someday. They are finally tearing all these homes down, but they sat & sat for years, like a suburban ghost town.
That is awesome and sounds like they would have been very cool to see. I love ghost towns and the stories that can surround them. I have been learning quite a bit more about this specific location as more people have come forward and explained a bit more on why it was left. I could not get an answer from anyone in town :/ they are probably sick of hearing about it.
Lincoln Way was a street occupied by hard working people. Most were deeply religious and attended church regularly. On any given Sunday you would have found this street abandoned also, between the hours of 9-2, church service hours. They were everyday people. Some colorful characters came from Lincon Way. Being one of the last parallel, running streets in the City of Clairton, gave it a seperate identity. Everyone identified themselves from a section of the city, Down the Hill(Blair), Up the Hill(Millvue Acres), The Terrace(Woodland Terrace), The Circle(Constitution Circle), Park Avenue, Wrightsville,Honkeytown, etc. Lincoln Way was like an island, it was the sole area where African Americans lived in a largely European section of town mainly Slovaks,Hungarians,Italians,and Greeks inhabited the area. So, the kids wouldn’t identify with Wilson, they would say I am from Lincoln Way. Some very intelligent and gifted people, were raised on this street, some I know, A Doctor, Lawyer, talented Musicians, Painter’s, Carpenter’s Mechanics , Electricians,Teacher’s, Social Worker’s and anointed Evangelist and Elder’s ministers of the Gospel, everyday people. Mine subsidence is a problem all over Western Pa. Now I know for a fact, there were quite a few big German Shepherd type dogs on the Street. That was the breed of choice back in the day. So our legend said a Big ferocious dog roamed the area. One reason people who didn’t live there, didn’t just venture there, the street lights only went so far and it was a dead end, one way in, one way out. If you came to this street, everyone knew you were there, had to go tothe end of the street to turn around, and it was pitch black back there. We also had the girl who roamed River Road(Rte. 837), she died in a car accident and would leave a wet spot on your seat if you picked her up.lol We also had the Chain Man and Hobo Pete, they were confirmed real. This is just another example of government urban redevelopment, gone wrong. Most people I know would not have left, too many memories. These, housss were left to them and they were paid, no mortgage.Rent free living. The street was quiet and peaceful. True, the population reflected the second oldest population, behind the state of Florida. So, some houses were not necessarily abandoned,but mired in estates, not properly escrowed. When all is said and done it was a great place.
Thank you for all of the information James! This will definitely help for when everything is edited up later on and especially for the video we will be working on. If possible, it would be great to maybe sit down and get a small interview of anything you may know? If that would be okay with you, please let me know.
…
Ok The reason most people left was because the mill which was our money maker in this town downsized, thus this street lincoln ave which was built for the families of the mill they left for other jobs. So then only a few houses were occupied that in turn brought in the people on drugs looting these houses, another reason some of the other people moved. Then you have an expressway that was supposes to go through there, it did not. I live right above this so called haunted road, if the city was tight lipped which i dont see how but maybe because its not true. There im someone that lives in the neighborhood, and people around here which im sure you haven’t spoken to anyone around here would probably laugh right in your face. Oh and the fire was started by a squatter!
Wow, Some People Are So Rude.
This Is An Awesome Photojournalism Piece. Regardless Of The Urban Legend Actually Happening Or Not, Because That’s What An Urban Legend Is Something That May Have Happened But Can’t Be Proven. The Photos Themselves Tell A Great Story Of A Town That Once Was. And I Say Town Because The Whole Town Of Clairton Was Booming When The Steel Mills Were Booming And Now A Lot Of The Town Is Left Boarded Up. But Not Quite As Desolate And Interesting As This street. Great Piece.
Indeed! Thank you! An urban legend is 98 percent of the time a false story simply spread to tell a story, raise interest in a specific interesting place. Of course it’s not true (I don’t believe it) but hey, it adds to the imagination. It was however difficult to find much information on why exactly it was left, everyone still saying differing stories, but I feel I have learned just a little bit more into the story, so that is definitely a step in the right direction! I’m glad you liked the photos though 🙂 Thank you!
Maggie, you sound angry.
Wow amazing my grandmother was a resident there Helen osborne it’s really deep how the front page is my grandmothers home and that horse was mine smh this is really deep ………
That is really wild. If it’s not too sensitive of a subject, when we begin a video documentary on this location, if possible would you be okay with speaking on a short piece of video about this place? I want to get as much as I can and create a full video and edit the written piece on WHY exactly it was left, what life was like there, etc. etc.
I posted a long comment, for some reason it didn’t show up. I lived on Virginia Drive from 1970 to 1991. Birth till age 21. We spent a lot of our time in the woods. My neighbors dog was killed we found him on the street just torn apart. It was later found to be a pack of wild dogs. The only thing that was spooky that I could think of was a few Times in the middle of the night (my bedroom window faced backyard which abutted the woods, I could hear faint drum beats. We found a lot of arrowheads in those woods. Once at ages I thought were,younger, but now I remember I had to be at least 12, a group of us set out to chill in the woods. We came across a tunnel made of thorn bushes. I tried stepping into it…we heard a deep,low growl and first instinct for everyone was to run. I remember jumping through 1 of those really thick vines falling and having a along thorn go up through my braces and stab the inside of my lip.
Mitzi, I knew your grandmother as she lived a few doors up from my grandfather Herman Everson… I called and still call Linoln Way home…
I took a photo of a door that had W J Everson on it. If it’s okay with you, can you please email me at urbexus@gmail.com
I am trying to speak with as many people as I can that have or hold any history through there. I want to make a proper documentation on this place and I would love to hear these stories and history.
This was painful to read. Please get an editor, or better yet, stick to taking pictures and never pick up a pencil again.
Officials aren’t tight-lipped; they just don’t care. This is the least of Clairton’s worries.
This is simply another casualty of the steel industry leaving The Mon Valley. These people took the money and ran. Even though the Rt 43 ramp never happened, they were lucky to get the offer from the state. I am sure these homes would not have sold otherwise.
Samuel this was typed on a keyboard.
WOW Sammy. Really?? Smh
I grew up on Lincoln way. There were no monsters and no creatures. W moved because it was time to. No body paid anyone to move,we just did. A lot of the neighbors were elderly when I was little so I’m sure they have passed. Another family only came yo their house on Lincoln way in the summer. I . Had an awesome child hood growing up in Lincoln way. That car in the garage belongs to my father. It was my first car and I drove it in 2001. Its a 77′ Ford ltd special edition. I love that car. Boy the memories this brings me.
Hey Evelyn, thank you for this info so much. It is so hard to pin exactly what happened but since you did live there I now know they did not pay anyone to leave. Yes the urban legend has been circulating around the Internet, and of course probably no creatures it is still quite an interesting story. That is so amazing that was your first car. I would love to, if possible, and if you would be okay with it, sit down one day for a short video interview with you for a video documentary we are currently working on. Would this be okay with you? It would mean a lot. My email is urbexus@gmail.com if you could send me an email there. I would appreciate it so much as I would love to make this documentary very factual and exact to what happened.
I posted a long comment, for some reason it didn’t show up. I lived on Virginia Drive from 1970 to 1991. Birth till age 21. We spent a lot of our time in the woods. My neighbors dog was killed we found him on the street just torn apart. It was later found to be a pack of wild dogs. The only thing that was spooky that I could think of was a few Times in the middle of the night (my bedroom window faced backyard which abutted the woods, I could hear faint drum beats. We found a lot of arrowheads in those woods. Once at ages I thought were,younger, but now I remember I had to be at least 12, a group of us set out to chill in the woods. We came across a tunnel made of thorn bushes. I tried stepping into it…we heard a deep,low growl and first instinct for everyone was to run. I remember jumping through 1 of those really thick vines falling and having a along thorn go up through my braces and stab the inside of my lip.
Btw I was in Lincoln Boro…across the river from Clairton mill.
