Pittsburgh, My Home Town.
PITTSBURGH 1805-1875
My Home Town
Since before the Civil War, my family has been in Pittsburgh--they immigrated there from Germany, Ireland, England, and West Virginia (?) I still own WV land inherited from those WV ancestors. But, this is about Pittsburgh.
I love this city. My Father was a riverboat engineer for over 20 years--his route started up on the Allegheny well north of Pittsburgh and took him all the way to below New Orleans, to the mouth of the Mississippi. He always had interesting stories to tell about his travels. And, he learned about different exotic foods that most in Pittsburgh in the 40's and 50's didn't have the opportunity to try.
At the time when Pittsburgh was a bustling coal/steel mill city, it was really dirty from the smoke from the mills. As a child, I remember going outside all dressed up for some occasion, and having to change at least 3 times before the grownups were ready to leave. I just couldn't touch anything with my little white gloves, they would be too dirty to wear.
I spent my formative years on streetcars going into the city, going across bridges that spanned the big rivers, the Monongahela from the South, the Allegheny from the North and the Ohio, a combination of the other two. The point where the rivers meet is full of history, but, it was also a very fun place to go for lunch, on a date, to take the children for fireworks and concert on July 4th, and to attend all the celebrations about the rivers and the city.
Pittsburgh today is like a diamond sparkling in the sun waiting for you when you exit the mile+ tunnel from the South. The newer skyscrapers have been designed and built to compliment and enhance the older more established buildings dating back to the 1800s; some back to the 1700s. They are a wonder to see.
Well, I could go on and on, but here are some sites to visit so you can see for yourself. Here are sites that feature Pittsburgh.
Large pictures of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 1805
Pittsburgh 1875
Pittsburgh's South Side, large picture
South Pittsburgh along Monongahela River