BGuthrie Photos: PA -- Pittsburgh -- Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center -- Points In Time

PA -- Pittsburgh -- Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center -- Points In Time:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. HRHCPT_071021_016.JPG: The McConnell Family Log House, 1780-1790
2. HRHCPT_071021_020.JPG: The Contested Land: 1745-1820: The settlement of Western Pennsylvania began in conflict. Native Americans had lived and hunted here for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived. In the mid-1700s, both France and England were claiming the land west of the Alleghenies. The British drove out the French in 1758 and built Fort Pitt to defend their interests. The village that sprang up around the fort became Pittsburgh. Unrest accompanies the rapid settlement that followed. A new population streamed into the region: English and Irish and Scottish and German. The best land along the river valleys was quickly snatched up, and tensions ran high as latecomers struggled to survive on small farms. Factions clashed over land rights, slavery, and taxation. The region's economy grew. Merchants came to supply the many pioneers going farther west. By the 1820s, the population of Western Pennsylvania had swelled to 170,000. The wilderness once known to the Iroquois was forever changed.
3. HRHCPT_071021_027.JPG: The McConnell Family Log House, 1780-1790: Based on surviving evidence and family history we have recreated the pioneer home built by Matthew McConnell of Washington County. Certain elements of what you see here, such as the stones and the iron crane of the fireplace, are from the original house. The furniture and other implements are from other Western Pennsylvania homes of this period. From inventories prepared at the time, we can identify the furnishings and tools typically used by families to provide simple food and clothing during the early years of settlement.
4. HRHCPT_071021_038.JPG: Log from Fort Necessity: Anticipating an attack by the French and their Indian allies, British troops, led b Washington, hastily erected a log stockade fort at Great Meadows in southwestern Pennsylvania and named it Fort Necessity. The French were pursuing the British for killing several soldiers and the officer Joseph Coulon de Villiers, sieur-de Jumonville, during a brief skirmish on May 28, 1754. In early July an overwhelming French army attacked the British at Fort Necessity facing Washington and his men to surrender and retreat to Virginia. This chain of events in Western Pennsylvania initiated the French and Indian War.
5. HRHCPT_071021_041.JPG: George Washington in Western Pennsylvania: George Washington ventured into Western Pennsylvania seven times over the course of his life. The first occurred in 1753 when he couriered a letter to the French at Fort Le Boeuf requesting that they leave the territory. The French ignored the ultimatum, and Washington returned to Western Pennsylvania three more times with the British army to oust them. These early exploits in the region launched his military career and his reputation as a leader, even though many of them ended in defeat and the loss of lives. Like other soldiers, military duty exposed Washington to frontier lands that were attractive for future settlement and land speculation. In 1769 he purchased more than 1,600 acres in Fayette County and eventually established a gristmill on the property. When Washington returned to the area in 1784, he found his mill in poor condition and eventually leased or sold off much of his land. Ten years later, Washington ventured into Western Pennsylvania one last time to crush the Whiskey Rebellion.
6. HRHCPT_071021_043.JPG: Log from Fort Necessity
7. HRHCPT_071021_058.JPG: A Free State? Not everyone who came to Western Pennsylvania was free. Some slaveholders brought slaves to work as farm laborers and domestics when they moved to the region. Through the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780, the state government worked to eliminate slavery. Any slave born before March 1, 1780 would remain a slave for life, but all slave children born after March 1, 1780 were considered indentured servants until the age of 28, when they would become free. By 1800, only 79 slaves lived in Allegheny County; by 1840, no slaves lived in the county.
8. HRHCPT_071021_060.JPG: Conditions of Slavery: When this country came into being, owning slaves was a legal and accepted practice. That began to change in northern states in the late 1770s and 80s. But legislation and the early abolition movement never completely abolished this brutal institution. It took a civil war to end slavery. We don't know the name of the first slave who attempted to escape. We do know, because of newspaper advertisements and letters that exist, that by the 1760s some enslaved Africans braved great danger and sought a route to freedom. The Underground Railroad, a secret network of people and places that provided safe haven on the journey to freedom, provided some assistance. Most runaway slaves, however, made the journey alone.
9. HRHCPT_071021_105.JPG: Arsenal of the Union: Supplying the demands of the Civil War transformed Pittsburgh into an industrial giant. Area factories provided many of the weapons and munitions for the Union army. At the Fort Pitt Foundry, over 3,000 cannons and 10 million pounds of shot and shells were produced. They built the giant cannon called the Columbiad, the largest and the most powerful gun of its time. The production of weapons, locomotives, and iron-clad boats increased the demand for iron and steel, raising both production levels and profits.
10. HRHCPT_071021_109.JPG: Arsenal of the Union
11. HRHCPT_071021_149.JPG: The Harwick Mine Disaster (1904): One of the worst of the century, the Harwick Mine disaster in Western Pennsylvania claimed 181 lives. News of the deaths of two rescuers at the Harwick Mine site prompted Pittsburgh steelmaker Andrew Carnegie to create a means by which ordinary citizens performing extraordinary acts of heroism would be honored and recognized for their deeds. Within three months of the explosion, Carnegie established a $5 million trust and appointed a 21-member commission to carry out his wish that "heroes and those dependent upon them should be freed from pecuniary cares resulting from their heroism."
12. HRHCPT_071021_153.JPG: The Homestead Strike of 1892: Fifteen years after the Railroad Riot, another major strike broke out in Homestead. In 1892, Carnegie's Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Company reduced wages for union workers. Anticipating a confrontation, plant superintendent H.C. Frick shut the mill, ordered a 12-foot fence built, and locked out the workers. In a battle between townspeople and the Pinkerton guards hired to protect the mill, seven workers and three guards were killed. The company succeeded in crushing the union.
13. HRHCPT_071021_154.JPG: Railroads, Riots, and Resistance: The worst labor unrest in U.S. history erupted during the 1870s, and some of the most serious incidents happened in Pittsburgh. In metals production, machines had begun to replace humans, creating tensions between wealthy owners and craft unions powerful in the iron trades. In the railroad industry, employees felt their voices were not being heard about work conditions, hours, and wages, despite their unions' efforts. In the confrontations that ensued, women and children joined the workers' cause.
