Nice sunny days were in store for a couple of days so I put the room remodeling project on hold to venture out to old haunts. The one haunt was Cochran’s Mill. This was a community in times past forced to abandon their homes and business. The reason the people of the past had to leave the area was due to the fact of the government building a flood control dam further downstream on the waterways known as Crooked Creek. Many stone foundation remnants are still present throughout the wooded area.
As a young fellow, my parents and sister and I were present here to see the old Cochran’s Mill bridge under water. The old bridge would flood annually as the Crooked Creek Dam would hold back water to control flooding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A new bridge was erected a short time ago and was erected higher than the old bridge. However, this new structure was flooded 
with all the rain we have had in recent times. I wanted to visit this area this day. There are two bridges here. One was built new and another repaired in recent years.
As part of this day’s jaunt I elected to walk some of the Baker Trail which runs through the Cochran’s Mill area. One can walk along a steep and high hillside and view the flooding. Here I was fortunate to see a flock of turkeys flying over the watershed. The flock consisted of around twenty birds.
The common ties I have with this area are many. My mother Ruth Yount was raised about a mile or so south of this bridge near a place called locally, Rearick’s Ford. My father, Allen Smail was raised at the present-day Cherry Run intersection. The Cherry Run Gorge flows between his home and joins Crooked Creek here at Cochran’s Mill. Many relatives lived along this Cherry Run watershed and Crooked Creek. I have fished in these waters many times. My dad and I would gather crayfish here to go and fish for bass.
I can honestly state I have been in every hollow and on every hill from my dad’s homestead to Cochran’s Mill. Today much of this area is posted.
Back in the day a famous writer named Elizabeth Cochran came from this long-gone community. Her per name was Nellie Bly.
Nellie Bly historical marker
I watched two Woodies fly over the waters and heard some Canada geese as well. Later, I ventured down stream some to visit a site named Robb’s Fording.
Cherry Run
Larry A. Smail's Blog 
Do you happen to know anything about the McDonald’s or McDonnel’s that lived along cherry run mid to late 1800s? Their name is spelled two different ways on the old maps. I don’t know which is correct. Their home is long gone. I don’t know where they went or if they have descendants in the area.
Hi Matt, I do not know of any McDonald’s homes in Cherry Run. I asked my mother who is almost 89 and she doesn’t remember of any in the hollow. However, she and I both know of a McDonald family living between Cochran’s Mill and Girty, Pennsylvania. His name was Cliff. His daughter Terri lives at Rearick’s Ford which isn’t far from Cherry Run. Hope that might help with your memory. I do not know if you are familiar with any of the places I mentioned here in this reply.