The Pittsburgh History Journal

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 23, 1966 Frank Lloyd...

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:34:41 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 23, 1966

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, built for magnant Edgar Kaufmann, is deemed a National Landmark. [Wikipedia]

Night View Through Trees of Pittsburgh, W. Eugene Smith, c. 1955...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:48:37 -0400

Night View Through Trees of Pittsburgh, W. Eugene Smith, c. 1955 (via)

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 22, 1843 Mary Cassatt,...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:45:00 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 22, 1843

Mary Cassatt, noted impressionist painter, was born in Allegheny City. [Historic Pittsburgh]

(image via Jasperdo’s Flickr) On This Day in Pittsburgh...

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:33:22 -0400

(image via Jasperdo’s Flickr)

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 21, 1937

Governor Earle signed a bill to create a turnpike commission to issue $50 million to $65 million in bonds to finance construction of an “all-weather” toll highway from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg. [Historic Pittsburgh]

Photo

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:45:57 -0400

North Avenue cyclists, North Side of Pittsburgh, 1898. Frank E....

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:53:23 -0400

North Avenue cyclists, North Side of Pittsburgh, 1898. Frank E. Bingaman. [Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 20, 1887 The Duquesne...

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:49:18 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 20, 1887

The Duquesne Incline starts operations on Mount Washington. [Wikipedia]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 19, 1921 The world’s...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:56:00 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 19, 1921

The world’s first broadcast of “market” reports are on the air at KDKA-AM. [Wikipedia]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 18, 1918 An explosion at...

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:49:10 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 18, 1918

An explosion at Etna Chemical Company kills 114 people. [The Pittsburgh Press]

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (1936), Mill Run,...

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:00:04 -0400

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (1936), Mill Run, Pennsylvania

Evelyn Nesbit (1884-1967)

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:56:50 -0400

Evelyn Nesbit (1884-1967)

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 17, 1963 Pittsburgh...

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:00 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 17, 1963

Pittsburgh native Bruno Sammartino wins the WWE Championship and will reign for as champion for another 18 years. [Wikipedia]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 16, 1990 William “Bill” Bennett, Director of the Office of...

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:49:35 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 16, 1990

William “Bill” Bennett, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policyunder George H. W. Bush, makes world headlines in Pittsburgh when he scolds local homeless in a shelter, “You guys aren’t watching “The Simpsons,” are you? That’s not going to help you any.” [Wikipedia; The Madison Courier]

Steps at Highland Park Reservoir, 1910s [Pittsburgh Parks...

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:21:20 -0400

Steps at Highland Park Reservoir, 1910s [Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Blog]

Norwegian Nationality Room dedication (via) On This Day in...

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:34:51 -0400

Norwegian Nationality Room dedication (via)

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 15, 1948

The University of Pittsburgh dedicates the Norwegian Nationality Room at the Cathedral of Learning. [Wikipedia]

Downtown Pittsburgh, 1965 (via)

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:40:00 -0400

Downtown Pittsburgh, 1965 (via)

Henry John Heinz, 1914. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian...

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:31:00 -0400

Henry John Heinz, 1914. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (via)

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 14, 1919

Henry John Heinz, founder of the H. J. Heinz Company, one of the world’s largest food manufacturing firms and owner of one of the nation’s outstanding private art collections, died of pneumonia at the age of 75 at his home. [Historic Pittsburgh]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 13, 1929 Pittsburgh...

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:28:09 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 13, 1929

Pittsburgh county detectives and the homicide squad began a joint probe into the death of Rose Collins, 25, the first woman to be granted an aviator’s license in Pennsylvania. [The Pittsburgh Press]

She helped to host Pittsburgh’s Aero Club ball in March and was in the news in April as part of a photoessay The Pittsburgh Press had done on the increasing numbers of women aspiring to be pilots.

In July 1929, The Pittsburgh Press reported that Collins had died of peritonitis several days following “an operation.” Before she died hospital attendants and physicians made attempts to divulge the name of the person who performed it, but she refused. Her fiance testified to investigators that he had urged Collins “to marry him and not undergo the operation.” No arrests were made. Rose Collins was a clerk at the Pittsburgh Country Club in Beechwood, where she resided.

Webb and Mother: John Wilson Webb, in Pittsburgh, weighs 120...

Sun, 12 May 2013 21:48:55 -0400

Webb and Mother: John Wilson Webb, in Pittsburgh, weighs 120 lbs. at 34 months, 1909. From the George Grantham Bain Collection. [Shorpy]

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 12, 2001 The world and...

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:39:13 -0400

On This Day in Pittsburgh History: May 12, 2001

The world and city mourn the news that native Perry Como has died, six days before his 89th birthday. [Wikipedia]