CHAPTER I 

EARLIEST INHABITANTS, MOUND BUILDERS 

Where these people originated or how long ago is not known. They were people of mystery whose occupancy long antedated the Indians. They occupied the area overlooking the Monongahela River. 

Several burial grounds of these people have been unearthed at various times, in McKees Rocks, Clairton, Belle Vernon and the last one in Elrama in 1932. The one in Elrama is notorious to the people of that year. During the excavation, the papers gave it much publicity and many people came and swarmed the area with excitement. Mr. Fisher, an archeologist from Gastonville, along with careful help­ers, went tediously about their work. 

Many skeletons of men, women and children were found. These bones had been calcined and heat applied for hardening and preservation. The skeletons were sitting in an upright position. A skeleton of a man was found and measured to be about seven feet tall. An arrow was imbedded in the forehead of a woman. The most beautiful oval shaped stone which was extremely smooth, perfect in shape, worked down to sharp points at each end, as if it had been worked with a lathe, was found. The man who made this stone must have been a real craftsman, pos­sessed with artistic skill. Fish hooks made of bones, various stones shaped for cutting, skinning, etc., were found. There were 49 skeleton unearthed. 

Frank Grelo, a resident of Elrama who assisted in the operation, has a good collection of these relics and pictures. Various historical societies of the state have recently purchased many of these objects from him. Our people should have kept these things within our locality. We should have been alert of their historical value and erected and maintained our own museum of art and history. 

The fort and village of these people was about a half mile from the burial plot where again many important relics were found. The locality of the grave is a very interesting one. It was located about a half mile southwest of Elrama on a high point on the hill overlooking the Monongahela almost in line with the present car shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The ground at present belongs to the Penn­sylvania Railroad Company, but was originally owned by the Bentleys and adjoined the farm owned by Mr. Hindman, and later, Thomas Parry of Elrama. There is nothing left of this old mound to identify it in any way. Anyone visiting this place would witness one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole valley. Looking south, following the course of the river, the town of Monongahela and beyond can be seen. Looking north, the blast furnaces of the Clairton mill can be seen, having a good view of Elizabeth and Forward Township. To the northwest, one can view Pleasant Hill and its area. Looking yeast, the broad, beautiful fields of Forward and Rostraver Township comes into view. 

In the past several years, various graves of the American Indians (Delawares, Shawnees and Mingos) have been found on the Yant farm, originally the Phillip Daily farm. The Nike site of the U. S. Army is now located on part of this farm a mile from Elrama on the Finleyville road. It is believed there was no relation­ship between the unknown mound builders or the above named Indians. Some people believed there was. Ample evidence exists that both people occupied this territory but in different periods of history.