152-645: The Kinzua Bridge or the Kinzua Viaduct ( / ˈ k ɪ n z uː / , /- z uː ə / ) was a railroad trestle that spanned Kinzua Creek in McKean County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . The bridge was 301 feet (92 m) tall and 2,052 feet (625 m) long. Most of its structure collapsed during a tornado in July 2003. Billed as the " Eighth Wonder of the World ", the wrought iron original 1882 structure held
304-680: A common carrier and tourist road from the 1890s to 1937. Lasting 111 years, the SH&;MC is described by some to be the world's first roller coaster . The first purpose-built common carrier railroad in the northeast was the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad ; incorporated in 1826. It began operating in August 1831. Soon, a second passenger line, the Saratoga & Schenectady Railroad , started service in June 1832. In 1835,
456-527: A C grade, and improving from the 46th to 54th most polluted by ozone smog. According to daily ozone air quality data provided by the EPA, from 2021 to 2024, Pittsburgh had good or moderate air quality most of the time. Then-Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald said in December 2023 that they’d seen an "80 % drop in hazardous air pollutants" and that they made EPA attainment at all eight county air monitors for
608-402: A certain area. U.S. freight railroads operate in a highly competitive marketplace. According to a 2010 FRA report, within the U.S., railroads carried 39.5% of freight by ton-mile, followed by trucks (28.6%), oil pipelines (19.6%), barges (12%) and air (0.3%). However, railroads' revenue share has been slowly falling for decades, a reflection of the intensity of the competition they face and of
760-447: A complex of strong thunderstorms, that had formed over an area that included eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York, and southern Ontario . The MCS traveled east at around 40 miles per hour (60 km/h). As the MCS crossed northwestern Pennsylvania, it formed into a distinctive comma shape. The northern portion of the MCS contained a long-lived mesocyclone , a thunderstorm with
912-534: A decrease in city population, even as the metropolitan area population increased again. During the late 2000s recession , Pittsburgh was economically strong, adding jobs when most cities were losing them. It was one of the few cities in the United States to see housing property values rise. Between 2006 and 2011, the Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area (MSA) experienced over 10% appreciation in housing prices,
1064-462: A dozen metropolitan areas, but these systems are not extensively interconnected, so commuter rail cannot be used alone to traverse the country. Commuter systems have been proposed in approximately two dozen other cities, but interplays between various local-government administrative bottlenecks and ripple effects from the Great Recession have generally pushed such projects farther and farther into
1216-516: A formidable barrier to change. Overregulation, management and unions formed an "iron triangle" of stagnation, frustrating the efforts of leaders such as the New York Central 's Alfred E. Perlman . In particular, the dense rail network in the Northeastern U.S. was in need of radical pruning and consolidation. A spectacularly unsuccessful beginning was the 1968 formation and subsequent bankruptcy of
1368-594: A free state after the Revolution, enslaved African Americans sought freedom here through escape as refugees from the South, or occasionally fleeing from travelers they were serving who stayed in the city. There were active stations of the Underground Railroad in the city, and numerous refugees were documented as getting help from station agents and African-American workers in city hotels. The Drennen Slave Girl walked out of
1520-666: A growing residential segment. Most significantly, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is embarking on RiverParc, a four-block mixed-use "green" community, featuring 700 residential units and multiple towers of between 20 and 30 stories. The Firstside portion of Downtown borders the Monongahela River, the historic Mon Wharf and hosts the distinctive PPG Place Gothic-style glass skyscraper complex. New condo towers have been constructed and historic office towers are converted to residential use, increasing 24-hour residents. Downtown
1672-529: A hundred yards [91 m] below." The railroad still operated excursions through the forest and stopped at the bridge's western approach until October 2004. As of 2009, Kinzua Bridge State Park is a 329-acre (133 ha) Pennsylvania state park surrounding the bridge and the Kinzua Valley. The park is located off of U.S. Route 6 north of Mount Jewett in Hamlin and Keating Townships. A scenic overlook within
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#17328550369501824-545: A large proportion of this difference is due to external factors such as geography and higher use of goods like coal. In ton-miles, railroads annually move more than 25% of the United States' freight and connect businesses with each other across the country and with markets overseas. In 2018, US rail freight had a transport energy efficiency of 473 tons.miles per gallon of fuel. In recent years, railroads have gradually been losing intermodal traffic to trucking. U.S. freight railroads are separated into three classes, set by
1976-656: A nationwide mechanized transportation network that revolutionized the population and economy of the American West , catalyzing the transition from the wagon trains of previous decades to a modern transportation system. It was the first transcontinental railroad by connecting myriad eastern U.S. railroads to the Pacific Ocean. However it was not the world's longest railroad, as Canada 's Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) had, by 1867, already accumulated more than 2,055 kilometres (1,277 mi) of track by connecting Portland, Maine , and
2128-533: A quarter of neighborhood names make reference to "hills," "heights," or similar features. The steps of Pittsburgh consist of 800 sets of outdoor public stairways with 44,645 treads and 24,090 vertical feet. They include hundreds of streets composed entirely of stairs, and many other steep streets with stairs for sidewalks. Many provide vistas of the Pittsburgh area while attracting hikers and fitness walkers. Bike and walking trails have been built to border many of
2280-640: A rotating updraft that is often conducive to tornados. At approximately 15:20 EDT (19:20 UTC ), the tornado touched down in Kinzua Bridge State Park, 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Kinzua Bridge. The tornado, classified as F1 on the Fujita scale , passed by the bridge and continued another 2.5 miles (4 km) before it lifted. It touched down again 2 miles (3 km) from Smethport and traveled another 3 miles (4.8 km) before finally dissipating. It
2432-463: A westerly direction. Meanwhile, Towers 12 through 14 had actually been picked up off their foundations, moved slightly to the northwest and set back down intact and upright, held together by only the railroad tracks on the bridge. Next, towers four through nine collapsed to the west, twisting clockwise, as the tornado started to move northward. As it moved north, inflow winds came in from the south and caused Towers 12, 13, and 14 to finally collapse towards
2584-570: Is 39.61 inches (1,006 mm) and precipitation is greatest in May while least in October; annual precipitation has historically ranged from 22.65 in (575 mm) in 1930 to 57.83 in (1,469 mm) in 2018. On average, December and January have the greatest number of precipitation days. Snowfall averages 44.1 inches (112 cm) per season, but has historically ranged from 8.8 in (22 cm) in 1918–19 to 80 in (200 cm) in 1950–51. There
2736-603: Is a man-made structure". The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1977, and was named to the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Civil Engineers on June 26, 1982. The Knox and Kane Railroad (KKRR) operated sightseeing trips from Kane through the Allegheny National Forest and over the Kinzua Bridge from 1987 until
2888-404: Is additionally where Jehovah's Witnesses traces its earliest origins, and was the host of the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit . Pittsburgh was named in 1758, by General John Forbes , in honor of British statesman William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham . As Forbes was a Scotsman , he probably pronounced the name / ˈ p ɪ t s b ər ə / PITS -bər-ə (similar to Edinburgh ). Pittsburgh
