Explore the legacy of Westinghouse in Pittsburgh — from powering the world with AC electricity to revolutionizing railroads and nuclear energy. Discover how Westinghouse shaped a city and the globe.
Discover how Pittsburgh became America’s “Glass City.” Explore the rise, impact, and legacy of Pittsburgh’s historic glass industry and its global influence.
Explore Pittsburgh’s coal mining boom and how it fueled America’s industrial rise. Discover the towns, labor struggles, and environmental legacy of the region’s coal era.
Discover Pittsburgh’s forgotten role in America’s 19th-century oil boom. Learn how the city’s refineries, rivers, and industries fueled the rise of the global oil economy.
Introduction: The Language of the Steel City Pittsburgh is a city with a rich industrial past, a proud sports tradition, and a dialect all its own. Known as “Pittsburghese”, the city’s unique collection of words, phrases, and pronunciations reflect its immigrant roots, blue-collar heritage, and distinctive regional culture. To outsiders, Pittsburgh’s local lingo might sound quirky,…
Introduction: Innovation and Obsolescence in the Steel City Pittsburgh’s steel dominance wasn’t just built on raw resources — it was driven by relentless technological innovation. From the Bessemer process that launched an empire to the outdated open-hearth furnaces that spelled its collapse, Pittsburgh’s rise and fall as America’s steel capital is a story of industrial evolution and…
When people think of Pittsburgh’s rivers today, they picture the Gateway Clipper Fleet — a collection of elegant riverboats cruising the city’s iconic waterways. For more than 60 years, the Clipper has been more than just a sightseeing cruise — it’s a floating piece of Pittsburgh history, carrying generations of locals and visitors through the city’s industrial past and vibrant present.
Introduction: Pittsburgh’s Rivers — Highways of Industry Before railroads crisscrossed the land or highways tied America together, Pittsburgh’s three rivers — the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio — served as vital arteries of commerce, transportation, and industry. Riverboats and barges turned the city into a bustling inland port, fueling its rise as the “Gateway to the West” and…
Introduction: The Steel City on the Rails Pittsburgh’s rise as an industrial giant was impossible without its railroads. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, railroads fueled the city’s steel empire, moved millions of immigrants, and connected Pittsburgh to the rest of the country. At the heart of it all stood Pittsburgh’s Union Station, a Beaux-Arts…
Introduction: How One Pittsburgh Family Shaped American Finance The Mellon name is synonymous with Pittsburgh’s rise as a financial and industrial powerhouse. What began as a modest banking operation in 19th-century Pittsburgh evolved into one of the most influential family dynasties in American history. The Mellons didn’t just fund Pittsburgh’s steel mills and glass factories…