Do u remember my grandmother Helen osborne , ?!
@ms Evelyn? !
I’m just curious….to all the people who have said the residences moved because they were paid to or because it was just time to move…why did they leave so many belongings behind?? I have moved plenty of times in my day and never just left my furniture, let alone my personal belongings…makes me wonder what story is true???
Great article!!
My question is this…to all the people who said they lived there or knew someone who did….if they were paid to leave, or left because it was time to…why were so many belongings left behind?? I have moved several times in my day, and have never left furniture behind, let alone person belongings…my house as always gotten cleared completely out and it seems all of the houses had things left behind..really seems like they left in quite a hurry….make me wonder which story as to why they left is the true reason…
My grandmother died from cancer , was placed in a nursing home , ……so like someone said a lot of them didn’t have a lot of family to clean out the homes etc…..
Really interesting article, pictures and comments. If you have not already, please visit the Allegheny County Real Estate website where you will find a wealth of public info on each of the properties, including owner’s names and addresses, photos of the houses in better days, maps, and building info.
The last time I researched this site,a year or two ago, I found that at least 2 of the houses were current and paid up on taxes, which made me feel a little concerned that I had been trespassing there!
Mitzi and Evelyn, go get your property if you can,and it’s safe to- before someone else does !
ty!!! I look into it!
Why were so many personal belongings left behind????
Along with Maggie’s comment. I like how they stated that the forest’s edge these people could see blood red shinning eyes. I hate to say this but I have walked up and down that street with my sister for pictures and when we came to the end of the road, we came across some trees and a hillside that was un-climbable. Then when the writer stated that the mill was right across the road from this supposed neighborhood, in truth this mill is all the way down the road. I live in Clairton and there is no forest in Clairton and there have been black bears that have been spotted by the river. As for the Mon-Fayette express way that was mentioned, that was not going through area. Though I will admit that this story gave me a laugh that was much needed.
how recently were you there? I have been there a few times in the last year and have a ton of photos also, great work!
I really liked that story and the pictures that were taken. I remember going there a lot when my friend lived there. I have lived in Clairton all of my life and have never heard of the urban legend. I don’t care if it is a fake or not, it does make for a pretty good story. I drive past this road everyday and always wondered the real reason why no one lives there and why all of these houses remain standing all of this time?? Why haven’t they been torn down?
Seems very odd that if they weren’t bought out, paid to leave, that they would have left ‘everything’ behind; i.e. clothing, furniture, dishes, TV’s, etc. If a hardscrabble neighborhood with a steel mill in the neighborhood, just where did they find the resources and money to relocate, and where did they go? Also, with the condition of the houses shown in the photo’s the condition of the clothing shown seems too pristine. Love exploring places like this. Ever been to Concrete City near Nanticoke, PA?
i live in wilson !never heard this!but i must say i love this stuff !true or not true! it is weird though how many houses there have left personal belongings and furniture etc. behind! if that were my horse i would claim!!!very cool! but be careful sounds dangerous to go through !i am a little concerned that kids may start going through after hearing this!!!i probaly would have been one of those kids !!!!!so.. a little worried about that .sounds like it could be quite dangerous!
I too, am a “Clairton Girl”. I lived there until 1977, but still attend church there each week and have several friends there. My father worked in the Clairton Mill. I have never heard of this legend, but don’t dispute it. If Linclon Way is in Wilson, I guess that’s why, Anyone from Clairton/Wilson will tell you they are very separate and like it that way. This was so educational and interesting. Whether it was mine subsidence or making way for a highway, something made everyone leave. But I’m sure this would not be the only mostly abandoned street in Clairton. Each week I am so sad driving through this town. It is devastating what happened to the steel industry and what drugs can do. Only 40 short years ago I was a little girl holding my mother’s hand to go shopping “down-street”. My grandfather owned Walker’s Drug Store on Miller Ave. I can always find someone over 50 that remembers going to the drug store after school. Clairton was a very nice pl;ace to live, and I am grateful that I did. Best of luck to you in your expeditions in Clairton!
Wow, I grew up in a small town in Northern New Hampshire and the stores, banks, etc, were down-street too.
We lived on the main road in Clairton, just on the other side of the street from Lincoln Way. Those childhood years were spent on Lincoln Way, playing with the grandchildren of a woman named Ms. Mildred, who lived there. Mildred Thomas was her name, and her grandchildren, Tiffany and Mark, were best friends with me and my brother. There wasn’t a whole lot to do, considering it was just a long street with houses on each side, but man, we had so much fun. We’d climb the hills in the winter looking for fresh snow for Ms. Mildred to make us ice cream. “Don’t you be bringing back no yella snow, you hear me!?” Tiffany and I, along with a few other girls from ‘The Way’ would stand in the streets for HOURS on end, trying to get our act just right, as we were bound and determined that we were headed for stardom on the Gong Show…lol. Unfortunately, we moved from that house around 1979, and the house was torn down. My mother kept in touch with Ms. Mildred for quite a few years, but I’m not sure where everyone ended up. Your pictures are beautiful, and in some of them, I catch a glimpse of the lovely, lively memorable place of my childhood. Thank you for that!
My friend Tiffany would visit her family on Lincoln way. Miss Mildred. I lived at the bottom of the hill, off the main strip. I spent a lot of time up there. I left in the late 70’s, so I don’t know what happened to the families. Great pics though!
According to the Tribune Review, the whole neighborhood was set to go up for auction in September of 2013. http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/4655181-74/property-sale-clairton#axzz2eLl4Uj10
I agree with Tonia–with any of these scenarios, why would ALL of the belongings be left behind? Even people on here are commenting that they are recognizing their things–why wouldn’t you want your belongings? Super weird.
I can see these houses from our upstairs window, my brother and i live on the street above that hollow. This very much creeped me out. Wont be venturing down that lonely road anytime soon. Great article. And cool pics.
Yea I grew up on this street an all this shit is bullshit nobody was payed to leave most people own there house there move an used it as storage an just never needed to return for it like me an my family that lived there an my toys I didn’t need to go back for because I was grown wen I moved an most people moved because theres nothing really in that town they moved closer to there jobs an used there old house for storage because they couldn’t take everything with them an one lady that I knew was a hoarder an died her family came an got what they could an wanted an left the rest an the street just grew in an sick holes opened up so why would anybody else wna move there an its not haunted nothing scary about it unless your scared of the dark an falling in a hole other than that I had a blast when I lived there u can ask everyone I knew that lived around Wilson that knew me because they would all come down there to hang out so stop making shit up an talk about shit u don’t kno nothing about an squatters did not start the fires the cops did I witnessed it only people that were scared to go there were people that were scared of my pit bulls or people who didn’t kno were they were that’s all that other shit if u didn’t live then shut the fuck up cuz u don’t kno what ur talking about thanks if someone was paid to leave let me kno who I want my 💰 lol an the other people lived there till they died an u can’t take anything with u
I lived there for 18 to 19 years an I got a good laugh from this an some of the dumb comments
This is funny ain’t nobody leave out of fear this was the best street to live on we had mad fun on this street I lived in the first house on the street a house about mid way up the street an the last house on the left at the top an yea the only scary thing was the sink holes that opening up an the cops catchn my house on fire an tryn to burn it down but I got alot of good memories from this street but had to leave because there’s just not much to look forward to from the whole town every thing important that u need to get to is far from the city there was nothing to do there but party an get in trouble lol but the legend of the beast is funny Mabe its my old dog that got hit by a car an died there he was huge with all black hair but how this street looks now is crazy an the city an home owners didn’t take care of the homes or land why would anybody else wna move there an the car in the garage is my sisters car she got from my dad that cars a beast when it’s runs it needs fixed but it will probably remain there
Hey James! Wow, I feel like I have talked to your whole family now. I will be talking to your father later on today to figure out a time to do a short video interview to document the history of this place. If you would wanna sit down and talk also that would be awesome. My friend and I will provide a lunch or dinner for us all at some place.
