Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pittsburgh is in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Built on the land between the confluence of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers and the surrounding hills, Pittsburgh features a skyline of skyscrapers
and dozens of bridges. Once an industrial center, the collapse of the United States steel industry has had a lasting impact on Pittsburgh. However, in 2005 in The Economist, Pittsburgh shared with Cleveland the top spot for liveable cities in the United States, and
tied for 26th on cities world-wide. Despite these rankings, Pittsburgh still faces many problems common to Rust Belt cities. An overarching trend of declining population in the city has had multiple side effects, from a dwindling tax base to cuts in both police and
firefighting services. In response to the collapse of the steel industry, Pittsburgh has become a nationally known center of medicine, education, technology and financial services.
Pittsburgh is the home of several prestigious universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon University, among others. The city also hosts several nationally acclaimed sports teams, including the five-time Super Bowl
champion Pittsburgh Steelers, five-time World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates and the two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, Pittsburgh is home of many top-rated medical institutions, such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
and Allegheny General Hospital. Although still facing a declining population, Pittsburgh remains the chief city of the eastern Ohio River Valley. Pittsburgh has had a population problem since the First Renaissance and the closing of many steel mills due to union
problems in the early 1970s.
History
At the site of present-day Pittsburgh, in 1754, the French built Fort Duquesne. During the French and Indian War, British General John Forbes occupied the fort. He ordered the construction of Fort Pitt, named after British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder.
He also named the settlement between the rivers "Pittsborough."
During Pontiac's Rebellion, Ohio Valley and Great Lakes tribes besieged Fort Pitt for two months.[2] Colonel Bouquet defeated Pontiac's forces in the Battle of Bushy Run.
In the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix, the descendants of William Penn, purchased from the Six Nations western lands that included most of the present site of Pittsburgh. In 1769, a survey was made of the land situated between the two rivers, called the "Manor
of Pittsburgh."
Following the American Revolution, the village of Pittsburgh continued to grow. One of its earliest industries was building boats for settlers to enter the Ohio Country. In 1784, the laying out of the "Town of Pittsburgh" was completed by Thos. Vicroy of
Bedford County and approved by the attorney of the Penns in Philadelphia. The year 1794 saw the short-lived Whiskey Rebellion. The Act of March 5, 1804, which modified the provision of the old charter of the Borough of Pittsburgh in 1794 -- the original of which is
not in existence, so far as known -- refers throughout to the "Borough of Pittsburgh."
The War of 1812 cut off the supply of British goods, stimulating American manufacture. By 1815, Pittsburgh was producing significant quantities of iron, brass, tin and glass products. The Act of March 18, 1816, incorporated the City of Pittsburgh. The original
charter was burned when the old Court House was destroyed by fire. By the 1840s, Pittsburgh was one of the largest cities west of the Allegheny Mountains. A great fire burned over a thousand buildings in 1845, but the city rebuilt. By 1857, Pittsburgh's nearly
1,000 factories burned 22,000,000 bushels of coal yearly.
The American Civil War boosted the city's economy with increased production of iron and armaments. Steel production began by 1875, when the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock began to make steel rail using the Bessemer process.
In 1901, the U.S. Steel Corporation formed. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing between a third and a half of the nation's various types of steel. The city's population swelled to half a million, many of whom were immigrants from Europe. During World War II,
Pittsburgh produced 95 million tons of steel.[1] By this time, the pollution from burning coal and steel production created a black fog (or smog). Following the war, the city launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as the
"Renaissance." This much-acclaimed effort was followed by the "Renaissance II" project, begun in 1977 and focusing more on cultural and neighborhood development than its predecessor. The industrial base continued to expand through the 1960s, but
beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, the steel industry in the region imploded, with massive layoffs and mill closures. Beginning in the 1980s, the city shifted its economic base to services, tourism, medicine and high technology. During this transition, the city
population shrunk from 680,000 in 1950 to 330,000 in 2000.
Multiple organ transplants were pioneered in Pittsburgh by Dr. Thomas Starzl in 1983 and Pittsburgh hospitals remain premier medical research institutions.
Name and spelling
Pittsburgh was officially named with its present spelling on April 22, 1794, by an act of the Pennsylvania Department, stating: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is
hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said town of Pittsburgh shall be, and the same is hereby, erected into a borough, which shall be called the borough of Pittsburgh for ever."
Pittsburgh is one of the few American cities to be spelled with an h at the end of a burg suffix. While briefly referred to as "Pittsburg" during the late 19th century, in 1911 the Pittsburgh spelling was officially restored.
Geography and climate
The city is located on the Allegheny Plateau, where the confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River form the Ohio River. The area between the rivers is known as the Golden Triangle, the extremity of which is The Point. Pittsburgh occupies the Golden
Triangle as well as the slopes of the river valleys, and the ridges beyond. Many of the city's neighborhoods, particularly south of the Monongahela, are deeply sloped, making Pittsburgh one of the hilliest cities in America.
Pittsburgh has a continental climate, with four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Culture
In the 19th and 20th centuries, wealthy businessmen and nonprofit organizations donated millions of dollars to create educational and cultural institutions. As a result, Pittsburgh is rich in art and culture.
In music, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs in Heinz Hall. The Benedum Center and Heinz Hall provide venues for other groups, such as the River City Brass Band and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. Pittsburgh also has a large indie and punk rock
scene. Additionally the National Negro Opera Company was founded in Pittsburgh, and was the first all African-American opera company in the United States. This led to the prominence of African-American singers like Leontyne Price in the world of opera.
The city has an extensive library system, both public and university. Most notable are the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh's University Library System.
In theater, the Pittsburgh Playhouse of Point Park University has four resident companies of professional actors. Other companies include Attack Theatre, City Theatre, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater,
and Quantum Theater. The city's longest-running theatre show, Friday Nite Improvs, is an improv jam that has been performed in the Cathedral of Learning and other locations for 17 years.
Many notable individuals in the world of culture emerged out of Pittsburgh. Andy Warhol and August Wilson were both born and raised in the Pittsburgh area.
Sites of interest
Museums include the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Frick Museum. Installation art is featured outdoors at ArtGardens of Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History has extensive dinosaur collections and an Ancient Egypt wing. The
Carnegie Science Center is technology oriented. The Pittsburgh History Center and its Sports Museum are located in the Strip District. The unusual and eclectic Bayernhof Music Museum is six miles (9 km) from downtown.
Pittsburgh houses the country's National Aviary. The Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features a Victorian-style greenhouse. The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania and Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden are also located in the area. |
