A Mystery in Mutton Town
In the 19th century, there was once a mining village south of Pittsburgh known as Mutton Town, which stood about a half-mile north of Coal Valley near present-day Jefferson Hills. This little community, hidden in a hollow, had a short but prosperous past, but, by the end of the century, Mutton Town had become deserted. It was a dark and gloomy place, dotted with ruins and decaying cabins, and was rumored to be quite haunted. In the 1890s, many spook stories were told about the strange sights and sounds around Mutton Town after the sun dipped down behind the hills. Many of these stories centered around a large cottage that was formerly used as a boardinghouse. While a handful of miners occupied portions of the cottage over the years, there was always one apartment that was given a wide berth and sat unoccupied, and it was said there wasn't enough money in the world to convince someone to rent it. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette : Some of the miners said they had heard str...