I live just above Lincoln Way in Wilson and am very familiar with the dilapidated conditions on the street. I dobt that anything will be done as our ward is like a step child to the city of Clairton and we get little or no support except good street cleaning. Wish whole street would be torn down as I am sure it is site of drug deals!
bugcatcher1
Your awesome story and the GREAT Pictures really got my attention! I’m from Clairton and have heard a few different stories including the 43 expressway exit plan there. Would love to continue to read more of your documentary on this urban legend! There are 2 more neat stories from Clairton that may be of interest to u also! Urban spooky legends also!
I grew up in Clairton by the Maracini’s if( spelled right) Lots of people and family still live there. Yes, the city lost a lot after the steel mills went away. It still has many nice areas to the City. I just talked to my Mom and she never heard any haunting stories of the area there. She lived there her whole life in Clairton. I usually go there once a week to take her shopping ect. I know the street, passed it many times. I too find it interesting why everone would just move out and not take there stuff. Cool story got my attention. The horse is what got me, we as kids had one something like it. I hope it all works out for u and your story! Joe
I will be emailing u to an interview. I knew miss Mildred! Her and her brother mr Lee. Her son Mark and his girlfriend Sharon. Mrs Helen used to live in the row houses and has her pit bulls across the street. That street was the best. They toreva bunch of houses down when I was young but they stopped tear them down, so they are crumbling. Again most of the ppl there when my family left were older so u can’t take ur things with u when u die. We left a lot of our stuff there because my dad owns his house and we used it like storage when we left. One family only ever came for a few weeks every summer so I’m sure they never took all of their stuff. I didn’t know that not moving all of yr belongings meant something crazy happened. I lived there and I’m telling u nothing weird happened. I really wish ppl would stop saying we were paid to leave. That is not true.
How surprised and delighted I was to see the photos of my childhood playground! I spent many summers with my Grandmother, (Janie Hunter) enjoying the adventures of Lincoln Way. I climbed trees, picked berries from the hillside bushes and rode on the back on of my brother Ron’s hot rods made with wheels from discarded baby carriages. He loved to race in between the parked cars with the other neighborhood boys. It was a “wonderful self sustaining Street” of caring neighbors who bartered and shared with one another, the guys could get a hair cut on the Everson Family Porch and I’m remembering Mrs Drake who turned her living room into the neighborhood store so the children could buy a bar of candy and a cold popsicle. My Grandmother would send me there to buy loaf of bread for 23 cents or to Mr. Christian’s house, down the street, for fresh eggs from his chicken coops located on the back hill in the rear of the row houses there. Often I would observe the neighbors collecting vegetables from their rearside gardens. Oh, I forgot to mention, Mrs. Drake’s store closed at 6 o’clock! I’ve been told that my Grandmother was a founding member of a Church (the Church Of God In Christ) that started at the bottom end of the street (before I was born) and that my mother, Freddie Mae, was named after the first Pastor. On any given day you could locate a Preacher, Deacon, Church Mother or Choir Director in any one of those houses. That Church still exists in another part of town. I remember the residents of Lincoln Way as GOD fearing people who had Dads & Grandfathers who had escaped their humble Southern roots to work the Steel Mills of the North, nothing spooky about that. They were precious people full of hope and expectations of simply providing a better life for themselves and their families. I left for the small town of Clairton for the big City in the early 70’s with dreams of a greater future and the nostalgia of wonderful summers spent in Lincoln Way. I won’t comment on the abandonment of that particular street however this “legend of karaaazee creatures” is intriguing and has the makings of really “Great Film” please put us on the BIG SCREEN..(with dignity) and make us proud!
Having had two sets of grand parents that own there homes in Lincoln way. I lived with my grand parents Ollie & Marvin McClain, and I can tell you it was the best experience of my childhood. I can remember running up the street to climb the coal mine at the end, only to get to the top and roll down covered in black coal dust.
The greatest church was birth out of Lincoln way, Gesthemene C.O.G.I.C. Many are Bishop today!
The only Ghost I know in lincoln way, is the Holy Ghost! Everybody was your parent in lincoln way.
A closely net family. So many memories. Like it was stated, many die and had no family to clean out the houses, many moved and just couldn’t take everything. My other grand parents Mr. Oscar Wilson, my uncle John Williams lived 3 doors down from my grand mother. No bad memories or ghost. There’s a lot of history behind this street.
It was rumor that the state was going to fill it up, not Sure what happened to that. I don’t know if anyone remember the land office play ground, and the maypole swing set. Kennywood wasn’t the first lincoln way had it! It had its own general store. Ms. Sweetie Drake, LG potatoes chips, mission soda, let me stop!
I forgot about th chicken coop of Mr. Christian on the hillside. Thanks JM
I lived rite down the street first house on penna. ave had friends that lived there no big foot played all through the woods built shacks.still live here in clairton houses were ruined from all th
e water that ran down through the hallow and it destroyed the street.
I am from the West Mifflin area. I now live in Coal Center which is located in Washington County, I work in Oakland and I drive down 837 every morning on my way to work. I have passed this road some many times in my life and it has been recent that I have wanted to ride up that rode to see if anyone lived there even though the houses at the entrance are abandoned. I was so excited to see your article because I didn’t realize that anyone other than me was interested in that area and what happened there. I never understood why that area was abandoned as the houses look like (despite being abandoned) durable and nice. It recently snowed a few times and I noticed that not only did I see tire tracks but I also seen foot steps going up that rode. So I thought to myself, maybe someone does live on that rode, just not up front. It reminds me of the Walking Dead as that area will fit in great with the TV series. I get a certain feeling when riding past this road, as you stated in your article “eerie.” I never knew of the urban legend until reading your article which by the way, I found fascinating. Thank you for your article and I don’t think that I will be adventuring up that road. If you’re interested, there is a road probably no more than 2 miles up 837 going towards Dravosburg that has the same eerie feeling and is now blocked to traffic. First L passed the traffic light before the crane company on the right.
I DON’ T UNDERSTAND ALL THE HYPE ABOUT THIS STREET, LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE HILL DISTRICT, HOMEWOOD,LARIMER,LINCOLN,WILKINSBURG ,GARFIELD AND ALL OF THE OTHER SHIT HOLES THAT ARE ABANDONED IN THE CITY, SO WHO CARES ABOUT CLARITON OR WHEREVER THE HELL THIS STREET I, START TEARING DOWN ALL OF THESE ABANDONED PLACES AND MAKING JOBS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE, NO FURRY “DEMON” IS GOING TO SCARE AWAY A WHOLE STREET WHERE THEY LEAVE ALL OF THEIR SHIT BEHIND,U WILL NEVER SEE ANY BIGFOOT IN THE GHETTO ,OR SHOULD I SAY ONE THAT IS ALIVE. !
WOW Jenny and James must be related! This was an extremely interesting article and one that seemed to bring back loving memories to so many that left their comments. See the article for what it is and you might enjoy it or otherwise click your mouse and look for something that does interest you!
Urban Legends can be fascinating. The photographs are stunning and emotionally jarring, even to those of us who didn’t live there.
I’m hoping for a follow up article with everyone who claims to be from there being able to provide SOME proof of their claims. Old photos, deeds… anything concrete.
I grew up in Pittsburgh, or right outside of it. As a middle class adult I know I’m not the only one who would never, EVER leave my hard earned possessions behind unless I had to. I can’t imagine an entire street worth of people gtfo THAT quickly as to leave food, clothing, tvs, family photos… CARS? Come on, that doesn’t add up.
If everyone was paid off to leave (and leave everything behind) there has to be some public record about it. Perhaps foreclosure on these properties?
This area wasn’t abandoned three hundred years ago, we’ve been record keeping way too long for there NOT to be a paper trail.
I wish you luck in uncovering the mystery!
