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Long before they famously debated each other during the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon debated the merits of the new Taft-Hartley labor law in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in April 1947. But their minds were clearly on bigger things. As fate would have it, Kennedy and Nixon shared a Pullman compartment…
Carl's Story begins in the woods near St. Mihiel, France, almost a century ago on September 16, 1918. On that victorious day, when the US Army won its first battle in Europe and the war was just day from ending, Carl Willig, a doughboy in
I am a Pennsylvania State Trooper, a soldier of the law. To me is entrusted the honor of the force. I must serve honestly, faithfully, and, if need be, lay down my life as others have done before me, rather than swerve from the path of duty. It is my duty to obey the law…
In Did You Know That Boy? author Dale Saller has followed his penchant for history and nostalgia with the narrative of the lives of "The McKeesport 23." He tells the story of the ordinary lives of twenty-three men raised in the Western Pennsylvania region known as the Mon Valley, specifically the city of McKeesport. They…
Print of a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln by local artist Dink Ulm
Five-and-ten stores were immensely popular during the middle of the twentieth century, selling cheap, dependable goods to people from all walks of life. Now the product of a bygone era, these stores were revolutionary in their time, but few today appreciate how important they were in creating our present-day consumer culture. In this sensitive yet…
American soldiers stationed in the UK came away winning more than just a war, they also won the hearts of young women across Britain. At the end of World War II, more than 70,000 GI brides followed the men they'd married – men they barely knew – to begin a new life in the United…
Purportedly named for the many beech trees growing on its hillsides, Beechview was settled by Scotch-Irish and English pioneers in the late 1700s. This Pittsburgh neighborhood stretches along a broad ridge two and a half miles south of the the Point. While Pittsburgh grew and developed into the political and economic center of the region,…
Braddock, Allegheny County is named after British general Edward Braddock, a military leader whose miscalculation of Native American fighting prowess cost him fame, glory, and life in 175. The place of defeat was long remembered as Braddock's Field. The battle was a world-changing event, as it altered the course of American and world history. George…
Brookline was settled in the mid-eighteenth century as a farming community along Pioneer Avenue, a state road from Pittsburgh to Washington. The West Liberty Development Company and the opening of the Liberty Tunnels, in 1924, helped this Pittsburgh neighborhood grow. The area became a choice locale for city workers and others to settle. It is…
Located just eleven miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Duquesne has a history that began when British general Edward Braddock and American colonel George Washington marched through the area and were defeated by the French in 1755. Once a part of Mifflin Township, Duquesne was later named in honor of the French governor general of Canada. Through…
Western Pennsylvania is dotted with what are known locally as mill towns, but few of these communities epitomize this definition more than the municipalities of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall. Commonly referred to as the Steel Valley, these towns were home to some of the greatest steel-producing operations in the world. As the Mon Valley's…
Located at the confluence of the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers, McKeesport was settled by David McKee in 1755. In 1769, McKee acquired land from the Colonial government and one of his sons, John, laid out a village that became known as McKee'
Names for Versailles Palace in honor of the French allies during the American Revolution, Versailles Township was one of the original seven townships of Allegheny County. Wedged among the Monongahela, Youghiogheny, and Turtle Creek Valleys, the region was a prime spot for the growth of industrial, commercial, and residential plans. David L. Clark (creator of…
Since the mid-1700s, Pittsburgh has welcomed generations of immigrants. This region in southwestern Pennsylvania was once a magnet for European immigrants who carved out livings in steel, iron, glass, and other factories along its famous three rivers. Those immigrants built the city's ethnic neighborhoods: the Irish North Side, the Polish South Side, the Italian Bloomfield,…
Squirrel Hill is one of Pittsburgh's premier residential neighborhoods. It has a vibrant commercial center and two exceptional parks. The area was first settled in the eighteenth century as a pioneer farming community. As the city of Pittsburgh prospered, so did the status of Squirrel Hill. In 1867, Squirrel Hill was incorporated into Pittsburgh, but…
When George Westinghouse Jr. founded the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, his air brakes, railroad equipment, and industrial pneumatic devices revolutionized rail travel, opening a new chapter in American industrial history. Not only were the products of his first company revolutionary, but the small borough he founded in 1890 in southwestern Pennsylvania became a model for…
Homestead and Mifflin Township shows an era of days gone by through the medium of postcards. Mifflin Township was one of the seven original townships when Allegheny County was formed, and it covered the Monongahela River as well as the present-day communities of Clairton, Duquesne, Dravosburg, Hays, Homestead, Jefferson Hills, Lincoln Place, Munhall, Pleasant Hills,…
McKeesport's location at the junction of the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers facilitated shipping and transportation for the early coal and steel industries. Multiple large manufacturers were located here, including the National Tube Works, the
Since the late 1800s, sports have played a key role in shaping the very character of western Pennsylvania. The area's largest city, Pittsburgh, boasts well-known professional sports teams in baseball, football, and hockey. In fact, no other city of comparable size has had such success in sports at the professional level, earning bragging rights and…
