Replica American Indian village set for Cranberry's Graham Park
CRANBERRY TWP — Graham Park once was a hunting and camping ground for the Seneca tribe of American Indians passing through the area. Officials want to honor that history with a replica village in the park.
The village, which will be placed in the roundabout in Graham Park, will include six wooden statues of American Indians.
The statues, commissioned by the Cranberry Township Community Chest, will be more than 6 feet tall and will be represent different aspects of American Indian culture.
Township employee Lorin Meeder, who is overseeing the placement of the village, said a wigwam will be made along with statues showing an American Indian arrow maker, a peacemaker and hunters with rifles.
The statues are being carved from wood by chain saw artist Ken Tynan of Butler, who has done chain saw carving competitions at the Butler Farm Show.
In fact, one of Tynan's carvings is in Cranberry's Community Park, a 6-foot sculpture that will be moved to the new American Indian village when it's completed in September or October.
Meeder, who will have a demonstration at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Graham Park to explain the village, is a big history buff which got him behind the project when working with the community chest in creating the village.
“My family has all kinds of arrowheads from the park and from the field across from (Cranberry's) municipal center,” Meeder said.
“We know Graham Park was a place where they went hunting and camping, and we know they came here to pick cranberries.”
Meeder said officials for years have been talking about what to put on the roundabout, which is near the Miracle League baseball field in the park.
The American Indian village will have attention to detail, Meeder said, because it is meant to honor the history of those people.
“We know what they look like because of good written descriptions and paintings,” he said. “(The village) should be fairly accurate.”
Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the community chest and chairman of the township supervisors, said the last statue to be carved will be created by Tynan at the township's Community Days celebration this summer.
Once the village is constructed, Mazzoni said it could became another symbol of what makes Cranberry such a great place to live.
“It's one of those things that can be here forever and ever,” he said.
The carving of the statues will be paid for by the community chest, while the township will pay for the landscaping and the upkeep of the village.
WHAT: A demonstration to explain the replica village that will honor the Seneca tribe of American Indians who once hunted and camped in Cranberry TownshipWHEN: 10:30 a.m. ThursdayWHERE: Graham Park