14. HRHCPT_071021_158.JPG: Railroad Strike of 1877 The worst violence of the nationwide Railroad Strike of 1877 erupted in Pittsburgh. On July 19, local railroad workers refused to operate the Pennsylvania Railroad's "doubleheaders," trains twice the normal length operated with the same number of workers. Within hours, thousands of workers rushed to their support. On July 21 and 22, the National Guard charged a crowd of workers, women, and children with bayonets and then fired, killing 40 people and wounding about 30.
15. HRHCPT_071021_160.JPG: Trouble in the Coal Fields: Henry Clay Frick was known for the tough stand he took with workers. In 1871, with a loan from T. Mellon & Sons Bank, Henry Clay Frick began to amass land in Westmoreland and Fayette counties. By 1880, he emerged as the leading operator of coke ovens in the region; he became a millionaire by age 31. He openly opposed the formation of unions and fired many miners who spoke out against his company policy.
16. HRHCPT_071021_163.JPG: Hundreds Die in Mine Explosion: On December 19, 1907, the Darr Mine in Westmoreland County was rocked by an explosion. More than 200 men were killed, making it one of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history. An open lamp flame is believed to have ignited methane gas. Local newspaper accounts tell of "the terrible force of the explosion," the mutilated bodies, and the grief-stricken relatives crowding the scene. Many bodies could not be identified before they were buried. Interestingly, 150 Greek Catholic miners were spared because they stayed home that day to observe the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Miracleworker.
17. HRHCPT_071021_172.JPG: Hostilities Rage! "A tremendous struggle is taking place at the Homestead... This is, at last, what I have always hoped for from the American workingman... What supreme joy to aid in this work!" -- Alexander Berkman, Russian anarchist On Saturday, July 23, 1892, strike sympathizer Alexander Berkman burst into Henry Clay Frick's office, shot him twice, and stabbed him three times. Amazingly, Frick did not die. Berkman believed he was liberating the workers, but his attack eroded public support for the strikers. Berkman spent 14 years in jail, and Frick succeeded in breaking the union.
18. HRHCPT_071021_261.JPG: Kennywood Days: Kennywood Park has been a popular leisure spot for almost a century. Schools, businesses, neighborhoods, and ethnic groups still hold their annual picnics at the park. "Polish Day" and "Italian Day" are two of the most well-attended events at Kennywood. Joe Hredzak, who grew up in Castle Shannon in the 1960s, recalled: "We used to go for Donora Day. We used to go for McKees Rocks Day. We used to go for Slovak Day. We used to go for Croatian Day. We used to go for my uncle's altar boys' trip to Kennywood. So we went fairly often."
19. HRHCPT_071021_263.JPG: Renaissance City 1955-1995: Since the middle of the 20th century, Pittsburgh's urban renewal has contrasted dramatically with the economic decay wrought by the decline of the steel industry. In the Renaissance projects of the 1950s and 1980s, civic and business leaders joined forces to revitalize the downtown area. An emphasis on reducing air and water pollution, building new parks and skyscrapers, and creating new cultural resources helped Pittsburgh earn "Most Livable City" status in 1985. At the same time, the major steel companies closed most of the mills in Western Pennsylvania, leaving many people out of work and many small towns without hope. Former steelworkers struggled to find jobs in a new economy based on health care, high technology, and service industries. While many people were enforced to take lower-paying jobs or to leave the area, others saw Pittsburgh as "America's most promising postindustrial experiment."
20. HRHCPT_071021_277.JPG: "Big Mac," by Helen Webster, watercolor, 1997
21. HRHCPT_071021_279.JPG: "Big Mac," by Helen Webster, watercolor, 1997: In 1967, Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac at his Uniontown, Pennsylvania franchise, one of a dozen stores he operated at the time. Introduced nationwide the following year, the Big Mac remains a favorite. This planting of a super-sized Big Mac was commissioned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of McDonald's popular burger sandwich.
22. HRHCPT_071021_285.JPG: Alcoa Building model, c. 1950...
23. HRHCPT_071021_293.JPG: Alcoa Building model, c. 1950: The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) built a 30-story skyscraper for its corporate headquarters in the Gold Triangle in 1953. Wallace Harrison designed the building to incorporate aluminum in everything from exterior panels to furniture to electric wires.
24. HRHCPT_071021_322.JPG: United Airlines Flight 93 seatbelt
25. HRHCPT_071021_324.JPG: United Airlines Flight 93 seatbelt: On September 11, Western Pennsylvania felt the direct impact of the terrorist attacks with the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Somerset County. In the mass confusion of the morning, erroneous reports indicated the plane had departed from Pittsburgh, fueling fears among the local populace that loved ones were in danger. As the plane careened through southwestern Pennsylvania skies, Pittsburgh International Airport officials warned city representatives of the flight path, leading to immediate talk of evacuation. In Somerset County, local residents witnessed the eventual, tragic crash of Flight 93 and, immediately thereafter, emergency vehicles from fire and police departments through the region raced to the scene in hopes of finding survivors. There were none. Because of the location of the crash and its designation as a crime scene, the Pittsburgh Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was assigned jurisdiction over the site. Its agents -- many of whom were Pittsburghers -- faced the pressing task of securing perimeters, scouring the wreckage, consoling family members, planning memorial services, and recovering evidence for the investigation. Declassified y the FBI and collected by curators from the National Museum of American History, this artifact from the wreckage provides a sobering glimpse into the final moments of the innocent people who lost their lives aboard Flight 93.
26. HRHCPT_071021_329.JPG: Shoes and briefcase carried down one of the Twin Towers by someone who worked there on September 11.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Heinz History Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Senator John Heinz History Center is a 275,000-square-foot educational institution that engages and inspires a diverse audience with links to the past, understanding in the present, and guidance for the future by preserving regional history and presenting the American experience with a Western Pennsylvania connection. It is located the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, it is the largest history museum in the state of Pennsylvania.

