Book's pages flip through rich history of Delmont, Salem Township

When Tracy Searight moved to Delmont five years ago, she was surprised to learn that “such a quiet town” of about 2,500 residents at the juncture of routes 22 and 66 holds such a prominent place in local history.

“People would say, ‘Did you know this was a busy hub? This was a stagecoach stop.' I learned about the water trough. That's where everyone went on a hot day,” she said.

Searight found the stories fascinating.

“I said to myself, ‘I've got to write a book,'” she said.

Searight sent a proposal to Arcadia Publishing and was asked to expand the project to include Salem Township. The township includes numerous small villages, including former coal mining communities of Crabtree, Forbes Road and Slickville.

Arcadia Publishing this month released the pictorial history book, “Salem Township and Delmont,” as part of its Images of America series.

When Searight, 40, originally from Munhall, returned to the area from Charleston, S.C., she worked at a day care center in the borough building. The former Delmont Public School houses the town library, police force and businesses.

Pictures of the school are among more than 200 black-and-white photos in the book.

The mother of four, who teaches at the Children's Learning Ladder in Murrysville, said the book took more than a year to complete.

She did some research at the Westmoreland County Historical Society, where she is a member, and found some photos through the organization and other members. Finding enough quality photos proved challenging.

“You don't have 10 photos of the water trough in 1912. Some would not reproduce well,” Searight said. “I found some on eBay. A lot of them, I did ‘now and then' photos.”

Mary Pickels is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-836-5401 or mpickels@tribweb.com.