3040-483: Is an average of 59 clear days and 103 partly cloudy days per year, while 203 days are cloudy. In terms of annual percent-average possible sunshine received, Pittsburgh (45%) is similar to Seattle (49%). The American Lung Association's (ALA) 2023 "State of the Air" report (which included data from 2019 to 2021) showed air quality in Pittsburgh improving. The city received a passing grade for ozone pollution, going from an F to
3192-449: Is both Amtrak and commuter. New York City itself is noteworthy for high usage of passenger rail transport, both subway and commuter rail ( Long Island Rail Road , Metro-North Railroad , New Jersey Transit ). The subway system is used by one third of all U.S. mass transit users. Chicago also sees high rail ridership, with a local elevated system , one of the world's last interurban lines , and fourth most-ridden commuter rail system in
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#17328550369503344-409: Is descended from both of the original railroads. Many Canadian and U.S. railroads originally used various broad gauges, but most were converted to 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) by 1886, when the conversion of much of the southern rail network from 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge took place. This and the standardization of couplings and air brakes enabled
3496-454: Is home to large medical providers, including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , Allegheny Health Network , and 68 colleges and universities , including research and development leaders Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh . The area has served as the federal agency headquarters for cyber defense , software engineering , robotics , energy research , and
3648-413: Is home to the University of Pittsburgh , Carnegie Mellon University , Carlow University , Chatham University , The Carnegie Institute's Museums of Art and Natural History , Phipps Conservatory , and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall . It is also home to many parks and public spaces including Mellon Park , Westinghouse Park , Schenley Park , Frick Park , The Frick Pittsburgh , Bakery Square , and
3800-620: Is known as "the Steel City" for its dominant role in the history of the U.S. steel industry . It developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest , as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains led to the region being contested by the French and British Empires, Virginians , Whiskey Rebels , and Civil War raiders . For part of the 20th century, Pittsburgh was behind only New York City and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment; it had
3952-557: Is now known as Washington's Landing, formerly Herr's Island , in what is now the Lawrenceville neighborhood. The first known European to enter the region was the French explorer Robert de La Salle from Quebec during his 1669 expedition down the Ohio River . European pioneers, primarily Dutch, followed in the early 18th century. Michael Bezallion was the first to describe the forks of
4104-672: Is primarily composed of residential neighborhoods and is noteworthy for its well-constructed and architecturally interesting homes. Many buildings date from the 19th century and are constructed of brick or stone and adorned with decorative woodwork, ceramic tile, slate roofs and stained glass. The North Side is also home to attractions such as Acrisure Stadium , PNC Park , Kamin Science Center , National Aviary , Andy Warhol Museum , Mattress Factory art museum, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh , Randyland , Penn Brewery , Allegheny Observatory , and Allegheny General Hospital . The South Side
4256-564: Is referred to as "the Point." The city extends east to include the Oakland and Shadyside sections, which are home to the University of Pittsburgh , Carnegie Mellon University , Chatham University , Carnegie Museum and Library , and many other educational, medical, and cultural institutions. The southern, western, and northern areas of the city are primarily residential. Many Pittsburgh neighborhoods are steeply sloped with two-lane roads. More than
4408-506: Is served by the Port Authority 's light rail system and multiple bridges leading north and south. It is also home to Point Park University and Duquesne University which borders Uptown . The North Side is home to various neighborhoods in transition. The area was once known as Allegheny City and operated as its own independent city until 1907, when it was merged with Pittsburgh despite great protest from its citizens. The North Side
4560-713: Is water. The 80th meridian west passes directly through the city's downtown. The city is on the Allegheny Plateau , within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau . The Downtown area (also known as the Golden Triangle) sits where the Allegheny River flows from the northeast and the Monongahela River from the southeast to form the Ohio River . The convergence is at Point State Park and
4712-583: The Alabama cities of Decatur and Tuscumbia . Soon, other roads that would themselves be purchased or merged into larger entities, were formed. The Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), the first railroad built in New Jersey , completed its route between its namesake cities in 1834. The C&A ran successfully for decades connecting New York City to the Delaware Valley , and would eventually become part of
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4864-567: The Allegheny Mountains . The Great Fire of Pittsburgh destroyed over a thousand buildings in 1845. The city rebuilt with the aid of Irish immigrants who came to escape the Great Famine . By 1857, Pittsburgh's 1,000 factories were consuming 22 million coal bushels yearly. Coal mining and iron manufacturing attracted waves of European immigrants to the area, with the most coming from Germany . Because Pennsylvania had been established as
5016-578: The American Society of Civil Engineers in 1982. The ruins of the Kinzua Bridge are in Kinzua Bridge State Park off U.S. Route 6 near the borough of Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania . In 1882, Thomas L. Kane , president of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railway (NYLE&W), was faced with the challenge of building a branch line off the main line in Pennsylvania, from Bradford south to
5168-560: The Brooklyn Bridge . Excursion trains from as far away as Buffalo, New York , and Pittsburgh would come just to cross the Kinzua Bridge, which held the height record until the Garabit viaduct , 401 feet (122 m) tall, was completed in France in 1884. Trains crossing the bridge were restricted to a speed of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) because the locomotive, and sometimes the wind, caused
5320-601: The East Coast . Intercity passenger service was once a large and vital part of the nation's passenger transportation network, but passenger service shrank in the 20th century as commercial air traffic and the Interstate Highway System made commercial air and road transport a practical option throughout the United States. The nation's earliest railroads were built in the 1820s and 1830s, primarily in New England and
5472-753: The Edgar Thomson Steel Works in North Braddock, Pennsylvania , which evolved into the Carnegie Steel Company . He adopted the Bessemer process to increase production. Manufacturing was key to growth of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Railroad lines were built into the city along both rivers, increasing transportation access to important markets. In 1901, J. P. Morgan and attorney Elbert H. Gary merged Carnegie Steel Company and several other companies into U.S. Steel . By 1910, Pittsburgh
5624-465: The Great Depression , the failure of most Interurbans by that time left many cities without suburban passenger railroads, although the largest cities such as New York City, Chicago , Boston and Philadelphia continued to have suburban service. The major railroads passenger flagship services included multi-day journeys on luxury trains resembling hotels, which were unable to compete with airlines in
5776-465: The Great Depression in the United States , and some lines were abandoned. A great increase in traffic during World War II brought a reprieve, but after the war railroads faced intense competition from automobiles and aircraft and began a long decline. Passenger service was especially hard hit; in 1971 the federal government created Amtrak , to take over responsibility for intercity passenger travel. Numerous railroad companies went bankrupt starting in
