The 14th Annual Dunbar Community Fest, which begins tonight, is a celebration of the history of the small Fayette County town.

Dunbar's history goes back to the French and Indian War, according to “Images of America — Dunbar,” compiled by the Dunbar Historical Society.

According to Donna Myers, secretary of the society, Col. Thomas Dunbar, for whom the town is named, was second in command to Gen. Edward Braddock when the English engaged the French and their Indian allies in what is now Braddock in Allegheny County. Dunbar was the leader of the support column that camped at Jumonville.

The creek that flowed out of the mountains near Jumonville from the Deer Lake area to a confluence with the Youghiogheny also took his name — Dunbar Creek. The settlement later took the name from the creek that flowed through the community.

Located near an iron foundry, the community was once called Frogtown.

“No one knows the origin of the name Frogtown,” said Guy Rose, president of the Dunbar Historical Society.

Rose said iron foundries in the Dunbar area before the town was incorporated produced castings for the railroads. Some believe the name came from the town's railroad link because those foundries cast the part of a railroad switch called a frog.

Others say the name could have come from the frogs that populated Dunbar Creek as it flowed through the community.

The community became prosperous in the 19th century, so prosperous that Myers said there were five banks in town.

“Dunbar was never a coal patch town,” said Myers. “And Dunbar Furnace was never owned by H.C. Frick.”

The Union Furnace was started by Isaac Meason in the 1790s, about 300 yards above where the Dunbar Furnace stood.

Dunbar grew up to service the people who worked in the furnaces, foundries, glass factory, railroads, coal mines, coke batteries, bluestone quarry, brick works, woolen mills and sand works, among others.

One business that grew and became famous over decades was Pechin Shopping Village, founded in 1947 by Sullivan “Sully” D'Amico. The site featured a grocery store, a video store, a pharmacy, a beer distributor, a sporting goods shop, a clothing store, a farm supply distributor, a toy store and a hardware store. The store became famous for a low-cost food menu, including cheap hamburgers.

Part of the system of stores was built over Dunbar Creek.

Pechin Shopping Village burned down in 2006 after it had closed and relocated to the Laurel Mall in Dunbar Township.

The railroads reached the community in 1859 and, before too long, the B&O and Western Maryland Railroads were using the Bowest yard on the east side. The Pennsylvania Railroad ran through Dunbar. A short line railroad, the New Haven and Dunbar, ran through the community as well.

The Bowest yard closed in the early 1970s, but the Southwest Pennsylvania runs through Dunbar, moving supplies for Marcellus shale drilling operations. Plans call for the rebuilding of a small railroad yard where the Bowest yard was located.

A trolley line ran to Dunbar. It later became part of the West Penn line.

Much has been lost beside the origin of the name Frogtown.

Another area of Dunbar is called Headeye. Myers said the source of that name is unknown.

At least one of the many churches in Dunbar came with its own mystery. A window near the top of the Wesley United Methodist Church, built in 1902, is in the shape of the Star of David. The window is on the Church Street side of the building.

Dunbar Creek has been the source of a number of disasters caused by the overflow of the creek. Many buildings in the borough, built close to the creek, suffered whenever waters rushed down from the creek's headwaters above the area. The last flood took place in August 2014.

The Dunbar Historical Society has amassed 200 items which will be on display at the society headquarters on Bridge Street.

The Pascal Annex attached to the headquarters is nearly complete.

“It's so beautiful,” said Myers. “It just needs a bit of money.”

The society maintains a reproduction of a coke oven and houses a railroad “speeder” in a structure in the Coke Oven Park across from the society's office.

Inquiries about all of the buildings and bygone attractions can be made to the Dunbar Historical Society. The society maintains a website and Facebook page.

Karl Polacek is a Trib Total Media staff writer. He can be reached at kpolacek@tribweb.com or 724-626-3538.

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