Making History Blog
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Pioneers on Ice
Most of the Pittsburgh Pennies weren’t looking to break barriers or change the world when they laced up their skates and took to the ice in 1973, but now 50 years later, they are seen as trailblazers. The Pennies came of age in the era of Title IX when opportunities for girls and women to participate in organized athletics began to expand. The team was homegrown, formed by a small group of young women and some of their parents who came to know each other at the Alpine Arena in Swissvale. A love of the game and a desire to compete initially brought them together. What they created is now recognized as integral to the establishment of competitive hockey for girls in the region.
Crandall-McKenzie & Henderson: Keeping Pittsburghers Clean
In a report on Pittsburgh’s “smoke nuisance” in the early 20th century, academic researchers attempted to calculate the economic burden caused by the city’s air pollution. They found that Pittsburghers,…
Damar Hamlin and the Freedom House Ambulance Service
On Monday, Jan. 2, National Football League fans in Pittsburgh and around the world witnessed a traumatic event unfold before their eyes during ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecast of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game.
Pittsburgh’s First (and Peculiar) Park
It was an ash dump, a firehall, a market for butchers, a place to relax for Chinese residents, and home to an alligator that roamed the city at night. Most oddly, it was in the middle of a street. It was Pittsburgh’s first park—erased for the past century, though you can still easily find its location.
Stepping Through History: Pittsburghers Reflect on City Steps
Steps and steam hammers. Steps and polio. The Titanic. Porky Chedwick, and the World Series. These are a few associations Pittsburghers made when recalling their memories for my article, “Stepping…
Was the World’s First Gas Station in Pittsburgh? It’s Complicated.
Every December 1, posts celebrate the anniversary of Gulf opening the first drive-in gas station in 1913. That small, somewhat circular building on Baum Boulevard in East Liberty was a game-changer in automotive history, but was it the world’s first?
Pittsburgh’s John Kane: A Laborer’s Life
“For I was nineteen when I came to America and then I at once became an American Workman.” -John Kane
Pitt vs. WVU: The History of the Backyard Brawl
Separated by just 70 miles, feelings run strong in the football rivalry between the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University. Sept. 1, 2022 marks the first time in more than a decade that the two teams will clash in what fans affectionately refer to as the “Backyard Brawl.”
Wait For It: Hamilton in Pittsburgh
Alexander Hamilton. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. The last time Hamilton came to Pittsburgh, he wasn’t quite as popular. In fact, he was arguably one of the most…
Asian American Heritage at the Heinz History Center
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To mark the occasion, explore artifacts from the Heinz History Center collection that speak to Asian and Asian American heritage…