Steel Mills Of Pittsburgh Essay

My grandparents have owned a lake cottage in Piedmont, Ohio since before I was born. Ever since I was baby I have traveled the one and a half hour drive to our cottage. As I grew older, I took in the scenery and the little towns along the way. One sleepy little farm town in particular we drive through, seventeen minutes away from the lake, is called Cadiz; also known as the town that hosts the Hopedale Mining Coal Company. Yet, I never even knew until eighteen years later that a coal mining operation is stationed there.

From 1870 to 1910 was Pittsburgh's Golden Age. Steel was a main factor in making Pittsburgh what it is today. But steel was not the only industry in Pittsburgh. Wood, coal, limestone, sand, and flax were also some of the resources they had. It was the steel capital of the world due to the abundance of resources. With all of the big promising jobs many people did not want to have the small jobs that were needed (Dietrich).

Shortly after the revolutionary war, the small town of Pittsborough, then renamed Pittsburgh began to develop into a very important center, specializing in trading and industry. The convenience of natural resources and technological advancement has ranked Pittsburgh as one of the leading industrial cities in the United States in the past. Historically, the city of Pittsburgh has created numerous manufacturing plants responsible for producing steel, iron, and other products for the U.S. economy that still exist today. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains Pittsburgh's economic might during this period:

Most people regard industrialization as a positive development capable of generating great wealth and revitalizing run-down areas. Mention industrialization today, and it brings to mind large factories organized with the latest technologies in mass producing. Along with these visions comes the promise of more jobs for the community, higher rates of pay, and financial stability. One can only think of the positive influences on a community that the opening of a new factory could bring, but during what some have deemed the Industrial Revolution, industrialization only meant using machines and new power sources to accomplish a task formerly done by human and animal power. Our modern day conception of industrialization can greatly influence our

During the nineteenth century, Manchester became one of the most industrialized cities in the world. Although the industrialization of Manchester was very efficient and successful for the modernization of man, the city’s growth also raised many issues in society. The growth of the city had negative and positive effects. Although the huge population growth in Manchester in the 1800s, delighted many people, for they though this had led to advances in manufacturing and other industries-the increase caused a multiple of other issues. Some of the issues included, problems with sanitation, home and family life, and industrialization. But fortunately, there were many reformers working to bring about change and bring justice where needed.

One of the greatest discovers that transformed cities to what they are now is steel industry. The rise of the steel industry in the United States drove America's growth as a world economic power. “The industrialization of America made steel the number-one selling product. Steel was used in the construction and maintenance of railroads as well as nearly every other industry of the day (Carnegie, Andrew).” Even thou steel had been used during the early days of European settlement began it was not until the 19 century when new technological advances that allowed steel industry to produce tons of steel for cheap.

Since its introduction as a state in 1803, Ohio has developed a rich history of economic success until the late 20th century. Ohio over the 20th century has been a major victim of deindustrialization. Youngstown, Ohio like most towns in the rust belt was hit hard during the 20th century by deindustrialization. In their book, ‘Steeltown USA Work and Memory in Youngstown’ does a fantastic job of telling the story of this historical town that was one of the leaders in steel producing that believed in hard-work turned into a town that was at the top on the crime boards.

It is the second most populated city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, and the metropolis of the western part of the state. The beautiful city goes by two common nicknames, “the City of Bridges,” and “the Steele City.” It is called the “City of Bridges” because it is home to the more bridges than any American region. It even has more bridges then Italy! The Steele city got its name because it was once the largest Steele producer in the world. When it comes to culture, Pittsburgh is multi-cultural. As I would walk through the streets I would see people from many different ethnicities and races. This includes people from all around the world, whether they are residents or tourists. The city itself is easy to navigate and it already felt like home since the moment I got there. Something that wasn’t easy to miss was the theatre, art, music and film culture. They have a Broadway production organization called “Pittsburgh Cultural

After researching ten monuments in my hometown of Shamokin, a small anthracite coal region town in central Pennsylvania, I recognized a lack of representation of Shamokin’s coal mining heritage throughout its urban spaces. Considering coal was the main production of labor for decades, there are no public monuments dedicated to its most influential contribution to the world. This summer I undertook researching ten monuments that depict representations of coal miners and their heritage throughout different PA anthracite regions; thus, discovering how this important heritage is represented and its effect on the public memory of a town. As I archived materials on the monuments, I created a digital database curating the ten monuments and analyzing