5928-711: The Iroquois Confederacy , based in New York, had maintained control of much of the Ohio Valley as hunting grounds by right of conquest after defeating other tribes. By the terms of the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix , the Penns were allowed to purchase the modern region from the Iroquois . A 1769 survey referenced the future city as the "Manor of Pittsburgh". Both the Colony of Virginia and
6080-483: The Köppen climate classification , Pittsburgh falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) if the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) if the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm is used. Summers are hot and winters are moderately cold with wide variations in temperature. Despite this, it has one of the most pleasant summer climates between medium and large cities in
6232-611: The Mid-Atlantic states . The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , chartered in 1827, was the nation's first common-carrier railroad. By 1850, an extensive railroad network had taken shape in the rapidly industrializing Northeastern United States and the Midwest, while fewer railroads were built in the South , which was more agricultural than other regions. During and after the American Civil War ,
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6384-573: The Niagara Portage in Lewiston, New York . Between the 1820s and 1840s, Americans closely watched the development of railways in Great Britain . There, the main competition came from canals, many of which operated under state ownership and from privately owned steamboats plying the nation's vast river system. In 1829, Massachusetts prepared an elaborate rail plan. Government support, most especially
6536-566: The Penn Central , barely two years later. On routes where a single railroad has had an undisputed monopoly, passenger service was as spartan and as expensive as the market and ICC regulation would bear, since such railroads had no need to advertise their freight services. However, on routes where two or three railroads were in direct competition with each other for freight business, such railroads would spare no expense to make their passenger trains as fast, luxurious, and affordable as possible, as it
6688-580: The Pennsylvania Railroad . By 1850, over 9,000 miles (14,000 km) of railroad lines had been built. The B&O's westward route reached the Ohio River in 1852, the first eastern seaboard railroad to do so. Railroad companies in the North and Midwest constructed networks that linked nearly every major city by 1860. Large railroad companies, including the New York Central , Grand Trunk Railway , and
6840-705: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was started, and in 1787, the Pittsburgh Academy was chartered. Unrest during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 resulted in federal troops being sent to the area. By 1797, glass manufacture began, while the population grew to around 1,400. Settlers arrived after crossing the Appalachian Mountains or through the Great Lakes . Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) at the source of
6992-461: The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. The neighborhoods of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are large, wealthy neighborhoods with some apartments and condos, and pedestrian-oriented shopping/business districts. Squirrel Hill is also known as the hub of Jewish life in Pittsburgh, home to approximately 20 synagogues. Oakland , heavily populated by undergraduate and graduate students, is home to most of
7144-459: The Pittsburgh metropolitan area , which had a population of 2.457 million residents and is the largest metro area in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia , the second-largest in Pennsylvania , and the 26th-largest in the U.S. Pittsburgh is the principal city of the greater Pittsburgh–Weirton–Steubenville combined statistical area which includes parts of Ohio and West Virginia . Pittsburgh
7296-518: The Province of Pennsylvania claimed the region under their colonial charters until 1780, when they agreed under a federal initiative to extend the Mason–Dixon line westward, placing Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. On March 8, 1771, Bedford County, Pennsylvania was created to govern the frontier. On April 16, 1771, the city's first civilian local government was created as Pitt Township . William Teagarden
7448-552: The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, Congress created the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC) to subsidize and oversee the operation of intercity passenger trains. The Act provided that: The original working brand name for NRPC was Railpax , which eventually became Amtrak . At the time, many Washington insiders viewed the corporation as a face-saving way to give passenger trains
7600-423: The Rock Island , with two intrastate Illinois trains, was too far gone to be included into Amtrak. Freight transportation continued to labor under regulations developed when rail transport had a monopoly on intercity traffic, and railroads only competed with one another. An entire generation of rail managers had been trained to operate under this regulatory regime. Labor unions and their work rules were likewise
7752-402: The Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890. Industrialists such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould became wealthy through railroad ownerships. The First Transcontinental Railroad in the U.S. was built in the 1860s, linking the railroad network of the eastern U.S. with California on the Pacific coast. Completed on May 10, 1869, at the Golden spike event at Promontory Summit, Utah , it created
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#17328550369507904-446: The Southern Pacific , spanned several states. In response to monopolistic practices, such as price fixing and other excesses of some railroads and their owners, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in 1887. The ICC indirectly controlled the business activities of the railroads through issuance of extensive regulations . Congress also enacted antitrust legislation to prevent railroad monopolies, beginning with
8056-498: The Surface Transportation Board , based on annual revenues: In 2013, the U.S. moved more oil out of North Dakota by rail than by the Trans-Alaska pipeline. This trend—tenfold in two years and 40-fold in five years—is forecast to increase. There are four different classes of freight railroads: Class I , regional, local line haul, and switching & terminal. Class I railroads are defined as those with revenue of at least $ 346.8 million in 2006. They comprise just one percent of
8208-422: The Texas Central Railway is currently developing plans for a proposed greenfield high-speed rail line using Japanese Shinkansen trains between Dallas and Houston . Construction was expected to begin in 2020 for a 2026 opening, but a major lawsuit delayed the project and as of February 2023 there are no signs of construction activity. The basic design of a passenger car was standardized by 1870. By 1900,
8360-426: The county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania , United States. It is the second-most populous city in Pennsylvania , after Philadelphia , and the 68th-most populous city in the U.S., with a population of 302,971 as of the 2020 census . The city is located in southwestern Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River , which combine to form the Ohio River . It anchors
8512-486: The first transcontinental railroad was built, to join California with the rest of the national network, at a connection in Iowa . Railroads expanded throughout the rest of the 19th century, eventually reaching nearly every corner of the nation. The railroads were temporarily nationalized between 1917 and 1920 by the United States Railroad Administration , because of American entry into World War I . Railroad mileage peaked at this time. Railroads were affected deeply by
8664-445: The nuclear navy . In the private sector, Pittsburgh-based PNC is the nation's fifth-largest bank, and the city is home to ten Fortune 500 companies and seven of the largest 300 U.S. law firms. Other corporations that have regional headquarters and offices have helped Pittsburgh become the sixth-best area for U.S. job growth. Pittsburgh is sometimes called the "City of Bridges" for its 446 bridges . Its rich industrial history left
8816-428: The "3R Act". The act was an attempt to salvage viable freight operations from the bankrupt Penn Central and other lines in the northeast, mid-Atlantic and Midwestern regions. The law created the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), a government-owned corporation, which began operations in 1976. Another law, the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (the "4R Act"), provided more specifics for
