THE HISTORY OF TWO-LICK CREEK

When what is now called Indiana County was surveyed in 1790, the surveyor came across a certain creek. As early as 1760 there were two large salt licks nearby, and the creek seems to have been named after them, so he put "Two-Lick Creek" on his map. The two large licks were located half a mile above the mouth of Ramsey's Run in White Township, which was also near a place called "Shaver's sleeping place at two large licks." (Peter Shaver was an Indian trader who was hired by the state of Pennsylvania in 1744, and apparently there was a small dwelling near where the two licks were located.) The salt licks had been placed there by either the settlers or the Natives to attract deer. If a deer happened by and stopped to lick the salt, a settler or an Indian hiding nearby shot the animal so that he could feed his family with the meat as well as make clothing and shoes from the hide. It's possible that the name Two-Lick actually came from the Indian words Nischa-Honi, which mean "two licks." Black Lick Creek may have been named for the same reason; however, some people may have thought the Indian words were Neska-Honi, and "Neska" means black.

The surveyor, however, may have already heard that the creek was named Two Lick because of the following historical land transaction. On October 13, 1760, "the honorable proprietaries" (Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn) took out a warrant for a tract "Situate on the Waters of Two Lick Creek about Seventy Miles Easterly of the two Licks and on the Path leading from Frankstone to Kittanning." The "Kittanning Path" was an Indian trail leading from Kittanning - then an old Indian village - that passed near Cherryhill Manor and continued east to what is now Hollidaysburg.

THE ORIGIN AND FLOW OF TWO-LICK CREEK

Just a few miles east of Clymer at a place called Wandin (also Wandin Junction), the South Branch and the North Branch of Two-Lick Creek converge. The South Branch flows from State Game Lands and the North Branch flows from just northeast of Commodore, and it passes by Commodore, Lovejoy, and Stafford. Buck Run flows into Two-Lick Creek at the north end of Clymer and Dixon Run flows into Two-Lick Creek at the west end of Clymer. Two-Lick Creek then curves around Clymer and passes by Sample Run where after a few miles to the southwest it feeds into the Two-Lick Reservoir. Penn Run feeds into the Two-Lick at this point and just below that Allen Run. Ramsey Run joins the Two-Lick at the south end of the reservoir. When Two-Lick Creek reaches Homer City it then flows nearly due south, and Tearing Run converges with it at this point. When Two-Lick Creek reaches Graceton near Coral, it converges with Cherry Run. Once Two-Lick Creek reaches Black Lick it turns into Black Lick Creek where it turns due west. When the stream passes into Conemaugh Township ,it becomes the Conemaugh River and then Conemaugh Dam.

In the early and mid 1800s, fine white pine timber was cut near present-day Diamondville and logs were rafted down Two-Lick Creek (when the water was high) past Clymer and Sample Run (before they existed) to a saw mill at "Phillips Mills" (now Homer City). This practice continued until a saw mill was built at "Mitchell's Mills" (Diamondville) sometime around 1852. (In 1824, a grist mill owned by Dr. Robert Mitchell was erected near Two-Lick Creek near present-day Diamondville.)

THE TWO-LICK BECOMES POLLUTED AND THEN CLEAN AGAIN

It may have taken years, but because of sulfur and acid leeching out of the earth due to coal-mining and strip-mining operations, the Two-Lick eventually became polluted. (Sewerage was also dumped into the Two-Lick.) All the rocks in the Two-Lick were covered with a yellow slime, and all of the fish in the stream died. Even so, many children continued to swim in the Two-Lick Creek, although it was unhealthy and unsafe. (At times children stepped on shards of glass which cut their feet.) In the 1960s, after the mines had closed, clean-up operations were performed. Today, the stream is free of yellow slime and sewerage, and schools of small fish once again make the Two-Lick their home.

Note: A Clean Streams Law was passed in 1937 to protect streams from pollution and later was amended in 1945 to include acid mine drainage. The Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act was passed in 1945. Apparently It look the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 to enforce regulations that already existed.

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