Some people believe that Detroit is comparable to a blank canvas. A place where an opportunity is lurking right around the corner. They imagine it as a deserted place, in which a businessman can create anything they dream of. However, the harsh reality is, Detroit is not a blank canvas. It has been splattered with an era of prominence, scribbled on with the invention of the automobile, and engraved with a history of racism and corruption. Although much of Detroit’s glory has been stripped away, there are still people who exist in the city’s remnants. Actual people, with actual families, actual homes, and actual lives. When outsiders talk about the city’s revival, they are often forgetting about these people, or the actual citizens of

The late 1800s sparked the beginning of a new age of overture in industrialization. Which somehow made a turn of fortunate events of prosper, edge towards weakening the youth’s maturity. Leaving the question to stand, was it a good idea? Was it a good idea for the amount of steel we produce or coal we mine. All these factors play a role in the habitat we live in now. Good nor evil has come about of the blunders associated with urban expansion.

The discovery of anthracite coal in Pennsylvania in the late 1700s led to the development of a robust coal industry in the eastern part of Pennsylvania that grew rapidly and contributed greatly to the history and the economy of Pennsylvania. The book The Face of Decline written by Thomas Dublin, Walter Licht, provides a well written historical and personal account of the discovery, growth, and finally the collapse of the anthracite coal industry in Pennsylvania in a chronological format. Half way through the book one starts to notice some changes in the authors format to cause and effect. The change occurs in order to discuss the cause and resulting effect of events in the region and the solutions. The story is one of great growth and opportunity in the early years which are highlighted by the documented economic growth experienced and supported through testimony within the eastern Pennsylvania coal region. After a period of economic prosperity and community growth from 1900 through 1940 challenges began to erode and occur that created problems for the community and the economy that the coal industry provided. Finally the region’s economy suffered horrendous losses as described by interviews of local residents and families who lived and experienced the rise of the region’s economy. Many of the scars are still evident by the blight and decaying scenes one would experience by traveling through the region’s communities that once fueled the American economy with the energy

We even learned to brave the bus, and one day rode it as far as Kennywood Park to encounter that mythic beast, the Thunderbolt. Many years later, I was to evoke that lost neighborhood of Junction Hollow, that stairway and the impenetrable factory that guarded its uppermost landing in my first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. And of all the questions that have been put to me, over the years, regarding that book, one of the most frequent, from people who don’t know Pittsburgh, and even from some who do, has been, “So, the Cloud Factory, the Lost Neighborhood. Does that stuff really exist or did you make it all up?” I’m usually quick to reply, without thinking much about the question, “Yes. It’s all real.” Sometimes I explain that the term “Cloud Factory” refers to what is actually a marvelous piece of antique steam machinery known as the Bellefield Boiler Plant (it’s just right over there, somewhere, and probably lighting this hall right now). I explain that that term did not even originate with me, but was in general, if not common use among Pitt and CMU students for years before I started college here. But what I’ve come to realize, looking back over the afternoon and indeed the whole of my history and even prehistory in Pittsburgh, is that this is the place where things began to happen to me, where I began to see things that sounded as if I must have invented them, when in fact they were real, visible, and

Union City, previously known as Miles Mills (“History of Union City, PA”), was discovered by David Watts and William Mills in the year 1785 (“History…”). At one time, Union City, was considered “The Chair Center of the World” due to all the sawmills and chair factories within the city (“History...”). But sadly, now the town is only referred to as “Incest City” or “Union Shitty,” which is offensive to the citizens of the town. The sawmills and chair factories in the earlier centuries, currently are not functioning or have burned down in recent years, including the Ethan Allen building which burned down during my lifetime in 2010. The history of Union City may not be as exciting compared to larger cities, but it means so much to the residents or ancestors of people from here.

The Rust Belt is back. So say bullish observers as U.S. exports surge, long-moribund industries glow with newfound profits, and unemployment dips to lows not seen in a decade. But in the smokestack citadels, there’s disquiet. Too many machine-tool and auto parts factories are silent; too many U.S. industries still can’t hold their own.