Slickville Community Days shines spotlight on former mining town

About 400 people live in the small Salem Township community of Slickville, but visitors will swell that number this weekend, for the town’s annual Community Days.

Set for Friday and Saturday, the festival had its start as a remembrance of the town’s founding as a coal mining community a little more than a century ago.

According to Cathy Guzzo, a member of the Slickville Centennial Committee, the event began five years ago and has become a tradition.

“We formed a group to celebrate our town’s centennial in 2017,” she said. “The group stayed together, and we’ve continued to have Community Days the second week of August. Folks who have moved out of the area come back for it.”

The Slickville Volunteer Fire Department plays a central role. It organizes a parade, set for 6 p.m. Friday along the town’s half-mile-long Main Street. The department’s restored 1918 Model T fire engine will lead the way.

The fire department grounds along Main Street will be the setting for most other activities both days.

Food and craft vendors will open there beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and at 11 a.m. Saturday.

An amphitheater, constructed in time for the centennial, will be the venue for live music by East Coast Turnaround at 7 p.m. Friday, Doppler Affect at 3 p.m. Saturday, and Desperado at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

This year, the amphitheater has gained about 30 memorial benches, sponsored by individuals in honor of family members.

Also new this year, Greensburg resident and local native Linda Guest-Peters will sell and sign copies of her recently published children’s book, “We Are Different But A Lot Alike,” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Activities on Saturday that have become festival staples include: a car show 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Sylvester Church along Route 819; cow patty bingo at 5 p.m.; and a fireworks display, ending the event at 9:30 p.m.

For the display of vehicles, “We’ve never had less than 50 cars,” Guzzo said. “It’s a mix of everything from Studebakers to Corvettes. This year, we’re going to have a bus that’s been tricked out as a motor home.”

Tickets for the cow patty bingo, at $5, can be purchased up until 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Slickville’s beginnings

In 1917, the Cambria Steel Co. of Johnstown developed the town and its coal mining industry, which continued until 1943. At the height of activity, a rail line was extended to the town from Export.

According to a book compiled for the centennial, the town was named for Donald Slick, the mine’s first superintendent.

The legacy of the mining boom years remains quite evident. Guzzo notes many of the “patch” homes that were constructed decades ago for mine workers are still occupied by local families.

Inspired by the famous “Hollywood” sign, the town has fashioned its own sign, with letters spelling out Slickville, atop a slag heap that overlooks the community.

“The fireworks are shot from there,” Guzzo said. “It’s an all-purpose area.”

The Coal Mine Climb

As part of the festival’s 5K race, dubbed the Coal Mine Climb, participants scale a section of the slag heap marked by flags, Guzzo said. Race registration begins at 7 a.m. Saturday, with runners leaving the starting line at the fire department grounds at 8:30 a.m. There is an alternative 2-mile walk.

The race course crosses the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, which has brought a new demographic of visitors — bicyclists — into the town.

Building on interest generated during Slickville’s recent milestone, Guzzo said, the centennial committee has taken on a number of other projects, including a planter beautification program. Many of the organization’s efforts have benefited from a charitable foundation started in honor of a former resident, Andrew Henry Previti.

The committee also partners with the Slickville American Legion post to organize an annual Easter egg hunt and visits with Santa.

“We keep active,” Guzzo said. “We always have things happening.”

Visit the Slickville Centennial Committee and Slickville Community Happenings Facebook pages for more information about Community Days and other activities.