The Names of Pittsburgh

The Names of Pittsburgh
Author: Bob Regan
Publisher:
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2009
Genre: History
ISBN:

Bob Regan mines the rich vein of Pittsburgh¿s history by continually finding a new lens through which to view the past. His previous two books¿The Steps of Pittsburgh and The Bridges of Pittsburgh¿were received with acclaim, drawing fans from the Pittsburgh diaspora around the world. The Names of Pittsburgh does the same as Regan explores the names of the men and women¿not to mention scientific paraphernalia, patents, astronomical terms, grape varietals, et al.¿from the region¿s history which dot the landscape. Each provides a segue into a broader discussion of some fascinating aspect of Pittsburgh¿s past.

Speaking Pittsburghese

Speaking Pittsburghese
Author: Barbara Johnstone
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2013-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199945683

Explores the history and development of Pittsburghese as a cultural product of talk, writing, and other forms of social practice.

Pittsburgh's Point Breeze

Pittsburgh's Point Breeze
Author: Sarah L. Law
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2014
Genre: History
ISBN: 1467122335

Named for the famous early-19th-century Point Breeze Hotel that stood at the corner of what is now Fifth and Penn Avenues, Point Breeze has been home to some of the wealthiest families in Pittsburgh and the country. Moguls such as Carnegie, Westinghouse, Frick, Mellon, and Thaw all resided in Point Breeze, thus christened "Pittsburgh's Most Opulent Neighborhood." H.J. Heinz owned the first car in Pittsburgh, which was garaged at his estate in North Point Breeze, and present-day Wilkins Avenue was originally the private road to the 650-acre estate of senator, ambassador to Russia, and judge William Wilkins. However, many of these prestigious estates were later razed and divided to become smaller residential lots, driving the real estate market to create more homes to accommodate 20th-century families. In later years, the Point Breeze neighborhood became the home of several well-known authors, including Annie Dillard, Albert French, and David McCullough, as well as professional athletes Willie Stargell of the Pirates and L.C. Greenwood of the Steelers and everyone's favorite neighbor, Mr. Rogers.

German Pittsburgh

German Pittsburgh
Author: Michael R. Shaughnessy
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2007-04-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1439618518

Today, over one-quarter of Pittsburgh's residents claim German heritage, the largest ethnic group in the region. It might be surprising to know that German was an official language of Pittsburgh at one time, and a daily German newspaper was printed from the mid-1800s up through World War II, but Germans have been living in the area since the 1600s, and Pennsylvania saw a dramatic influx of German immigrants in the later part of the 19th century. Without those immigrants, Pittsburgh would be a very different place--German-speaking Pittsburghers include names like H. J. Heinz, Honus Wagner, and the Kaufmanns, and they produced beloved Pittsburgh beers such as Iron City and Penn Pilsner. Today, remnants of the German-speaking community can be found throughout the city, and over 300,000 residents can claim German ancestry. German Pittsburgh explores the multifaceted cultural history of German-speaking immigrants and residents in the Greater Pittsburgh area, and provides an overview of the contributions that this diverse ethnic community has made in the city.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
Author: Michael Chabon
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2011-12-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1453234098

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s “astonishing” debut novel, about a son’s struggle to find his own identity and integrity (The New York Times). Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Moonglow, and The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, is one of the most acclaimed talents in contemporary fiction. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, published when Chabon was just twenty-five, is the beautifully crafted debut that propelled him into the literary stratosphere. Art Bechstein may be too young to know what he wants to do with his life, but he knows what he doesn’t want: the life of his father, a man who laundered money for the mob. He spends the summer after graduation finding his own way, experimenting with a group of brilliant and seductive new friends: erudite Arthur Lecomte, who opens up new horizons for Art; mercurial Phlox, who confounds him at every turn; and Cleveland, a poetry-reciting biker who pulls him inevitably back into his father’s mobbed-up world. A New York Times bestseller, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh was called “astonishing” by Alice McDermott, and heralded the arrival of one of our era’s great voices. This ebook features a biography of the author.

A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania

A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania
Author: George P. Donehoo
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 573
Release: 2019-01-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1789123054

No state in the entire Nation is richer in Indian names, or in fact, in Indian history than Pennsylvania. These Indian names of Pennsylvania are full of music, but, of far greater importance, they are full of history. A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania, which was first published in 1928, is the only major book of the 20th century that traces Pennsylvania’s Indian place and names for their correct form, origin and history. Its pages are filled with the most incredible collection of information ever assembled on the Indian villages of Pennsylvania and their Indian place names and is an Indian history scholar’s delight. In preparing his book, Dr. Donehoo researched every available source of printed material about Indian place names in Pennsylvania. He also walked nearly every Indian trail, from the Delaware to the Ohio, using early trader’s journals and maps as his guide, to seek out the places the Indians lived. Each Indian name comes complete with historical notes by the author. The book includes a list of all the sources used to authenticate each Indian place name. An excellent bibliography follows at the conclusion of the work along with appendixes listing: the Indian villages of New York destroyed by General Sullivan’s army in 1779, prehistoric works in Pennsylvania by county, and an alphabetical listing of all Indian named places in each county.

August Wilson

August Wilson
Author: Laurence A. Glasco
Publisher:
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2015-12-15
Genre:
ISBN: 9780996937207

August Wilson is one of America's great playwrights. He lived in Pittsburgh from his birth in 1945 to 1978, when he moved to St. Paul, MN, and later to Seattle, WA. He died in 2005 and is buried in Pittsburgh.Wilson composed 10 plays chronicling the African American experience in each decade of the twentieth century--and he set nine of those plays in Pittsburgh's Hill District. He turned the history of a place into great theater. His plays, including Fences, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Jitney, Gem of the Ocean, and Radio Golf have become classics of the American stage.August Wilson: Pittsburgh Places in His Life and Plays guides visitors to key sites in the playwright's life and work in the Hill District and beyond. This guidebook enriches the understanding of those who have seen or read his plays, inspires others to do so, and educates all to the importance of respecting, caring for, and preserving the Pittsburgh places that shaped, challenged, and nurtured August Wilson's rich, creative legacy.