Could it possibly be some thing akin to a wild boar?
I, myself have photographed this location multiple times (tunnel83.tumblr.com), as recently as about a month ago with my husband (those pictures as yet to be posted on my site, but soon).
I have lived approximately 3 miles from this location for 35 of my 42 years, and travelling past this road frequently, I can verify that some of these homes were inhabited up to between 2009 and 2010, when seemingly, all at once, everyone just literally up and left, leaving all of their belongings behind. There are still satellite dishes attached to a few of the homes and the street light still lights up at night. Up until 2012, there was still electricity running to these homes (since then, all electrical boxes have been removed), which I confirmed with a Duquesne Light employee I happened to see there one day.
For a few years, I have made many attempts to research what exactly happened that caused all of the residents to leave, seemingly so quickly. I can correct some of the facts as posted by some others here, but there are some “Odd Facts” regarding everything about this street that cannot be explained. I am not saying it was anything “supernatural” or “monstrous”, but I am flustered . . .and curious . . .as to why there seems to be so much “secrecy” as to the reason behind the total abandonment of this street.
Any of the houses that have evidence of fire were set on fire AFTER this street became abandoned (per the officer I spoke with below).
First and Foremost – NONE of these properties were EVER purchased for a road expansion. All of the properties are still are owned by individuals, with the exception of GLS Development which placed a lien on the corner home with the Pampas grass and Duquesne Light, which owns most of the hillside behind the even-numbered homes. THE ODD FACTS: A few of the properties are CURRENT up to 2014, with their property taxes – including one of the homes that is still valued at over $30,000 (gotta love the Allegheny County Real Estate Assessments!) The remaining, even those owned/liened by GLS Capital, are delinquent back to 2009 (almost all of the properties went to “delinquent” status in that year). Really, the company that has the lien even isn’t paying the taxes now?
Many of the owners are still alive (contrary to multiple stories about them all having passed away), and those that have passed, family could easily be found . . . and the ones that I have attempted to contact, not ONE OF THEM was willing to talk about the street or the reason they left – including many telephone hang-ups and refused certified mail. I agree with ShaLeah as to hoping to see some proof of those that claimed to have grown up here, because whenever I have contacted people, NO ONE was willing to talk about the street . . . yet, with one posting of pictures (I posted mine under a “changed name” because as with any Urbex, some people are not as respectful as you and I and don’t respect “take nothing and leave nothing but footprints” motto), you have all of these people freely discussing it . . .and only about the “past”, not what happened to cause everyone to leave. Also, I question several of the posts by people who claim to be family (especially those who seemingly cannot even get their family members’ names correct or spell them incorrectly).
The first time I photographed this location, I was confronted by a police officer who was friendly enough when I explained that I photographed abandoned locations (after asking “Why?”) and spoke to him for about 10 minutes. He wanted to be sure that I was not going into the houses as they were very unsafe due to fires that had been set in the past few years and that the homes had been used as drug dens and one could never know if someone was in the home if I went in. I assured him I only photograph from the outside (which is the truth after nearly going through a third story floor at an abandoned home at another location). THE ODD FACT: I asked him a total of FOUR (4) times why all of the houses were abandoned and each time, he either dodged the question or gave me a different response – one was that all of the owners had passed away (NOT TRUE, as I have been able to locate many of them) and he changed the subject; another was he didn’t know and changed the subject; another was because of mine subsidence (not true, as almost the entire street and the homes themselves are still intact, except for neglect and per below, the area is not on top of a mine.) The final, the one that piques my curiosity the most, was a brief story he did volunteer about one of the last residents to live there, an elderly woman who lived in one of the homes (I know which one, but I am not stating it here), that had been calling the police almost nightly to state that someone was trying to break into her home, but yet every time an officer responded, they could find no evidence of that happening. When I asked what happened to her, he did not/would not tell me. I honestly feel that this story may be well known knowledge and that this is where “urban legends” may have been spawn from.
This street was never completely finished – it was ever supposed to “dead end”. It originally was supposed to extend up to Wall Street, but for some reason, the original plans were scrapped and the street abruptly ends. There is evidence of this off of Wall Street also, where the road had begun, but then stopped being built. I have yet to be able to get ONE matching story on this – once being told it would have been too steep of a grade (yet the grading is less than many of the roads surrounding the area), another that it was not needed because of Massachusetts Avenue that runs perpendicular ABOVE Lincoln Way . . . no one could give me a straight response (it may be likely that the reason is unknown all of these years after the fact). One fact that I was able to finally verify is that eventually, Duquesne Light bought a majority of this property.
According to DEP maps, Lincoln Way does NOT sit on top of a coal mine, as is the case with the majority of the City of Clairton. Any undermining that did occur in Clairton was on the complete opposite side of town, underneath Woodland Avenue and Lafayette Drive. There is only ONE apparent, nearly perfectly round sinkhole on this road, in the middle of the street, which I photographed, and I am sure that you came across (the one that has clearly been used as a fire pit). This hole is approximately 1 ½ – 2 feet wide . . . and it has NOT become any larger since the first time I photographed it a few years ago. It is a very strange hole, almost perfectly round. The foundations of these homes are SOLID and any damage is from the top down, not from the ground up, and is man-made (stripping of copper pipes, etc.). Subsidence, water runoff, pollution – NONE of these reasons hold any muster, as there are many more areas is worse situations locally where people still reside perfectly fine. Any damage to the road is from non-use (I drove my own vehicle on the first part before the barriers a few weeks ago, and it was perfectly stable).
I am still very active with researching Lincoln Way and WHY the street became abandoned, not stories of the “good old days”. It probably is perfectly rational, but from personal experience and never having seen it ANY DIFFERENT, when family members pass away, the remaining family DOES NOT EVER just leave ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING to rot – especially items of value (material things make people absolutely CRAZY!) . . . like a vintage car that would be worth a lot of money to a collector (especially in SW PA, where classic cars are BIG). There is absolutely NO LOGIC to the explanation of people not having families, either, because according to posts on here, the people that lived here were God-fearing and church-involved. The Church would have benefitted from the charity of the belongings – clothing, books, etc.
We are not talking about a FEW things here, we are talking about multiple people’s possessions, and from what it appears, ALL OF THEM, just left in place. There is not one record of ANY of these houses “mired” in estate limbo (it is VERY easy to find this information with the County through title searching). I don’t buy any homes being used for storage. If that were the case, wouldn’t you move your things out of there if the street went to hell? Even for abandoned, these houses are more eerie than usual, because even the amount of looting/destruction seems minimal compared to many other locations that I have been and the amount of possessions still remaining is mind-numbing. It seems that even the “hooligans” don’t want anything to do with any of it.
Most disturbing of all, even more so to me than all of the research I have done and lack of information that you can get from anyone, is what I mentioned earlier – that how with your post, those claiming to have grown up here or had immediate family here are so incredibly nonchalant about the state of the homes and belongings, even seemingly callous about it. Could you, or anyone you know, seeing the state of homes you grew up in, logically and so without care, brush it off almost jokingly?
16 homes (not including the few that had previously been torn down) and
I was thinking the same thing reading these comments…..no one has explained why they have left and that’s odd
Sorry – that last sentence should have been removed!
I was born on Maasachusetts Ave…just above Lincoln Way. Our family moved out in 1956 but not before I set a major fire on that hillside. Got a good butt kickin’ from my dad and watched the fire dept. put the blaze out from my 2nd story bedroom high atop Mass. Ave. I just visited the area a month ago…neat memories. The red garage, the dump, sled riding down Massy towards the VFW. This now Floridian sometimes misses the old times up there. For some reason never ventured down the one set of steps from Massy down into Lincoln Way.
The thing that I’m the most curious about is how almost all of the past residents have found this article…what are the chances that they all came here and were like, “wow, he’s talking about my old house.”
