Learn the History of Your New Home

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:40:32 +0000

As boring as it may sound, the history of Pittsburgh is worth learning. Once educated in the past of the Iron City, you’re practically guaranteed to feel more connected to your new town. A short time line should give you the gist of the town you’ll soon call home.1700: The Iroquois tribe dominated the upper Ohio Valley until European explorers arrived and brought smallpox, measles, influenza, and malaria to the tribes.1747-1763: Ohio Company built a 80 mile wagon road to the Monogahela River until the French intervened. The Virginia governor sent George Washington to warn the French to withdraw. On November 25, 1758, General John Forbes ordered the construction of Fort Pitt (named after British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder) and named the settlement between the rivers “Pittsborough”. The French never attacked Fort Pitt and the war ended with the Treaty of Paris.1763-1799: Fort Pitt was one of the most important targets in Pontiac’s Rebellion (an attempt to drive out the British). The ‘Siege of Fort Pitt’ lasted two months until a British victory. After the revolution, the village of Pittsburgh continued to grow. It specialized in boat building (mostly flatboats and keelboats). The Pittsburgh Academy was chartered in February of 1787 and later became the University of Pittsburgh. Corn harvests were distilled into whiskey which was a common form of currency on the frontier until the Whiskey Rebellion.1800-1859: In this period, Pittsburgh became known as the ‘Iron city’. By 1800, the town had 1,565 people, many of whom were blacksmiths. In 1811, the first steamboat was built in Pittsburgh which would greatly increase commerce. Pittsburgh grew to hold tremendous transportation systems and manufacturing capacity. By the 1840′s Pittsburgh was one of the largest cities west of the Mountains. In 1845, a fire burned out of control and destroyed over a thousand buildings, causing 9 million worth of damage. When the city rebuilt, the age of rails arrived.1859-1946: The iron and steel industry grew rapidly and Pittsburgh became known as the ‘Steel City’. The American Civil War boosted the city’s economy as they produced necessary war equipment. Industrialists Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew W. Mellon built their fortunes in Pittsburgh.20^th Century: Pittsburgh is an industrial and commercial powerhouse. The Progressive Era recognized the cities problems with pollution. In November 1927, 28 people were killed in an explosion of a gas tank. Fifth avenue was dubbed ‘Millionaire’s Row’ because the rich escaped the polluted city to live in the East End neighborhoods. In 1936, there was a flood that killed 69 people and destroyed three billion dollars worth of infrastructure, putting 60,000 steelworkers out of work.Postwar: David Lawrence transformed the city into a modern governmental unit ran honestly. He enforced smoke abatement which put a damper on the coal industry. Pittsburgh was often known as the ‘Smoke City’ due to its thick smog. During the Renaissance (1946-1973), much effort was made to clean up the city. From 1973 to the present, the steel industry collapsed due largely to foreign pressure and outdated manufacturing bases. Many corporations were bought by larger firms and today, there are no steel mills within the city of Pittsburgh.Today, Pittsburgh has a diversified economy, low cost of living, and a great environment for education and culture. As previously mentioned, it has been ranked one of the World’s most livable cities. Pittsburgh has a rich history and a bright future that you’re lucky to be a part of.

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Learn the History of Your New Home