8968-415: The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act , as it required cooperation from law enforcement even in free states and increased penalties. From 1850 to 1860, the black population in Allegheny County dropped from 3,431 to 2,725 as people headed to more safety in Canada. The American Civil War boosted the city's economy with increased iron and armament demand by the Union. Andrew Carnegie began steel production in 1875 at
9120-400: The 1950s. Rural communities were served by slow trains no more than twice a day. They survived until the 1960s because the same train hauled the Railway Post Office cars, paid for by the US Post Office . RPOs were withdrawn when mail sorting was mechanized. As early as the 1930s, automobile travel had begun to cut into the rail passenger market, somewhat reducing economies of scale , but it
9272-591: The 1960s, most notably Penn Central Transportation Company in 1971, in the largest bankruptcy in the nation's history at the time. Once again, the federal government intervened, forming Conrail , in 1976, to assume control of bankrupt railroads in the northeast. Railroads' fortunes changed after the passage of the Staggers Rail Act (1980), which deregulated railroad companies, who had previously faced much stronger regulation than other modes of transportation. With innovations such as trailer-on-flatcar and intermodal freight transport , railroad traffic increased. After
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#17328550369509424-409: The American freight market rose to 43%. U.S. railroads still play a major role in the nation's freight shipping. They carried 750 billion ton-miles by 1975 which doubled to 1.5 trillion ton-miles in 2005. In the 1950s, the U.S. and Europe moved roughly the same percentage of freight by rail; by 2000, the share of U.S. rail freight was 38% while in Europe only 8% of freight traveled by rail;
9576-400: The American population outside of the eastern regions. The principal mainline railroads concentrated their efforts on moving freight and passengers over long distances. But many had suburban services near large cities, which might also be served by Streetcar and Interurban lines. The Interurban was a concept which relied almost exclusively on passenger traffic for revenue. Unable to survive
9728-400: The B&O completed a branch from Baltimore southward to Washington, D.C. The Boston & Providence Railroad was incorporated in 1831 to build a railroad between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island ; the road was completed in 1835 with the completion of the Canton Viaduct in Canton, Massachusetts . Numerous short lines were built, especially in the south, to provide connections to
9880-596: The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The freight industry continued its decline until Congress passed the Staggers Rail Act in 1980, which largely deregulated the rail industry. Since then, U.S. freight railroads have reorganized, discontinued their lightly used routes and returned to profitability. Freight railroads play an important role in the U.S. economy, especially for moving imports and exports using containers, and for shipments of coal and oil. Productivity rose 172% between 1981 and 2000, while rates decreased by 55%, after accounting for inflation. Rail's share of
10032-399: The Central, North Side/North Hills, South Side/South Hills, East End, and West End. Downtown Pittsburgh has 30 skyscrapers, nine of which top 500 feet (150 m). The U.S. Steel Tower is the tallest, at 841 ft (256 m). The Cultural District consists of a 14-block area of downtown along the Allegheny River . This district contains many theaters and arts venues and is home to
10184-430: The Conrail acquisitions and set the stage for more comprehensive deregulation of the railroad industry. Portions of the Penn Central , Erie Lackawanna , Reading Railroad , Ann Arbor Railroad , Central Railroad of New Jersey , Lehigh Valley , and Lehigh and Hudson River were merged into Conrail. On December 31, 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad , creating
10336-414: The Elder , while the settlement was named "Pittsborough". During Pontiac's War , a loose confederation of Native American tribes laid siege to Fort Pitt in 1763; the siege was eventually lifted after Colonel Henry Bouquet defeated a portion of the besieging force at the Battle of Bushy Run . Bouquet strengthened the defenses of Fort Pitt the next year. During this period, the powerful nations of
10488-409: The Kinzua Bridge had been closed to all "recreational pedestrian and railroad usage" after it was determined that the structure was at risk to high winds. Engineers had determined that during high winds, the bridge's center of gravity could shift, putting weight onto only one side of the bridge and causing it to fail . An Ohio -based bridge construction and repair company had started work on restoring
10640-407: The Kinzua Bridge in February 2003. On July 21, 2003, construction workers had packed up and were starting to leave for the day when a storm arrived. A tornado spawned by the storm struck the Kinzua Bridge, snapping and uprooting nearby trees, as well as causing 11 of the 20 bridge towers to collapse. There were no deaths or injuries. The tornado was produced by a mesoscale convective system (MCS),
10792-436: The Kinzua State Park as one anchored by a "sky walk" viewing platform and network of hiking trails. It released $ 700,000 to design repairs on the remaining towers and plan development of the new park facilities in June 2005. In late 2005, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) put forward an $ 8 million proposal for a new observation deck and visitors' center, with plans to allow access to
10944-456: The Kinzua Viaduct. Constructed between 1911 and 1916, the station was not manned by an agent. The station was closed sometime between 1923 and 1927. Train crews would sometimes play a trick on a brakeman on his first journey on the line. When the train was a short distance from the bridge, the crew would send the brakeman over the rooftops of the cars to check on a small supposed problem. As
11096-529: The Kovalchick Salvage Company, which then owned the bridge, was reluctant to dismantle it. On seeing it for the first time he is supposed to have said "There will never be another bridge like this." Kovalchick worked with local groups who wanted to save the structure, and Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton signed a bill into law on August 12, 1963, to purchase the bridge and nearby land for $ 50,000 and create Kinzua Bridge State Park. The deed for
11248-551: The Monongahela House in 1850, apparently to freedom. The Merchant's Hotel was also a place where African-American workers would advise slaves the state was free and aid them in getting to nearby stations of the Underground Railroad. Sometimes refugee slaves from the South stayed in Pittsburgh, but other times they continued North, including into Canada. Many slaves left the city and county for Canada after Congress passed
11400-509: The North American front of the Seven Years' War , began with the future Pittsburgh as its center. British General Edward Braddock was dispatched with Major George Washington as his aide to take Fort Duquesne. The British and colonial force were defeated at Braddock's Field . General John Forbes finally took the forks in 1758. He began construction on Fort Pitt , named after William Pitt
11552-690: The North Side, and the Golden Triangle are characterized by more density of housing, walking neighborhoods, and a more diverse, urban feel. Pittsburgh falls within the borders of the Northeastern United States as defined by multiple US Government agencies. Pittsburgh is the principal city of the Pittsburgh Combined Statistical Area , a combined statistical area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau . Pittsburgh falls within
11704-613: The Ohio River became the main base for settlers moving into the Northwest Territory . The federal government recognizes Pittsburgh as the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition . Preparations began in Pittsburgh in 1803 when Meriwether Lewis purchased a keelboat that would later be used to ascend the Missouri River . The War of 1812 cut off the supply of British goods, stimulating American industry. By 1815, Pittsburgh
11856-551: The Ohio headwaters was long inhabited by the Shawnee and several other settled groups of Native Americans . Shannopin's Town was an 18th-century Lenape (Delaware) town located roughly from where Penn Avenue is today, below the mouth of Two Mile Run, from 30th Street to 39th Street. According to George Croghan , the town was situated on the south bank of the Allegheny, nearly opposite what