Truly awesome photos of urban/suburban decay. Wow. As art, they’re gorgeous. As a commentary on time and change, it’s heartbreaking.
I have always been fascinated by forgotten/abandoned places, and the way Nature takes back her own. eventually crumbling our man-made structures with the elements and covering the remains with weeds and vines. Entire abandoned cities sometimes found in the jungle! It makes me wonder what future archaeologists will make of our lives.
I just discovered your website tonight. I love it, and I was particularly touched by this piece. Your photos capture a time in America that is no more. For me it is nostalgic because in my attic, I also have a horse much like this one and a set of Encyclopaedia Brittanicas in an identical case to the one in your picture. Mine are not as dusty! Yes, I am just a wee bit on the other side of middle-aged 😉
I am intrigued by the comments. Many people have stated vehemently on whether people were paid to leave or not. I am not from the area, but the Indiana neighborhood I grew up in was bought out by a developer who destroyed all the homes to build high rise office complexes. Each family negotiated with the developer for the price they would receive, but all were made to sign non-disclosure statements agreeing they would not tell what price they were given. Perhaps that is the case here.
I also read about 2 violent explosions that happened at USS Clairton Works about 9 months apart in 2009-2010. There was at least one death. I would also look into the EPA and possible lawsuits from cancer-causing agents from the plants in the area. Just suggestions.
I wish you much success with your interviews and documentary and your photo endeavors.
Greetings … I lived in Lincoln Wayfor 32 years from the time of my birth and moved out a few months after I got married in 1982. At that time Lincoln Way was about 95% inhabited by residents with most of them being Senior citizens. Lincoln Way was a very lively street during time there and there were lots of kids that lived on the street. I’m certain that one of the issues that contributed to the abandoned homes was that
none of the children,grandchildren, or other relatives wanted to maintain the property because of the location and expense. I lived in a big yellow house at the top of the street with (193 Lincoln Way) address. Lincoln Way was kind of remote from any of the shopping areas and that lead to the disinterest in a lot of the family members not wanting to put money into maintaining the propery. I would also add that about 50% of the homes with survivng family members were no longer living in PA. So unfortuantely the incentive to maintain property was not there. Lincoln Way was the birth place of many Preachers, Teachers, Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers, Seamstresses, Lawyers, Principals, Electricians, Athletes, Muscians, and Good Ole Hard Working People. Hail to all of the Past Residents and Fond Memories.
Hi Dana, I would love to hear more about the stories you have to tell. If possible would you be able to email me at urbexus@gmail.com if that is okay with you? I am currently working on further documenting this place and it would be amazing to hear. I hope to talk soon!
Good Article. Well-written. The only thing that did not sit right with me was the author claiming that there were toxic fumes emitted by the coke plant in the air while he/she was there. That coke plant is one of the cleanest in the country. They just invested over a billion dollars into making the plant compliant with EPA Standards. Perhaps the author added it to make the story sound eerier; however, it does not bode well to fabricate details for a story-even if it is a small detail.
I was just writing off of what I had read. That is very good that they are running well though!
I lived in Wilson on Lincoln Way from the age of 5 until 20. I left in 1978 after completing college. Lincoln Way was an experience that I am very proud of! I can tell you that I remember visiting every one of those houses while growing up. It was like a big family. Just as James stated, most people who lived there were proud, hard working and respectable. I have so many good memories of playing outside up and down the street until dark (we all had to be in the house at dark), swinging on the swings at “our playground” near the Vet building, buying candy at Mrs Drake’s store, rummy sales at Sister Hunter’s, and attending school at Walnut elementary/junior high in Wilson. My grandmother and grandfather rented one house at the end of the street and later moved to a house build by Mr. Christian at the beginning of the street. After my grandfather passed my grandmother changed her location to Clairton in the early 80s. According to my Aunt those houses were never meant to be family homes. Most had one bedroom, a living room and a bathroom off the kitchen. She said they were “bath” houses for the men who worked in the Clairton mills. As time passed those houses opened up to African American families. Some homes were enlarged/renovated or combined to accommodate bigger families. Im not sure why they were abandoned but I never heard of any negative or beast stories.
I wasn’t going to reply but its difficult for me to read comments from people who have no clue on how special Lincoln Way was to the residents. A sad ending but a great legacy! I’m grateful to be a part of history. Peace to all.
Hi Pamela, I would love if you could send me an email at urbexus@gmail.com
I am currently working further on documenting this area and would love to talk to you further about it if that is okay with you? I hope to hear from you!
I live near this street and went down it when one of my cats went missing. One house is occupied and I remember thinking how sad for that homeowner having all the abandoned houses around theirs.
it’s possible that the contaminated soil caused mutations in the surrounding wild life
The area is not remotely out of the way enough for that.
And aside from that the population density is both:
1) Too high for a predator of that size to go unnoticed.
2) Too low to have the number of missing pets needed to feed an animal half that size, let alone a platoon.
I live on the street above Lincoln Way. As long as I have lived here, I have not seen any wildlife that has had any mutation.
When was this? Every house’s windows are broken now.
I know nothing about this little neighborhood,but I would love to live there .it looks beautiful..sad to know they live there alone with no one around ..
Sounds like the area is the haunt of a pack of dogmen. Very few areas like this are abandoned so thoroughly, leaving behind personal effects, photos, clothing, furniture, pictures, etc. Yes, there are ghost towns, and abandoned cities in the world such Chernobyl, Hashima Island, and large areas of Detroit, but these are due to economic decline or a disaster such as nuclear fallout. But Lincoln way does not fall into these conditions. Something very odd, even sinister, has happened there that has caused such a thorough abandonment. Personally, I would lead a well-armed team in there and establish a base camp, if I had a willing group of experienced hunters or military veterans in order to conduct a thorough search and investigation of the area.
Going there tomorrow
Really that’s stupid nothing bad happened there it was abandoned because it was getting old they need to make room for a new freeway if your taking a platoon it’s going to be a waist of time money and resources I’ve lived by their all my life your stupid dude
Sir
Count me in
Couldn’t agree more with that, this is something very different from economic crisis…
This story is very interesting. I love reading all of the comments…….they only seem to deepen the mystery. I too wonder why anyone would leave their possessions behind. I have moved many times, and I have never left anything. Looking forward to hearing more as the author’s investigation progresses!
This article regarding the 2013 auction (http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/4655181-74/property-sale-clairton#axzz3Req1ujxS) alludes to evicting people for not paying their property tax, wouldn’t be surprised if they just took what they could. I’m assuming that the Redevelopment Authority is the current property owner and why the taxes appear current wte of the corporate entity.
yes but something frightening must have happened for people to drop everything and leave right away. If it was a eviction, i am sure they would have come back to take their stuff, if it was sink holes or fires, people would have not left in a hurry. Nothing explains why people left without absolutely anything except the clothes they were wearing.
my uncle and a few friends have rental properties where they’ve had to evict people. some tenants did absolutely just grab a carload of stuff and disappeared under the cover of night leaving behind most of their perfectly good possessions. i now own some of those abandoned items, as do other people who helped with clearing the places out.
A chemical leak could have caused that. If people felt they were in danger they would have fled quickly. It is strange to me that some left photos and other personal things behind though.
I live in Clairton and never knew this accured. It kind of freak me out, but also have me curious and would like to drive through one day. The CityThat Pray Clairton,PA
I can hardley look at the pictures, Its so sad to see the ruins,,, I went to school with the kids who grew up there in the 50’s, Wonderful people, Great friends, Mildred, Janet, Madline, Alfonso, Van, Frank,,, I hope You are all well and enjoying where ever You are now,,,I waited on a number of their parents while working at Haines Supermarket in Wilson, God Bless,,,, Florence Plush Hinkle!
Funny. I grew up near Clairton in Liberty Boro. Never heard anything & neither did my parents (who read a gazillion papers front to back each day).
