Last Friday, a group of descendants of the family patriarch, Capt. John McCollough, joined together along Oak Road in Chicora to begin the restoration of a monument bearing the captain’s name.

The group came ready to work and fix up a monument that has been important to the family — and community — for nearly a century.

Considering the monument will be 100 years old in just a few years, it’s especially good to see this effort underway. It speaks to the value of local history, but also to the value of pulling together for a project.

We were excited to hear about this project and happy to send out a reporter to cover the news.

On this particular Friday, it was just the beginning steps of a larger project that were being taken. The crew that came together sprayed down the monument with a pressure washer.

Next, the group intends to use hydraulic cement to fix the cracks and seal the seams and to work with a concrete contractor, for advice on patching the stone marker. Additionally, the group contacted a gravestone maker about what could be done with the lettering on the marble section.

The monument, placed on Oak Road in 1927 by three descendants, marks the place where the Indian War of Western Pennsylvania veteran built a log cabin in 1797 on a 500-acre tract of land. The marker reads, “Site First Log Cabin Homestead Built by Capt. John McCollough 500 A. Tract 1797 Marker Placed By Heirs 1927.”

We love to see monuments like this one cherished and taken care of. History matters, and what this family is doing for this memorial matters. We applaud their initiative.

— TL