12008-502: The Ohio in a 1717 manuscript, and later that year European fur traders established area posts and settlements. In 1749, French soldiers from Quebec launched an expedition to the forks to unite Canada with French Louisiana via the rivers. During 1753–1754, the British hastily built Fort Prince George before a larger French force drove them off. The French built Fort Duquesne based on LaSalle's 1669 claims. The French and Indian War ,
12160-617: The Staggers Act, many railroads merged, forming major systems, such as CSX and Norfolk Southern , in the Eastern United States, and BNSF Railway , in the Western United States; Union Pacific Railroad also purchased some competitors. Another result of the Staggers Act was the rise of shortline railroads , which formed to operate lines that major railroads had abandoned or sold off. Hundreds of these companies were formed by
12312-477: The U.S. The city lies in the USDA plant hardiness zone 6b except along the rivers where the zone is 7a. The area has four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, springs and falls are mild with moderate levels of sunshine, and summers are warm. As measured by percent possible sunshine, summer is by far the sunniest season, though annual sunshine is low among major US cities at well under 50%. The warmest month of
12464-558: The U.S. was provided by the same companies that provided freight service. When Amtrak was formed, in return for government permission to exit the passenger rail business, freight railroads donated passenger equipment to Amtrak and helped it get started with a capital infusion of some $ 200 million. The vast majority of the 22,000 or so miles over which Amtrak operates are actually owned by freight railroads. By law, freight railroads must grant Amtrak access to their track upon request. In return, Amtrak pays fees to freight railroads to cover
12616-544: The United States Rail transportation in the United States consists primarily of freight shipments along a well integrated network of standard gauge private freight railroads that also extend into Canada and Mexico . The United States has the largest rail transport network of any country in the world, about 160,000 miles (260,000 km). Passenger service is a mass transit option for Americans with commuter rail in most major American cities, especially on
12768-550: The United States beyond a few highly populated corridors. The final blow for passenger trains in the U.S. came with the loss of railroad post offices in the 1960s. On May 1, 1971, with only a few exceptions, the federally-funded Amtrak took over all intercity passenger rail service in the continental United States. The Rio Grande , with its Denver - Ogden Rio Grande Zephyr and the Southern with its Washington, D.C.– New Orleans Southern Crescent chose to stay out of Amtrak, and
12920-655: The United States: Metra . Other major cities with substantial rail infrastructure include Philadelphia 's SEPTA , Boston 's MBTA , and Washington, D.C.'s network of commuter rail and rapid transit. Denver , Colorado constructed a new electrified commuter rail system in the 2000s to complement the city's light rail system. The commuter rail systems of San Diego and Los Angeles, Coaster and Metrolink , connect in Oceanside, California . The San Francisco Bay Area additionally hosts several local passenger rail operators,
13072-399: The air and the rivers. The "Renaissance II" project followed in 1977, focused on cultural and neighborhood development. The industrial base continued to expand through the 1970s, but beginning in the early 1980s both the area's steel and electronics industries imploded during national industrial restructuring. There were massive layoffs from mill and plant closures. In the later 20th century,
13224-425: The area shifted its economic base to education, tourism, and services, largely based on healthcare/medicine, finance, and high technology such as robotics. Although Pittsburgh successfully shifted its economy and remained viable, the city's population has never rebounded to its industrial-era highs. While 680,000 people lived in the city proper in 1950, a combination of suburbanization and economic turbulence resulted in
13376-585: The area with renowned cultural institutions, including the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy , Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium , Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens , the National Aviary , and a diverse cultural district . The city's major league professional sports teams include the Pittsburgh Steelers , Pittsburgh Penguins , and Pittsburgh Pirates . Pittsburgh
13528-528: The borders of Appalachia as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission , and has long been characterized as the "northern urban industrial anchor of Appalachia." In its post-industrial state, Pittsburgh has been characterized as the "Paris of Appalachia", recognizing the city's cultural, educational, healthcare, and technological resources, and is the largest city in Appalachia. Under
13680-542: The bridge and a hiking trail giving views of the fallen towers. The Kinzua Sky Walk was opened on September 15, 2011, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony . The Sky Walk consists of a pedestrian walkway to an observation deck with a glass floor at the end of the bridge that allows views of the bridge and the valley directly below. The walkway cost $ 4.3 million to construct, but in 2011 a local tourism expert estimated it could eventually bring in $ 11.5 million of tourism revenue each year. Sources Rail transport in
13832-571: The bridge to vibrate. People sometimes visited the bridge in hopes of finding the loot of a bank robber , who supposedly hid $ 40,000 in gold and currency under or near it. By 1893, the NYLE&;W had gone bankrupt and was merged with the Erie Railroad , which became the owner of the bridge. By the start of the 20th century, locomotives were almost 85 percent heavier and the iron bridge could no longer safely carry trains. The last traffic crossed
13984-520: The bridge was closed in 2002. In 1988 it operated the longest steam train excursion in the United States, a 97-mile (156 km) round trip to the bridge from the village of Marienville in Forest County , with a stop in Kane. The New York Times described being on the bridge as "more akin to ballooning than railroading" and noted "You stare straight out with nothing between you and an immense sea of verdure
14136-439: The business corporation and gave a limited right of eminent domain , allowing the railroad to buy needed land, even over the owner's objections. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was chartered in 1827 to build a steam railroad west from Baltimore , Maryland, to a point on the Ohio River and began scheduled freight service over its first section on May 24, 1830. The first railroad to carry passengers, and, by accident,
14288-481: The city's population. Pittsburgh also became a main destination of the African-American Great Migration from the rural South during the first half of the 20th century. Limited initially by discrimination, some 95% percent of the men became unskilled steel workers. During World War II , demand for steel increased and area mills operated 24 hours a day to produce 95 million tons of steel for
14440-537: The city's rivers and hollows. The Great Allegheny Passage and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath connect the city directly to downtown Washington, D.C. (some 335 miles [539 km] away) with a continuous bike/running trail. The city consists of the Downtown area, called the Golden Triangle, and four main areas surrounding it. These surrounding areas are subdivided into distinct neighborhoods (Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods). Relative to downtown, these areas are known as
14592-661: The coalfields in Elk County . The fastest way to do so was to build a bridge across the Kinzua Valley . The only other alternative would have been to lay an additional 8 miles (13 km) of track over rough terrain. When built, the bridge was larger than any ever attempted and over twice as large as the largest similar structure at the time, the Portage Bridge over the Genesee River in western New York . The first Kinzua Bridge
