History & local legend
John 'Yank' Brown belonged to a band of thieves operating along the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana Turnpike. Around Armagh in Indiana County, his name became attached to a treasure and ghost story later preserved by county historian Frances Strong Helman.
In the legend, Brown kept stolen horses in a cave until they could be sold. After his death, people began searching for money supposedly hidden in the same place. Their searches produced another kind of encounter: the sound of horses galloping along the old pike toward the hideout, as though Brown were still bringing stolen animals in for shelter.
Sources
- Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, Frances Strong Helman’s folklore pamphlet and Clarence Stephenson on the documented theft ring
- h2g2, Pennsylvania’s Ghosts, the tale of the cave, treasure seekers and the sound of horses on the Armagh pike
- Western Pennsylvania Conference, Church Records, Johnstown District p. 508, identifies West Philadelphia Street Extension as old US 22
- OpenStreetMap, junction of West Philadelphia Street and Bill Dick Road
