Making History Blog
Who is There to Mourn for Logan?
During the days preceding April 30th of 1774, a brutal massacre of American Indians was being plotted by about two dozen frontier malcontents roughly 40 miles northwest from Pittsburgh.…
Rules of Civility and Social Distancing
Statue of Washington and Guyasuta on Mt. Washington. Courtesy of Lynne Squilla. When George Washington was a boy, he copied into his notebook over one hundred Rules of Civility…
All-Out for Victory Gardens!
“Plant a Garden for Victory.” World War II poster by J. Howard Miller, for the Westinghouse War Production Co-Ordinating Committee, probably 1942. Like many Pittsburgh companies, Westinghouse encouraged their…
Bootleg Beef and Smuggled Sirloin: Black Market Meat During World War II
Ray Sprigle poses for a press photo with his black market meat, 1945. Ray Sprigle Papers and Photographs, MSS 799, Detre Library & Archives at the History Center. On…
Of Soup and Sustenance: Charity in the Iron City
Reflecting on the legacies of charity given and received in the Iron City As recent events remind us, tragedy can bring out the best in human nature and challenges…
Annie Jacobs Davis: “The Mother of Montefiore Hospital”
Portrait of Annie Jacobs Davis. Gift of Barnett Davis, Incorporated. The name Annie Jacobs Davis is synonymous with Montefiore Hospital. Montefiore was the first Jewish hospital in Western Pennsylvania.…
Women in Trade and Manufacturing
Sarah Kizina on her first day working in Meadowcroft’s blacksmith shop. Dewayne Curry, the primary smith at Meadowcroft, is teaching. Nothing quite strains our nostalgic vision of times past…
Experiencing History: Collecting Materials Related to the COVID-19 Response in Western Pennsylvania
The Heinz History Center is collecting objects, archival materials (both digital and physical), and web content that reflect the experiences of Western Pennsylvania citizens, officials, organizations, businesses, and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We wish to preserve these…
Pittsburgh’s Streamline-Deco Greyhound Bus Station
A newspaper ad announced the opening of Pittsburgh’s terminal, March 13, 1937. The image was similar to the final building, though a bit more idealized. Newspapers.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh…
Help, Heartbreak, and Hope from a Century Ago
For the past three weeks, the Rauh Jewish Archives has been collecting documentation of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Jewish organizations in the region—emails, press releases, announcements, and stories.…