14744-527: The collapse of any steel structure. The bridge was removed from the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 2004. The Knox and Kane Railroad was forced to suspend operations in October 2006 after a 75 percent decline in the number of passengers, possibly brought about by the collapse of the Kinzua Bridge. The Kovalchick Corporation bought the Knox and Kane's tracks and all other property owned by
14896-476: The community and various developers to create a master plan for a mixed-use development that included a riverfront park, office space, housing, health-care facilities, and indoor practice fields for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers . Construction of the development began in 1998. The SouthSide Works has been open since 2005, featuring many stores, restaurants, offices, and the world headquarters for American Eagle Outfitters . The East End of Pittsburgh
15048-456: The detailing of officers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – the nation's only source of civil engineering expertise – was crucial in assisting private enterprise in building nearly all the country's railroads. Army Engineer officers surveyed and selected routes, planned, designed, and constructed rights-of-way, track, and structures, and introduced the Army's system of reports and accountability to
15200-464: The downtown skyline, and numerous other residential neighborhoods such as Sheraden and Elliott . Many of Pittsburgh's patchwork of neighborhoods still retain ethnic characters reflecting the city's settlement history. These include: Several neighborhoods on the edges of the city are less urban, featuring tree-lined streets, yards and garages, with a more suburban character. Oakland, the South Side,
15352-480: The end of the century. Freight railroads invested in modernization and greater capacity as they entered the 21st century, and intermodal transport continued to grow, while traditional traffic, such as coal, fell. Between 1762 and 1764 a gravity railroad ( mechanized tramway ) ( Montresor's Tramway ) was built by British Army engineers up the steep riverside terrain near the Niagara River waterfall's escarpment at
15504-630: The first tourist railroad, began operating in 1827. Named the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company , initially a gravity road feeding anthracite coal downhill to the Lehigh Canal , using mule-power to return nine miles up the mountain; but, by the summer of 1829, as newspapers documented, it regularly carried passengers. In 1843, renamed the Summit Hill & Mauch Chunk Railroad , it added a steam powered cable-return track for true two-way operation and ran as
15656-535: The future, or have even sometimes mothballed them entirely. The most culturally notable and physically evident exception to the general lack of significant passenger rail transport in the U.S. is the Northeast Corridor between Washington , Baltimore , Philadelphia , New York City , and Boston , with significant branches in Connecticut and Massachusetts . The corridor handles frequent passenger service that
15808-437: The highest appreciation of the largest 25 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States, with 22 of the largest 25 metropolitan statistical areas experiencing depreciations in housing values. In September 2009, the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit was held in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has an area of 58.3 square miles (151 km ), of which 55.6 square miles (144 km ) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km ), or 4.75%,
15960-428: The hillside used for the foundation of the bridge. The tallest tower had a base that was 193 feet (59 m) wide. The bridge was designed to support a load of 266 short tons (241 t), and was estimated to cost between $ 167,000 and $ 275,000. On completion, the bridge was the tallest railroad bridge in the world and was advertised as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Six of the bridge's 20 towers were taller than
16112-413: The incremental costs of Amtrak's use of freight railroad tracks. The sole long-distance intercity passenger railroad in the continental U.S. is Amtrak , and multiple current commuter rail systems provide regional intercity services such as New York-New Haven, and Stockton-San Jose. In Alaska, intercity service is provided by Alaska Railroad instead of Amtrak. Commuter rail systems exist in more than
16264-524: The large rate reductions railroads have passed through to their customers over the years. In 2011, North American railroads operated 1,471,736 freight cars and 31,875 locomotives, with 215,985 employees. They originated 39.53 million carloads (averaging 63 tons each) and generated $ 81.7 billion in freight revenue of present 2014. The average haul was 917 miles. The largest (Class 1) U.S. railroads carried 10.17 million intermodal containers and 1.72 million piggyback trailers. Intermodal traffic
16416-625: The largest of which are Caltrain , the Altamont Corridor Express , Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit , and Bay Area Rapid Transit . Privately run inter-city passenger rail operations have also been restarted since 2018 in south Florida, with additional routes under development. Brightline is a higher-speed rail train, run by All Aboard Florida. It began service in January 2018 between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach ; its service
16568-461: The last steam locomotive for commercial service crossed on October 5, 1950. The Erie Railroad obtained trackage rights on the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) line in the late 1950s, allowing it to bypass the aging Kinzua Bridge. Regular commercial service ended on June 21, 1959, and the Erie sold the bridge to the Kovalchick Salvage Company of Indiana, Pennsylvania , for $ 76,000. The bridge
16720-411: The main car types were: baggage, coach, combine, diner, dome car , lounge, observation, private, Pullman, railroad post office (RPO) and sleeper. The first passenger cars resembled stagecoaches . They were short, often less than 10 ft (3.05 m) long, tall and rode on a single pair of axles. Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( / ˈ p ɪ t s b ɜːr ɡ / PITS -burg ) is a city in and
16872-435: The most U.S. stockholders per capita. Deindustrialization in the late 20th century resulted in massive layoffs among blue-collar workers as steel and other heavy industries declined, coinciding with several Pittsburgh-based corporations moving out of the city. However, the city divested from steel and, since the 1990s, Pittsburgh has focused its energies on the healthcare, education, and technology industries. Pittsburgh
17024-436: The north, twisting counterclockwise. The failures were caused by the badly-rusted iron base bolts holding the bases of the towers to concrete anchor blocks embedded into the ground. An investigation determined that the tornado had a wind speed of at least 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), which applied an estimated 90 short tons-force (800 kN ) of lateral force against the bridge. The investigation also hypothesized that
17176-911: The number of freight railroads , but account for 67 percent of the industry's mileage, 90 percent of its employees, and 93 percent of its freight revenue. A regional railroad is a line haul railroad with at least 350 miles (560 km) and/or revenue between $ 40 million and the Class I threshold. There were 33 regional railroads in 2006. Most have between 75 and 500 employees. Local line haul railroads operate less than 350 miles (560 km) and earn less than $ 40 million per year (most earn less than $ 5 million per year). In 2006, there were 323 local line haul railroads. They generally perform point-to-point service over short distances. Switching and terminal (S&T) carriers are railroads that primarily provide switching and/or terminal services, regardless of revenue. They perform pick up and delivery services within
17328-594: The old bridge on May 14, 1900, and removal of the old iron began on May 24. The new bridge was designed by C.R. Grimm and was built by the Elmira Bridge Company out of 3,358 short tons (3,046 t) of steel, at a cost of $ 275,000. Construction began on May 26, starting from both ends of the old bridge. A crew of between 100 and 150 worked 10-hour days for almost four months to complete the new steel frame. Two Howe truss "timber travelers", each 180 feet (50 m) long and 16 feet (5 m) deep, were used to build
17480-556: The one "last hurrah" demanded by the public, but expected that the NRPC would quietly disappear in a few years as public interest waned. However, while Amtrak's political and financial support have often been shaky, popular and political support for Amtrak has allowed it to survive into the 21st century. To preserve a declining freight rail industry, Congress passed the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973, sometimes called