Senator John Heinz History Center:

The History Center features the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and the Library and Archives, and includes six floors of permanent and changing exhibitions that tell the story of Western Pennsylvania.

Housed in the century-old Chautauqua Lake Ice Company building, the museum is an exhibit in its own right. The History Center also features the following permanent exhibitions:

* More than 250 years of regional history is highlighted in Points In Time: Building a Life in Western Pennsylvania, 1750-Today.
* Senator John Heinz: A Western Pennsylvania Legacy details the life and legacy of one of Pittsburgh's most beloved philanthropists and politicians.
* Pittsburgh's reign as America's glass city is showcased in Glass: Shattering Notions.
* Heinz 57 chronicles the history of the H.J. Heinz Company.
* The Special Collections Gallery houses more than 3,000 artifacts illustrating the rich ethnic history and corporate fabric of the Pittsburgh region.

The museum's history begins in 1879 with the formation of a club called Old Residents of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. In 1884 it changed its name to the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania (HSWP) and has been in continuous existence since, making it the Pittsburgh region's oldest cultural organization.

HSWP began the tradition of interpreting public history in 1911, organizing the centennial of steamboat navigation in Pittsburgh, as well as the city's 1955 bicentennial celebration. In the early years, HSWP held meetings in homes and churches, but in 1893, it was granted a space for its archives at the new Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Oakland. By 1914, it had its own building nearby, where it remained until its current home in Pittsburgh's Strip District opened in 1996.

Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the History Center:

Located in the Smithsonian wing of the Senator John Heinz History Center, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum spans 20,000 square feet of exhibit space over two floors.

The "museum within a museum" captures the Pittsburgh region's evolution and impact as a sports leader over more than a century, from amateur to pro and across the spectrum of sports.

The Sports Museum captures the unforgettable and almost forgotten tales of Pittsburgh sports through hundreds of artifacts, more than 70 hands-on interactive exhibits, and 20 audio-visual programs.

Select artifacts include Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" shoes; Mario Lemieux's hockey skates; Satchel Paige's baseball glove; the pitching rubber from the 1960 World Series; Billy Conn's gloves and light heavyweight champion belt; Arnold Palmer's sweater and golf bag; Chip Ganassi's 2000 Indy 500-winning race car; the "Ultimate Steelers Fan's Car;" the Homestead women swimmers Olympic medals from the 1920s and 1930s; and hundreds of Pirates baseball cards.

Library & Archives at the History Center:

The History Center's Library & Archives is an extensive scholarly resource documenting 250 years of life in Western Pennsylvania. The collection includes books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, atlases, newspapers, films, recordings and other memorabilia.

Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life:

The History Center also operates Meadowcroft Rockshelter, a world-renowned archaeological site south of Pittsburgh near Washington County's Avella community.

The Rockshelter is the oldest site of human inhabitation in North America, with evidence of man living there for nearly 16,000 years. The site was named a National Historic Landmark in 2005.

Adjacent to the rockshelter is the Museum of Rural Life, a village recreating rural life in the 19th century.
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