| Three Centuries of Pittsburgh History | |
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Sparked by Pittsburgh's rich seam of bituminous coal and aided by three rivers that distributed finished goods, the industrial era began in earnest with the War of 1812 when many workers turned from farming to iron, rope and boat manufacturing. By 1841, local engineer John A. Roebling had designed the first wire rope bridge, and by 1847 the first cable suspension bridge. During the Civil War, Pittsburgh's iron factories supplied the Union army with warships, armor plate and other materials. After the war, as many as 62 glass factories flourished, most of them on what is now the South Side.
In 1873, Andrew Carnegie opened his first steel mill, the Edgar Thomson Works, on the site of historic Braddock's field. Pittsburgh would stoke its manufacturing economy during the next 100 years, generating a number of inventions and inventors, including George Westinghouse, credited with such advancements as the air brake and alternating current. In 1888, ALCOA began producing a new metal called aluminum.
Explore Pittsburgh history from this time period:
Pittsburgh's Steelmaking History - A Photo Tour
Photographs of steelworkers, furnaces and the life of Pittsburgh workers in the early 20th century.Pittsburgh Industrialists/Philanthropists
Meet some of the great industrialists/philanthropists who played such a huge role in shaping Pittsburgh into what it is today, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, H.J. Heinz, Richard Mellon Scaife and George Westinghouse.Western Pennsylvania Civil War Resources
Plenty of links to satisfy your curiosity about Pittsburgh and the Civil War including history, local news and events, roundtables/study groups, museums, collections, monuments, forts, cemeteries, reenactment groups, fraternal organizations, regimental histories/diaries, music groups and publications.Western PA History - Steel City to Renaissance City
A wonderful pictorial history with links and discussion from WQED's Pittsburgh History Series Teachers' Guide.
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