May 8, 2018 4 min read

Nancy Polinsky Johnson has a wonderful idea, an inspired idea. In a recent commentary piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, she recommends that the erstwhile Steel City start a Walk of Fame honoring those who have distinguished themselves – and their hometown region – by their achievements in various fields. Each luminary would be memorialized with a sidewalk plaque engraved with a star, his/her name and a symbol indicating why they are renowned.

A stroll through the St. Louis Walk of Fame a half-dozen years ago inspired Johnson, publisher and editor of a local magazine, to push for a similar sidewalk tribute in Pittsburgh. She started a website, pittsburghwalkoffame.org, to build momentum for it, with a city location to be determined.

Johnson mentioned many obvious candidates, including Fred Rogers, Gene Kelly, Andy Warhol, Jonas Salk, H.J. Heinz and George Benson. There were no sports legends in her opinion piece, but many are worthy as well: Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Mario Lemieux.

Although there are no plans for one, and it would be on a less-grand scale than one 30 miles to the north, a Washington County Walk of Fame is easy to envision. There is groundswell of history here, beginning with the Whiskey Rebellion that was rooted in the county in the 1790s – when the nation was in its infancy – continuing through the Civil War, the Depression, two world wars and onward to today.

There is a wide range of worthy candidates, too numerous to list in this opinion piece. Besides, we would likely forget some who had earned fame while living or making an impact in the county. Here, for the sake of speculation, is a sampling of 21 deserving individuals:

We start with long-ago history-makers David Bradford and Francis LeMoyne. Bradford was a Whiskey Rebellion leader, LeMoyne a physician and abolitionist whose Washington home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Two judges, Paul Simmons of Monongahela and Barron McCune of Washington, also had significant impacts on county history, Simmons as a county judge who was appointed to a federal seat by President Jimmy Carter; McCune was a longtime county jurist.

Ben Franklin merits consideration for endowing the Franklin Literary Society that still exists at Washington & Jefferson College. But that deed may not be enough to include him on the walk. A longtime state legislator, J. Barry Stout, would be a better candidate.

Those fabled Canonsburg crooners, Perry Como and Bobby Vinton, are slam-dunk inductees. And although they are from Monessen, across the river from Washington County, a walk of fame exception could be made for two outstanding entertainment figures: Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand and makeup artist Tom Savini.

There is an abundance of outstanding athletes who should be inducted, led by Stan Musial, Montana and Ken Griffey – Sr. and Jr. All hailed from or near Donora, as did Ulice Payne, Bimbo Cecconi and “Deacon” Dan Towler.

Canonsburg’s Doug Kotar, a New York Giants running back, and wrestling icon Manny Pihakis would be viable selections. And, even though his college football career was truncated, Brian Davis would be worthy off his outstanding play at Washington High School. Olympic silver medal speed skater John-Henry Krueger would be a likely future selection.

Sports teams could be included, the foremost being the W&J Rose Bowl squad of 1922, Donora High’s incredible 1945 football team and Wash High’s basketball juggernaut of the mid-1980s.

A lot of details would have to be worked out for such an endeavor to occur. This would be a costly project, so how do you raise funds? Who would vote for candidates? Where would the Walk of Fame be? (Downtown Washington or a pristine park venue, like Mingo Creek, would be appropriate.)

There are local halls of fame, but no Walk of Fame.