17632-557: The park allows views of the fallen bridge and of the valley, and is also a prime location to view the fall foliage in mid-October. The park has a shaded picnic area with a centrally-located modern restroom . Before the bridge's collapse, visitors were allowed on or under the bridge and hiking was allowed in the valley around the bridge. In September 2002 the bridge was closed even to pedestrian traffic. About 100 acres (40 ha) of Kinzua Bridge State Park are open to hunting. Common game species are turkey , bear and deer . Since 2002,
17784-435: The park's 316 acres (128 ha) was recorded on January 20, 1965, and the park was opened to the public in 1970. An access road to the park was built in 1974, and new facilities there included a parking lot, drinking water and toilets, and installation of a fence on the bridge deck. On July 5, 1975, there was an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the park, which "was and is unique in the park system" since "its centerpiece
17936-485: The pooling and interchange of locomotives and rolling stock. The railroad had its largest impact on the American transportation system during the second half of the 19th century. The standard historical interpretation holds that the railroads were central to the development of a national market in the United States and served as a model of how to organize, finance and manage a large corporation, along with allowing growth of
18088-649: The populating of the West by homesteaders , leading to rapid cultivation of new farm lands. The Central Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroad combined operations in 1870 and formally merged in 1885; the Union Pacific originally bought the Southern Pacific in 1901 and was forced to divest it in 1913, but took it over again in 1996. Much of the original roadbed is still in use today and owned by UP, which
18240-491: The railroad companies. More than one in ten of the then 1,058 graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point between 1802 and 1866 became corporate presidents, chief engineers, treasurers, superintendents and general managers of railroad companies. Among the Army officers who thus assisted the building and managing of the first American railroads were Stephen Harriman Long , George Washington Whistler , and Herman Haupt . State governments granted charters that created
18392-515: The railroad industry. The proponents were aided by the fact that few in the federal government wanted to be held responsible for the seemingly inevitable extinction of the passenger train, which most regarded as tantamount to political suicide. The urgent need to solve the passenger train disaster was heightened by the bankruptcy filing of the Penn Central , the dominant railroad in the Northeastern United States , on June 21, 1970. Under
18544-595: The railroad required enormous feats of engineering and labor in the crossing of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains by the westbound Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and eastbound Central Pacific Railroad , the two federally chartered enterprises that built the line. The building of the railroad was motivated in part to bind the Union together following the strife of the American Civil War . It substantially accelerated
18696-471: The railroad, including the locomotives and rolling stock . The Kovalchick Corporation also owns the East Broad Top Railroad and was the company that owned the Kinzua Bridge before selling it to the state in 1963. The company disclosed plans in 2008 to remove the tracks and sell them for scrap . The right-of-way would then be used to establish a rail trail . The state of Pennsylvania reimagined
18848-495: The record cold daily maximum is −3 °F (−19 °C), which occurred three times, most recently the day of the all-time record low, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 82 °F (28 °C) on July 1, 1901. Due to elevation and location on the windward side of the Appalachian Mountains, 100 °F (38 °C)+ readings are very rare, and were last seen on July 15, 1995. Average annual precipitation
19000-482: The record for the tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years. In 1900, the bridge was dismantled and simultaneously rebuilt out of steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains. It stayed in commercial service until 1959, when it was sold to a salvage company. In 1963 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the bridge as the centerpiece of a state park. Restoration of the bridge began in 2002, but before it
19152-604: The river systems and the river boats common to the era. In Louisiana , the Pontchartrain Rail-Road , a 5-mile (8.0 km) route connecting the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans was completed in 1831 and provided over a century of operation. Completed in 1830, the Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur Railroad became the first railroad constructed west of the Appalachian Mountains ; it connected
19304-566: The ruins be used as a visitor attraction to show the forces of nature at work. Kinzua Bridge State Park had attracted 215,000 visitors annually before the bridge collapsed, and was chosen by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Parks for its list of "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks". The viaduct and its collapse were featured in the History Channel 's Life After People as an example of how corrosion and high winds would eventually lead to
19456-606: The three northern New England states with the Canadian Atlantic provinces , and west as far as Port Huron, Michigan , through Sarnia, Ontario . Authorized by the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and heavily backed by the federal government , the first transcontinental railroad was the culmination of a decades-long movement to build such a line and was one of the crowning achievements of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln , completed five years after his death. The building of
19608-405: The towers to the anchor blocks were reused from the first bridge, which would eventually play a major role in the bridge's demise. Grimm, the designer of the bridge, later admitted that the bolts should have been replaced. The Kinzua Viaduct reopened to traffic on September 25, 1900. The new bridge was able to safely accommodate Erie's heavy 2-8-2 Mikados. The Erie Railroad maintained a station at
19760-400: The towers. Each "traveler" was supported by a pair of the original wrought-iron towers, separated by the one that was to be replaced. After the middle tower was demolished and a new steel one built in its place, the traveler was moved down the line by one tower and the process was repeated. Construction of each new tower and the spans adjoining it took one week to complete. The bolts used to hold
19912-450: The train crossed the bridge, the rookie "suddenly found himself terrified, staring down three hundred feet (90 m) from the roof of a rocking boxcar". Even after being reconstructed, the bridge still had a speed limit of 5 miles per hour (8 km/h). As the bridge aged, heavy trains pulled by two steam locomotives had to stop so the engines could cross the bridge one at a time. Diesel locomotives were lighter and did not face that limit;
20064-852: The universities, and the Petersen Events Center . The Strip District to the west along the Allegheny River is an open-air marketplace by day and a clubbing destination by night. Bloomfield is Pittsburgh's Little Italy and is known for its Italian restaurants and grocers. Lawrenceville is a revitalizing rowhouse neighborhood popular with artists and designers. The Hill District was home to photographer Charles Harris as well as various African-American jazz clubs. Other East End neighborhoods include Point Breeze , Regent Square , Highland Park , Homewood , Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar , Larimer , East Hills , East Liberty , Polish Hill , Hazelwood , Garfield, Morningside, and Stanton Heights. The West End includes Mt. Washington , with its famous view of
20216-552: The value of homes in the South Side had increased in value by about 10% annually for the 10 years leading up to 2014. East Carson Street has developed as one of the most vibrant areas of the city, packed with diverse shopping, ethnic eateries, vibrant nightlife, and live music venues. In 1993, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh purchased the South Side Works steel mill property. It collaborated with
