In 2007, a resident of the Heilwood area told me about a place near the “ol' swimming hole” (Two Pipes) where the youth of the town would use railroad spikes from the nearby tracks to chisel their names onto the face of a rock formation. The approximate location was given to me and shortly thereafter, I made the trip to investigate the site.

About a half mile south of Heilwood, I found the rock formation. There wasn't much visible, as time and Mother Nature had done their best to conceal the carvings. But after removing some of the moss, various names, initials, and nicknames came to light. Visiting the site an additional three times (and taking care not to damage anything) over 30 different individual carvings could be distinguished. The task then became to try and identify the individuals who left their nicknames and initials, and to also try and establish the timeframe in which they did it.

Working with current residents of Heilwood as well as individuals who left the area years ago, it's been possible to match many of the initials and nicknames to the proper names of their carvers (included in parentheses in the lists that follow).

As for establishing the time frame, there are several clues. The number “39” is visible on one rock face and the name “Roosevelt” is carved into another. An old photograph I recently received has not only explained the number 39, but also established a probable timeframe for the entire area of rock carvings.

The photo is in the next section (below) and shows three individuals gathered on the rock face with the number 39. Each individual is standing next to his nickname: Ignazio “Cutty” Arello, John “Keybone” Reba, and Frank “Bungie” Stronsick. Directly above “Cutty” a complete date is carved into the rock, which under magnification reads “5/4/39”! Also, Frank “Bungie” Stronsick is actually still holding a railroad spike in his right hand - the very tool with which the carvings were probably made.

Additional trips to the rock faces will be made in hopes that additional initials and nicknames can be located.