The ground collapsing doesn’t surprise me in the least, and the ground moving could have caused a rupture in a gas line. Many homes in the area are built on slag fills. Or, there are many abandoned mines in Pennsylvania.
I love an interesting story, but the “beast” just doesn’t hold water for me.
I love your photos & the accompanying stories.
I’m inclined to agree with Tina. My mother and aunts grew up on Lincoln Way and I have a few classmates I’m in touch with who grew up there. I believe the beast is a myth just like the one talked about at Eddie Wretch’s house once on Miller and Mitchell Avenues. I do recall them talking about the gas leaks though and you could sometimes smell it in the homes. I too rode down there I think in 2010 when I came home for Christmas and turned around at the one house someone lived in close to the end (going up) on the left side.
As far as clothes being left inside, I noticed that they appeared to have belonged to elderly people. Whatever family (if any), that they may have had probably just weren’t interested or needed transportation to retrieve their heirlooms. With my mother’s house, we took what we could before the ceiling caved in.
what happened to the children?
Apparently, these homes are on fire at this moment and they are letting them burn down.
This neighborhood is burning down as I’m typing this
As of this moment, August 14, 2017, my cousin has just finished posting a whole bunch of pictures of this bock. I guess there were a few fires here and there, I have no idea how many houses there were on the block to start with, but his pictures look a lot like the pictures in this article. So the block with the abandoned homes is there. He and his girlfriend are in a lot of the shots so he most definitely was there today. He also posted a video of the two of them on the street. The houses looked the same. There are books and papers and an old computer, furniture, smashed and strewn about. One odd thing, there is a house in the middle of the block that looks abandoned but there is a satellite dish on it! It’s not an old abandoned dish either. If people were evicted and left stuff behind why didn’t the company or person who evicted them do anything with the property? Who would leave a car? Oh, well. Great mystery. Sad, my very interesting.
I’ve seen similar stories about this neighborhood I believe a road project was supposed to come thru but it never did
Just saw on the. Ch 11 news~ many houses now on fire there. So sad.
well all the houses on Lincoln way are Burning and the Fire departments are letting them burn
Looks like only the first. 3 houses on the left burned down. Firefighters let them burn down ,because they are slated for demolition. A person interviewed on ch.11,said the street has been getting a lot of attention lately.because of the stories going around on social media that it is haunted, and many people have been visiting there.
Bunch of these houses burnt down today
http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/8139003-74/clairton-fire-houses#axzz3Wrb2TSat
Multiple houses on this street caught fire today….Very sad and unfortunate. Most likely due to the abundance of careless people visiting the houses now.
I would like to go explore.
Some of the families that lived on Lincoln Way.
The Cochran’s, the Brown’s, the Simon’s, the Watts, the Smith’s, the William’s, the Myer’s, the Everson’s, the Rush’s, and the Moore’s to name a few.
In the sixties and seventies this little community had a lot of love and unity. But because of the economic decline and just wanting to leave the Mon-Valley area young people leave.
To me those photo are fon memories of what was. Several of homes are missing or torn down. As I think back at least 40 families lived in those little houses. You drove slowly up or down Lincoln Way because of the among of children playing in the street.
So don’t feel sorry for Lincoln Way, the people who live there are Blessed through Christ Jesus. It was a town in its own.
Drive by this street often and wondered why it looked the way it does….big scary creature living there…Now I have to go see it…sorry for the family’s that lived there…feel bad for them…very odd story…
That big scary creature.. his name was Sergeant John and he was the one giving out the $150 trespassing citations.
I live in clairton I think its a creepy place reminds me of silent hill or resident evil or something like that creepy
It definitely is a creepy little place I love it.
silent hill is based in centralia, Pa
We lived in Lincoln Way in the early 1950’s REW
I enjoyed the article up until the author started wasting everyone’s time with absurd cryptozoological nonsense. What am I, right years old? I was hoping to learn something about this place, not just read the rambling speculations of a gullible and hyperactive imagination.
Nothing wrong with having an imagination! Ever hear of an urban legend?
Wow! late, 60s we’d ride there daily to pickup our guitarist, rehearse in Liberty Boro, those from Clairton, know exactly who I’m talkin bout…..I know this, there was a tight community, lot of love.
In first grade 1966 I lived in Clairton then we moved to Port Vue and I graduated from SA in 1977. Just curious as who the guitarist was from Lincoln way. I’ve been reading this article about Lincoln Way and came across your comment.
I think the Guitarist you’re referring to was Rodney (Chuck) Osborne. I lived next door to the Osbornes and I also played sax in the band with Chuck. I lived near the top of the street at 193 and Chuck’s house was south of mine at 189. There was a walkway and small yard between our homes. The name of our band was the Levitations.
What is Super weird and interesting is that the streets near it are occupied and they aren’t THAT far from lincoln St… Makes no sense.
Does anyone else think that some of the inside of the houses look exactly like the house on Roseanne? LOL
What I am curious about- monster or natural disaster type issue- why aren’t any of the other streets (that are VERY nearby) evacuated?
I enjoyed this story. Well written, and the photos are amazing. I live about 40 miles from Clairton, and I love to read the history of some of the local towns near the Mon Valley.
Sharon
https://www.ShopForPuppy.com
I will be going there this afternoon to photograph. Interesting place.
I love reading about the stories that you had told about. It’s very interesting, and I got really into it,like reading a book. Is it possible that there was a beast that lingerd on through the days and nights, why did everyone leave. For that,I would like to know,but,as far as living there, I just don’t think I can. There was something that went down in that quite neighborhood, could had been a beast, or diseases, or who knows. No one will ever know, I guess that’s where the tales comes in at. I hope you keep up the good work that you have been posting, especially the tales,pictures, etc. Very fascinating.
Pam.c,from Georgia
I grew up not too far from this street. We would walk past it to go the the business area, known as Wilson. From what I remember, it was just a regular neighborhood. I have not ever heard of any creatures in the area, but I have been gone for almost 40 years. I am sure I would have remembered that as a young teen. Your pictures are great, I hope you found more places to photograph!!
Government conspiracy where they had killings staged by these “creatures” and scared the rest into silence. Why? The mill is a very key resource in this area. What if someone was to find out that they were all secretly being poisoned (speculation)? Imagine 1 lawsuit, let alone an entire street (again speculation).
🙄 just a random thought late at night, pretty sure they have an air quality monitor on the other side of the river. But it’s a crazy theory right 0_o
Cool read !!!
My boyfriend and I were driving through PA and found this article, thought it sounded awesome, so we took a ride there. We walked around a little, took some pictures, and we went into some of the houses. There were four other people wandering around as well. No monsters or scary demons. Just some old medical records and letters from the 1900’s, broken glass, dialysis bags, and wrecked electronics. Anyway, we were about to leave when we were called out to the main road by the police. Four of us were written citations for $150 and the minors were let off easy. If you plan to go, here are my tips…
1. Do not park in front of the barricades. (This is what one person did that was the reason the police knew we were there.) We parked in the CWV a block away.
2. Go when you are a minor so you don’t get a citation for trespassing.
Enjoy your $150 tour!!!
Rebecca, were you one of the unfortunates who was cited, along with my son and me, as well as another couple, on July 2nd? Just curious.
Rebecca, I attempted to comment yesterday but apparently did something wrong as it doesn’t seem to have posted.
Anyhow, I’m the guy who parked by the barriers the day we all got cited. I wanted to say that I feel bad about that. I actually knew nothing about the place, we were just driving by, I saw it and we turned around and pulled over.
I’d only planned on taking some pictures from the main road, but then I saw, I’m not sure if it was you and your boyfriend, or the other couple, and as there hadn’t been any other cars visible I’d assumed whomever we were seeing were local, possibly just using the street as a short cut. The point is, between that, and a lack of “no trespassing” signs, I didn’t think it was an issue.
Had I known…
Oooh! The area must be posted no trespassing now.it wasnt a few years ago when we were there.i cant imagine the police issuing citations ,when it is still a public street up to the barrier,as far as i know.