20368-400: The war effort. This resulted in the highest levels of air pollution in the city's almost century of industry. The city's reputation as the "arsenal of democracy" was being overshadowed by James Parton 's 1868 observation of Pittsburgh being "hell with the lid off." Following World War II, the city launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as the "Renaissance," cleaning up
20520-400: The whole structure oscillated laterally four to five times before fatigue started to cause the base bolts to fail. The towers fell intact in sections and suffered damage upon impact with the ground. The century-old bridge was destroyed in less than 30 seconds. The state decided not to rebuild the Kinzua Bridge, which would have cost an estimated $ 45 million. Instead, it was proposed that
20672-604: The year in Pittsburgh is July, with a 24-hour average of 73.2 °F (22.9 °C). Conditions are often humid, and combined with highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on an average 9.5 days a year, a considerable heat index arises. The coolest month is January, when the 24-hour average is 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C), and lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below can be expected on an average 2.6 nights per year. Officially, record temperatures range from −22 °F (−30 °C), on January 19, 1994 to 103 °F (39 °C), which occurred three times, most recently on July 16, 1988;
20824-742: Was 6.2% of tonnage originated and 12.6% of revenue. The largest commodities were coal, chemicals, farm products, nonmetallic minerals and intermodal. Other major commodities carried include lumber, automobiles, and waste materials. Coal alone was 43.3% of tonnage and 24.7% of revenue. Coal accounted for roughly half of U.S. electricity generation and was a major export. As natural gas became cheaper than coal, coal supplies dropped 11% in 2015 but coal rail freight dropped by up to 40%, allowing an increase in car transport by rail, some in tri-level railcars. US coal consumption dwindled from over 1,100 million tons in 2008 to 687 million tons in 2018. Prior to Amtrak's creation in 1970, intercity passenger rail service in
20976-403: Was built by a crew of 40 from 1,552 short tons (1,408 t) of wrought iron in just 94 working days, between May 10 and August 29, 1882. The reason for the short construction time was that scaffolding was not used in the bridge's construction; instead a gin pole was used to build the first tower, then a traveling crane was built atop it and used in building the second tower. The process
21128-411: Was considered to be the most effective way of advertising their profitable freight services. The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) was formed in 1967 to lobby for the continuation of passenger trains. Its lobbying efforts were hampered somewhat by Democratic opposition to any sort of rail subsidies to the privately owned railroads, and Republican opposition to nationalization of
21280-443: Was estimated to have been 1 ⁄ 3 -mile (540 m) wide and it left a path 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long. The same storm also spawned an F3 tornado in nearby Potter County . When the tornado touched down, the winds had increased to at least 94 miles per hour (151 km/h) and were coming from the east, perpendicular to the bridge, which ran north–south. An investigation determined that Towers 10 and 11 had collapsed first, in
21432-478: Was extended to Miami in May 2018, and an extension to Orlando International Airport opened for daily service on September 22, 2023, which includes a segment of brand new rail line from Orlando eastward toward the Atlantic coast. Brightline has also proposed a further extension of its service from Orlando to Tampa via Walt Disney World , and a high-speed rail service from Los Angeles to Las Vegas . In addition,
21584-486: Was federally recognized as "Pittsburg", though use of the final h was retained during this period by the city government and other local organizations. After a public campaign, the federal decision to drop the h was reversed. The Pittsburg Press continued spelling the city without an h until 1921. [REDACTED] Kingdom of France 1690s–1763 [REDACTED] Great Britain 1681–1781 [REDACTED] United States 1776–present The area of
21736-438: Was finished a tornado struck the bridge in 2003, causing a large portion of the bridge to collapse. Corroded anchor bolts holding the bridge to its foundations failed, contributing to the collapse. Before its collapse, the Kinzua Bridge was ranked as the fourth-tallest railway bridge in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by
21888-528: Was incorporated as a borough on April 22, 1794, with the following Act: "Be it enacted by the Pennsylvania State Senate and Pennsylvania House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ... by the authority of the same, that the said town of Pittsburgh shall be ... erected into a borough, which shall be called the borough of Pittsburgh for ever." From 1891 to 1911, the city's name
22040-569: Was little point in operating passenger trains to advertise freight service when those who made decisions about freight shipping traveled by car and by air, and when the railroads' chief competitors for that market were interstate trucking companies. Soon, the only things keeping most passenger trains running were legal obligations. Meanwhile, companies who were interested in using railroads for profitable freight traffic were looking for ways to get out of those legal obligations, and it looked like intercity passenger rail service would soon become extinct in
22192-506: Was once the site of railyards and associated dense, inexpensive housing for mill and railroad workers. Starting in the late 20th century, the city undertook a Main Street program in cooperation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation , encouraging design and landscape improvements on East Carson Street, and supporting new retail. The area has become a local Pittsburgher destination, and
22344-530: Was producing significant quantities of iron, brass, tin, and glass. On March 18, 1816, the 46-year-old local government became a city. It was served by numerous river steamboats that increased trading traffic on the rivers. In the 1830s, many Welsh people from the Merthyr steelworks immigrated to the city following the aftermath of the Merthyr Rising . By the 1840s, Pittsburgh was one of the largest cities west of
22496-552: Was reopened for one day in October 1959 when a wreck on the B&;O line forced trains to be rerouted across it. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers , the Kinzua Bridge "was a critical structure in facilitating the transport of coal from Northwestern Pennsylvania to the Eastern Great Lakes region, and is credited with causing an increase in coal mining that led to significant economic growth." Nick Kovalchick, head of
22648-617: Was the nation's eighth-largest city , accounting for between one-third and one-half of national steel output. The Pittsburgh Agreement was subscribed in May 1918 between the Czech and Slovak nationalities, as envisioned by T. G. Masaryk , concerning the future foundation of Czechoslovakia . The city suffered severe flooding in March 1936. The city's population swelled to more than a half million, attracting numerous European immigrants to its industrial jobs. By 1940, non-Hispanic whites were 90.6% of
22800-494: Was the development of the Interstate Highway System and of commercial aviation in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as increasingly restrictive regulation, that dealt the most damaging blows to rail transportation, both passenger and freight. General Motors and others were convicted of running the streetcar industry into the ground purposefully in what is referred to as the Great American Streetcar Scandal . There
22952-565: Was the first constable, and William Troop was the first clerk. Following the American Revolution , the village of Pittsburgh continued to grow. One of its earliest industries was boat building for settlers of the Ohio Country . In 1784, Thomas Vickroy completed a town plan which was approved by the Penn family attorney. Pittsburgh became a possession of Pennsylvania in 1785. The following year,
23104-483: Was then repeated across all 20 towers. The bridge was designed by the engineer Octave Chanute and was built by the Phoenix Iron Works , which specialized in producing patented, hollow iron tubes called "Phoenix columns". Because of the design of these columns, it was often mistakenly believed that the bridge had been built out of wooden poles. The bridge's 110 sandstone masonry piers were quarried from
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