The Steel Valley Story: How Pittsburgh’s Monongahela River Towns Forged America
Explore the powerful story of Pittsburgh’s Steel Valley — the Monongahela River towns that built America’s industrial might and shaped labor history.
John Bazzano: Pittsburgh’s Ruthless Mafia Don
In the annals of Pittsburgh’s dark and shadowy history, one name strikes a particularly ominous chord: John Bazzano. As the ruthless mafia don who ruled the Steel City’s underworld during the early 20th century, Bazzano orchestrated one of the bloodiest chapters of organized crime in Western Pennsylvania. His reign was defined by backroom deals, brutal…
The Johnstown Flood of 1889: Pennsylvania’s Great Disaster
On May 31, 1889, a wall of water surged down the Conemaugh Valley in Pennsylvania, wiping entire communities off the map in what remains one of the deadliest disasters in American history. The Johnstown Flood, as it came to be known, was more than just a tragedy—it was a watershed moment that revealed the dangers…
Haunted Allegheny Cemetery: The History, Legends, and Hauntings of Pittsburgh’s Oldest Burial Ground
Explore the haunted history of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville. Discover true stories, notable burials, and the ghost legends that make it the city’s most haunted burial ground.
The Untold Stories of Pittsburgh’s Early Black Entrepreneurs
Explore the untold stories of Pittsburgh’s early Black entrepreneurs — from barbers and livery owners to media pioneers — and their lasting impact on the city’s history.
Prehistoric Pittsburgh: From Meadowcroft to Monongahela
Before Pittsburgh’s towering steel mills and bustling riverfronts, the land where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River was home to humans for thousands of years. The first known evidence of human habitation in the region comes from Meadowcroft Rockshelter, located about 30 miles southwest of modern Pittsburgh. This remarkable archaeological site has provided some of the oldest evidence of human activity in North America, dating back to around 16,000 BCE.
The Homestead Strike of 1892
Few events in American labor history carry the weight and lasting impact of the Homestead Strike of 1892. A brutal clash between steelworkers and industrialists, this strike was more than just a labor dispute—it was a battle over power, wages, and the future of organized labor in the United States. Taking place at Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Works, the strike pitted thousands of workers against Carnegie’s ruthless business partner, Henry Clay Frick, resulting in bloodshed, a national spectacle, and a turning point in American labor relations.