Just went there a few minutes ago. Barely anything left. Tons of brush overgrown. None of the houses you can go into anymore- all the floors are collapsed except one or two houses. The only parking nearby is the VFW hall. You can’t park down the street anymore. There are two white barricades with yellow police tape at the entrance of the street.
How come none of the people that resided in those houses are stating why everyone left? People that visited saw dinner still on the table. Indicating that they up and left. Such an interesting legend.
Where are all the pictures????? Please reload them.
Photos are not available anymore… so sad
I wish I could see it all.
It seems that all the links to the pictures are broken.
I have seen a lot of the comments have said that they want to go take a look. Don’t do it, you will be arrested. The Clairton police have taped the street closed for a reason. I have been up the street and in the houses looking for a lost dog. Within minutes of our cars pulling up to the end of the street, there were five cop cars there to arrest us. Luckily they knew who we were. the street is missing manholes and small sinkholes which you can fall into. Houses have roofs and floors that are rotted and caving in. It’s just not a safe place to be.
On the insistence of my granddaughter, we went by this street. We had not even gotten out of the car when a slew of undercover police officers with lights on came and asked for our IDs. They state the property is off limits to everyone as it is unsafe and there have been vandals setting fire to one of the houses and drug activity. So STAY AWAY! Nothing to see there. As a matter of fact, just look at the pictures posted above. That way you won’t be hurt or arrested for trespassing.
when did you go?
It all just a plot to buy the land for cheap ,if you’re paying attention it happening all over the city of Clairton go ask around who owned most of the abandoned properties or just purchase the abandoned property and you come up with the same names!!
If a “Beast” really roamed that area …I don’t think it would “just” roam that “one” street.
can u camp there somebody hit me up i wanna take my girl on a daye to camp here is it possible
I’ve been on google maps all over this city. Seems to me in the heart of the city they have it nice looking. Go back 3_4 blocks. Its all tyrninh in to this block. I lost count but also did some reading and the township people say they have higher end home due to come down because other games have people living in them. This town is lying out there bums. The front of the town looks great. Chambers rd has what I saw 15 homes left to root with 6 homes with family’s. Go out side the town also other side from this rd and you will watch the same thing happen once again. The township people aren’t worried about the homes rotting. They are more worried about this pipe line. And the whole city is trashed. Look at the sides of the road. Makes me sad to see the earth I line on is treated with little to no care. ( btw I did see some really nice homes taken care of really nicely.) and thanks fir sugaring you gave me 3 hours of schobdo time
Okay I’m sorry, but the story of the two young men with the blue pickup who explored the area and came face-to-face with a monster on Lincoln Way…that’s a fictional story written by an amateur writer on Reddit nosleep from two years ago. Here is a link to prove it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/2537s3/the_beast_on_lincoln_way/
The photographer is just trying to stir up interest. Most of the homes were abandoned because people moved away due to the economy, and all the stuff left behind was junk they were too lazy to take with them.
I went to Walnut Ave school in Wilson with many of the kids from Lincoln Way back in the thirties and forties. Back in those days, Clairton/Wilson was in many respects segregated. Blair and Lincoln Way were the only two places that Blacks lived. I’ve got to believe that the later loss of jobs and better race relations contributed to the abandonment of Lincoln Way.
This could make a very good documentary even movie about the street itself.. It’s a very interesting story and no one knows EXACTLY why people left, weather it really was monsters that drove everyone out or was it development that was gonna take place or even pollution, I mean, there’s bound to be someone that can tell us or some documentation, right??. I think it would be worth digging in further………….
James Daniel Ross
1) Too high for a predator of that size to go unnoticed.( it is A Hell Hound.
2) Too low to have the number of missing pets needed to feed an animal half that size, let alone a platoon. IT IS A Hell hound
went there tonight and its nothing like these picture anymore people have destroyed it way more than nature was already. While exploring we were greeted by 4 people with flashlights (thought to be cops) they were just exploring like me and my friends. while leaving a man with a flashlight came down a hill by the vfw and said he saw us there and he was gonna call the cops we just walked away and left. Not going back and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone else
Is everything still there im planning on visiting but dont want to make the drive if its been demolished.
This is odd. So no one has investigated or asked the town officials where the residents went to? People living on both sides of Lincoln way never had friends who lived there and never knew why the residents left?
I lived in Lincoln Way from birth in 1952 until I married and left in 1982. I still reside in Clairton and I can assure everyone that 99.99% of the stories that have been circulating about Lincoln Way are not true. Strange … yes, but true? … not so much. A majority of the families that lived there didn’t have anyone that wanted to keep up the property due to the location and also because of the addicts and stragglers that constantly ransacked the houses. My properties @ addresses 171 & 193 were destroyed by the addicts. Lincoln Way will be forever remembered because it was a place of humble beginnings and most importantly Great People.
My Mum was Anna Pastore she went to school with many people from there and said they were all kind and humble and good people, of course any hurt animals would be due some evil guys who did likewise up on Clairton hill in our woods. no animal did these things unless an occational coyote perhaps…but no ghost nor demon seems as evil as those guys who terrorized animals, females from domestic abuse and children they assaulted and or sex abused…and got clean away with it for decades. no supernatural things just no conscience guys who corrupted young boys in this behavior and as my family knows even murdered but why would that come as a surprise after such horrors on animals. so sad if you think about it. we always lived right up the road from this area. it was once a cute cozy place with gentle people. the people who lived there bothered no one. and no strange animal harmed anyone….again unless a natural occational coyote from the woods etc…now most people who believe otherwise mean no harm and I understand their curiosity…but if you lived here for long periods of time spanning generations you know there was no supernatural issue….or who knows after time with people doing evil things to harm animals there after it was abandoned…okay then yes …who knows Clairton can be a very strange and scary place in some ways in that regard….but my murdered brother Eddie , who was killed here in Clairton and everyone knows who did it: the 2 guys who are guilty as hell itself…Eddie is always with any good soul here and he protected animals and women/ girls from harm when alive….he was gentle to animals just as he was gentle with people. My good Mother taught him to act like that, with compassion for others…so if Eddie was ever a ghost, as he left Mum and me all the clues to tell us who killed him….he is a valorous and very good soul….Clairton is riddled with horrific bizarre deaths….and some streets are loaded in the deaths of young people tragic and strange….funny because of all the forgotten horrible deaths I always though this area in question was the least odd ….the area went downhill after older people died off and more domestic abuse and men up to no good and young males harming animals etc etc well it took it’s toll and no one new moved in …plus the houses were old and in bad condition. sadly animals deceived by humans and thus abandoned from other areas around this area and those who wondered in from the woods….all products of careless human treatment of animals, ended up stalked and abused by very bad mostly males who sought to harm them, seeking out such areas where the animals just sought shelter from the cold…sad sad situation. but you are right the original people were so kind and good from that street. Mum always said so…she was such a compassionate merciful woman anyway but it still stood out that she had not a bad word to say about people there she had gone to school with yrs before. ps they liked her too…it always got back to me how kind they said my mother was in school <3
I understand not wanting to upkeep homes that are constantly being vandalized but that doesn’t explain why some of the homes were left the way they are. Why isn’t anything packed up? Why are there still clothes hanging nicely on a door or dishes in the sink? Some of the items left were definitely valuable when abandoned, like a car for example?
I don’t think there anything spooky going on here but I do find the way they were left very odd.
What’s more odd is a found this article while trying to research a different abandoned neighborhood, and have found that there a quite few, although this one isn’t as hidden and seem like it’s in worse condition than most the others. But all of them still have belongings in them as if the owners fled without preparation and no one knows the backgrounds on them.
This story is rather interesting and unique. No one will probably never know why this occurred the way it did.
I am thinking there is some sort of contamination from the mills.
