Jun 14, 2018 3 min read

Just when I think the bar has been raised as high as it will go for this publication, the Greene County staff of Observer Publishing Co. raises it yet again – this issue serves as the prime example.

First, there’s our cover story on the Rain Day Boys. Being that this issue’s release comes a bit before the famed Waynesburg holiday, we wanted to showcase it in some capacity. Staff writer Trista Thurston took it a step further with her piece on Rain Day and the 100th anniversary of the WWI tragedy (on Rain Day, nonetheless) that took the greatest amount of lives in war that Greene County has ever seen. You’ll read her powerful piece on page 14, an interview with the authors of “The Rain Day Boys: The Greene That Lay Near Grimpettes Woods” – founder and CEO of Memory Medallion Glenn Toothman and Greene County board-certified genealogist Candice Buchanan. The pair have been working on this project for an impressive 16 years, the fruits of their labor finally coming to a physical fruition. But make no mistake, their work isn’t finished – more, it’s a never-ending research project to honor the 18 fallen.

Then, on page 22, you’ll get to take a train trip with writer C.R. Nelson on the private railroad that carries coal 17 miles from the Cumberland Mine to the tiny town of Alicia on the Monongahela River. It’s a ride that few folks from the public have ever taken (not even Judge Farley Toothman has seen what Nelson got to, as noted in the piece). And, to boot, we’ve got a video from the journey online.

For more Greene County exploration, you’ll want to read staff writer Bob Niedbala’s story on the Greene River Trail, on page 26. The little more than 5-mile stretch runs along an abandoned railroad bed from the Greene Cove Yacht Club to the site of the former Arsenberg Ferry in Cumberland Township. And, as evidenced in Niedbala’s story, it’s a very popular and picturesque recreational amenity in the area. It was conceptualized about two decades ago, spurred by the rails-to-trails movement, and it’s slated to be expanded another 2.2 miles.

Finally, Washington County is known to have a rich history with the Whiskey Rebellion. But as regional editor Mike Jones writes about in his feature on page 30, so does Greene County. See, before Greene County split off on its own from the larger Washington County, a man named Rev. John Corbly was a rebel against the federal government’s Excise Whiskey Tax in 1791. As you’ll read, he left Washington County and went to trial in Philadelphia. When he returned to the same home a free man, he was actually returning to Greene County.

So, as we continue to bring you interesting and insightful stories about your friends and neighbors – perhaps even yourself! – we will certainly keep raising that bar.

Have a great summer!