Making History Blog
Franco Harris and the 1972 Draft
In the days following the 1972 draft, the sports pages in Pittsburgh newspapers used words such as “skepticism” and “surprise” when talking about the Steelers’ first-round pick: Franco Harris.
Pittsburgh’s First NFL Draft
In December 1947, Pittsburgh stepped in to host the 1948 NFL Draft—the first and only time the event was held in the city until this year.
Where Pro Football Began: The $500 Game on Pittsburgh’s North Side
Professional football was born on the North Side in November 1892, fueled by an intense rivalry between the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and the Allegheny Athletic Association. Both believed themselves the best; both sought to assuage the sting of playing to a tie score on Columbus Day. And both were willing to use whatever means it took to win, including money.
The Irish Connection
The recent choice of defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt with the 46th overall pick, 14th choice of round two, in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers is part of…
Immaculate History
Three Rivers Stadium is gone now, but the memory of what happened there on Dec. 23, 1972, lives on.
Cradle of Quarterbacks
It goes back a long way, this tradition of quarterbacks as a natural resource in western Pennsylvania.
-Roy McHugh, The New York Times, 1991
The Wearing of the Black and Gold
It’s said that Pittsburghers bleed black and gold and, at least metaphorically, it seems true. We adorn our homes, our cars, and ourselves in all manner of the chosen colors.…
Ma Baker: Pittsburgh’s First Airline Caterer
An enterprising local woman provided airline passengers and workers with fine dining options beginning in the late 1920s. The first meals served aloft prepared in Pittsburgh came from Katherine Baker’s Pleasant Hills kitchen. She was known as “Ma Baker” — but she was no plump, flour-dusted grandmother.
The First Black Pilot Was From Pittsburgh
Like many in the wake of the Wright Brothers’ successful flights, Hill District resident Charles Wesley Peters was fascinated by the wonders of aviation. Using his mechanical skills, in 1906…
The Dawn of Aviation as Drawn by Pittsburgh Cartoonist Cy Hungerford
Editorial cartoonists in the 1920s and ’30s chronicled the Golden Age of Aviation as the public scrambled to adapt to a newly air-minded world. Newspaper editorial cartoons had offered visual…