Mythbuster: Is that you in there, David Leech? 
Photos and Story by Stephanie Angelini and Melinda McCorkle
May 31, 2011
Leechburg is a small town with big mysteries. As rumors flow through the hallways of Leechburg Area High School, they soon turn into myths. By definition, a myth is a belief or legend accepted as history. Leechburg’s myths, however, are a bit different from the traditional, from ghosts roaming the stairways to a rifle range in the maintenance department area to a swimming pool underneath the gymnasium. After hearing these rumors over and over again, it becomes difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. The Mythbusters’ goal is to discover the truth, one rumor at a time.
Recalling the rumors and curiosities from elementary school, we chose to bust or confirm, the myth of the block in the center of the elementary lobby. For a long time, and even now, students believed that David Leech, the founder of Leechburg, was buried in that stone block.
The real reason for the block dates back to the 1930s—the Depression era. The block is engraved with the letters WPA, which stands for Works Projects Administration. This program, a result of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, was the largest public works program of the Great Depression. Those working in the program constructed highways, roads, streets, public buildings, parks, bridges and even airports.
Now here’s where the block comes into the picture. The W.P.A. constructed a stone wall outside of the school Leechburg Elementary School in 1936. When the school district renovated in the ‘90s, the wall was removed to make room for the playground area. Part of the wall was placed as the centerpiece of the elementary lobby.
Now, to get to the real myth—is David Leech really buried in that block? The answer is no. David Leech, who died in 1858, long before that wall was built, is actually buried in Leechburg cemetery on Pershing Avenue, as you can see in the picture.
Therefore, this myth is BUSTED.
Have a myth you want busted this coming school year? Contact the LBG Mythbusters at TrottyVeck2010@gmail.com
[comments] |