I just checked out this place on Google street view. The last street view pictures of this road were from 2007, when street view started coming out. Judging by what I saw, the abandonment wasn’t done all at one and at the same time. Some houses were still occupied and others have been vacant for a while judging by the overgrown vegetation around them and some boarded up windows.
I highly doubt that this has to to with a predator or a monster or anything paranormal. If it was that scary everyone one would have left all at the same time, the street view pics. clearly show that this is not the case. You can even see a for sale by owner sign!
What I think happened is that there was a natural factor affecting the houses/neighborhood. Could be sinkholes, water contamination or something else.
Check out the street view if you don’t believe me!
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.3130047,-79.8964437,3a,75y,241.76h,91.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6bXkHzQH5yf_lKib5Fnd6A!2e0!7i3328!8i1664!6m1!1e1
Wow!! Thanks for the link. Those were duplexes, (2 places in one) I wonder if at one time, they were actual houses?. We’re they turned into duplexes later? A couple of those places, were in really good shape in 07. I noticed the map stopped, that’s where I want to go, the other side of that big block in the road. Anyway, thanks for the link. And Jimmy, amazing pics. The one with the blue curtains still up & staircase is my favorite one.
I’m wondering if the link changed location somehow because when I click yours it’s not the right street/neighborhood and is mostly brick houses in good shape, newer cars, and small pools.
When I looked it up myself it seems to have been updated in 2017, it looks like some of the homes have started getting renovated. There’s no visible construction but some of the homes look in better shape and somewhat updated, plus there’s 2 newer cars parked on the street. It’s still ends after a few houses though so I can’t see what’s farther up the road.
I’m not an American, but anyway I like to tell that I know only 1 country on this world where the owners have to pay big fines for empty properties and the following detoriation of their properties whatever the reason is of the detoriation of the environment for which the authorities are responsable and by which nobody wishes to live there anymore. peterverrijcken@gmail.com
ORGAN FACTORY MATERIAL ????
Hi there! My name is John. Very nice presentation on Lincoln Way in Clairton, PA! Thank you for posting. What interests me the most is the car left behind. It appears to be a mid to late 1970’s Ford LTD II or something close to it. Do you have any other pictures or information on it? Which house was it in? I don’t see it featured in any of the videos of Licoln Way on Youtube. If you know anything more on this car I’d love to know. Thanks again for posting the story and pictures of Lincoln Way!
Nothing beats driving a full size car in comfort and style .
That’s true, especially the older ones. They look great and are far easier to work on! I’ve a 1973 Oldsmobile myself and it rides like a dream!
The car was in the first house to the left as soon as you pull on the street. But I wouldn’t dare go there now. Police have that neighborhood SO locked down now, you will be arrested for trespassing. It’s all Thanks to the thousands of people who ambushed the neighborhood after reading this story about it, and set all the houses on fire….twice. It’s a shame that people can’t just admire things for what they are, and have to destroy everything they touch.
Thank you for letting me know! I appreciate the warning too. Yea, I’ve seen many a video on Youtube about this place so it definitely seems to be a well known destination for urban explorers like myself. I really want to look at that car though. Figures it had to be in one of the houses closest to the main road. My biggest problem is finding a place to park my own car so it’s not obvious what I’m doing. I was going to drive it all the way up Lincoln Way and try to hide it in all those weeds (in Summertime) but it seems the entrance to Lincoln Way is blocked off so that idea is out. I agree, it is a shame that people have to destroy places like that. I love the history behind places like Lincoln Way and exploring what’s left of past lives. Especially abandoned vehicles mixed in with abandoned buildings. That really piques my interest 🙂 Thank you again for replying to my question!
Everything is now gone except for a few houses, and they will be gone to. Soon to be a big empty lot.
They have Lincoln Way barricaded off after about 3 houses in, so you’re unable to drive all the way up the road. If you want to take the chance on exploring, you’d be better off parking somewhere further away and walking to the road. The police will make constant rounds into the entrance of Lincoln Way to make sure no one is there.
They tore it’ll down everything is gone
Well, that simply sucks. One less urban exploring destination. Oh well, I wonder what junkyard received that old Ford?
geez, do some research people: it was fire… most likely intentionally set, because a lot seniors lives there… reason for the old car, they tended to make cars that lasted… anyway, here is one article, surely there are more: https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-38189570/clairton-fire-decimates-ghost-town-once-a-livable MAKING THE WAY FOR THEIR SATANIC AGENDA 21…
Lol I think YOU should be the one doing the research…the fire only happened in recent years. This entire neighborhood was abandoned WAY before it was set on fire. Once word got out about this “ghost town”, hundreds of people flocked to see it, including irresponsible immature kids, just looking to vandalize and ultimately resulting in the house fires.
they have just done the same in california; santa rosa SONOMA county fires… same exact thing; SR was a huge anti G5 tech, smart meters and chem trail activists… now and people cannot go back to even look for old photos or jewelery that might have survived… agenda 21 big time; http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7858978-181/santa-rosa-brothers-face-jail americans need to wake up… LASERS FROM THE SKY & THE CALIFORNIA FIRES https://youtu.be/RBLBAM-Vi3c via @YouTube http://stopsprayingcalifornia.com/Sonoma_County.php
https://www.democratsagainstunagenda21.com/the-way-we-see-itour-blog/santa-rosa-fires-what-we-saw
in los angeles; you didn’t see this in the news: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfU18qnSOhM
Johnny your photos and posts are awesome. WordPress had you on Discover and I will definitely check out your blog to catch up. I love the posts I’ve clicked on.
I’m the guy who wrote, “The Ghost Street of Clairton, Pennsylvania, USA” in 2016. My experience with Lincoln Way and your post inspired my post. Regardless of what really happened there, the state of Lincoln Way in the mid-2010’s was fascinating. Rumor has it the local government is trying to clear that area and redevelop that portion of Clairton. Time will tell if that really happens.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy what I share here. I’ll have to check out your post about Lincoln. It will definitely be interesting to see what ends up happening with the area.
In one of the above photos, that of a living area, everything was disintegrating…..everything except a collection of clean, well pressed, and well hung clothes. They were all hung together on a door. The door was falling apart. Everything around it, above it, underneath it was disintegrating, but the clothes looked so nice. They were old-fashioned, but they were in pristine condition. This gives me the creeps! Take a look through the above photos and see what I mean. It’s creepy!
So, I actually took time to read all the paragraphs. After seeing all this I messaged one of my friends who live in Pennsylvania and told him to take me there if I ever go to PA. I love looking and exploring this type of stuff. But once I heard they were going to tear it down, I was like, “Umm… please no. I have to see this first.” The story of the two guys made me shake all throughout my body. I NEED TOO SEE THIS BEFORE THEY TEAR IT DOWN!
This is happening to many neighborhoods around the country. We have several streets in my hometown in Illinois that this happened too. 2 or 3 city blocks west of the main grid, completely abandoned, torn down and nature overtook. This is common.
Some towns just tear things down faster. Here are a few locations around my hometown where the exact same thing happened as the coal mines shut down.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7410374,-88.5464391,3a,53.2y,8.08h,79.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqJy2Cw7SIMspJ3JBtjQYCg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
This area here was FULL of houses in a very thriving black neighborhood, all torn down and abandoned over the years and slowly being redeveloped into a commercial district for the city.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.737063,-88.5317325,3a,60y,141.36h,89.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1splxRWY-8FjmqqKQXDvY2Qg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
North wilmoth. Another former black neighborhood. Thriving, abandoned.
Why? Because the white people in town assumed it was a drug haven.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7451474,-88.5471845,3a,60y,108.28h,84.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szWx9v1zP3dBxxZiOeWSmpA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
White privilege = Having the luxury of seeing an abandoned minority neighborhood, caused by segregation, imposed by whites, and assuming a monster attacked it 40 years later because nobody white cared enough to have remembered to tell the story to each other.
*facepalm at this entire comment section*