Cool 1950s article about Pittsburgh (Carnegie, Beaver: university, live, shops)

[PreservationPioneer]

Proof that the stories about Pittsburgh "reinventing" itself are nothing new -- here is an article from a 1950s book called "Great Cities of the World." All of this talk of a renaissance came before Pittsburgh lost half its peak population.

Pittsburgh, the iron and steel colossus of the world, stands astride three great rivers-- the Ohio, the Allegheny, and the Monongahela. Coal and this mighty water transportation system were responsible for the growth and the far-reaching influence of Pittsburgh's vast industrial domain. Scarcely a decade ago they were also responsible for devastating floods that periodically spilled their unleashed fury on the city, and for the sooty smoke that continually shrouded the area in a dense black pall. Today, as Pittsburgh nears its 200th anniversary, the city is still a Titan of industry, but it has undergone a remarkable transformation. With smoke-filtering devices, the innovation of smokeless fuels and stringent laws controlling smoke density, the sun again shines on Pittsburgh. Floods, one of the city's greatest obstacles to progress, are now regulated by a mammoth network of dams and reservoirs. Its decaying physical structure of dingy outmoded commercial buildings, its tangle of inadequate streets and highways, its seedy and deteriorating Lower Hill tenements have experienced an extravagant renaissance. A shining and refurbished Pittsburgh points with pride to the tall clean lines of its stainless steel and aluminum skyscrapers, its broad sweep of superhighways and expressways and its many sociological, civic and economic improvements. A beautiful park, with the 36-acre Gateway Center as a backdrop, now fills the apex of the Golden Triangle. Here Fort Pitt, the tiny nucleus of the modern city, withstood Indian attacks during the Pontiac War. A small brick blockhouse, the only remnant of prerevolutionary times, is preserved within the park. Along Bigelow Boulevard and in the area of Schenley Park are found many of the city's renowned cultural and educational institutions including the University of Pittsburgh with its 42-story Cathedral of Learning, Carnegie Institute and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research.

[jay5835]

Pittsburgh was the ninth largest city in the USA in 1970. I never perceived the areawide sense of low self-esteem until I moved back in 1999.

[BrianTH]

We're on Renaissance III or IV, depending on who is counting. Of course we may not have needed the last couple if it wasn't for the steel bust. On the other hand, the steel bust in many ways set the stage for our overperformance in the Great Recession.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

We're on Renaissance III or IV, depending on who is counting. Of course we may not have needed the last couple if it wasn't for the steel bust. On the other hand, the steel bust in many ways set the stage for our overperformance in the Great Recession.

More like spared Pittsburgh the pain. Steel would be very susceptible to economic conditions.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

More like spared Pittsburgh the pain. Steel would be very susceptible to economic conditions.

Yes, although steel also has recovered relatively quickly, and is somewhat participating in the worldwide commodities boom being driven by the sustained rapid growth in developing countries.

But in any event, I was more referring to various side-effects of the steel bust, including the fact that we didn't participate in the housing bubble.

[PreservationPioneer]

If you look at the population statistics, Pittsburgh lost 10.7% of its population as early as 1950-1960, then 13.9% from 1960-1970. So there was something going on, whether it was steel industry decline, white flight, or suburbanization, as early as the 1950s.

I just think some of these modern articles about Pittsburgh being a clean city with "no smoke" are funny because it hasn't been a smokey city since the 1940s, and here is an article from the 1950s touting the same things that the "most liveable" city articles tend to talk about. I think all of those articles tend to copy each other. It would be nice to hear something fresh and unique said about Pittsburgh.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

If you look at the population statistics, Pittsburgh lost 10.7% of its population as early as 1950-1960, then 13.9% from 1960-1970. So there was something going on, whether it was steel industry decline, white flight, or suburbanization, as early as the 1950s.

The earlier declines in Pittsburgh's population in the 50's and 60's were due to suburbanization and urban renewal more than anything else. Jones and Laughlin built a brand new open hearth on the Southside as late as the 1950's, steel was still king through the end of the Vietnam War anyhow- although the Lucy and Isabella furnaces in Etna and the 10th Ward met an early demise.

As a youth, it seemed as if every other adult I knew, if they didn't work for J&L or US Steel, they worked for trucking or other machine shops that serviced the steel business.

If I wouldn't have seen Pittsburgh survive with my own eyes since the collapse of steel which began in the mid 70's, I would have never believed it.

[markson33]

Interesting article.

I could see an argument that the true "renaissance" in Pittsburgh was in the 1950's. That's when there was a real transformation in the city and environment. Not much since then really compares.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

It would be nice to hear something fresh and unique said about Pittsburgh.

To paraphrase Tolstoy, happy cities are all alike; every unhappy city is unhappy in its own way.

Pittsburgh's renaissances are in many respects simply a normalization process, meaning in such periods the city is becoming more like other successful U.S. cities of similar vintage. In fact in the broadest sense cities today are still typically offering roughly the same package of advantages as they have always offered since they first arose, and they typically face roughly the same set of problems.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The earlier declines in Pittsburgh's population in the 50's and 60's were due to suburbanization and urban renewal more than anything else. Jones and Laughlin built a brand new open hearth on the Southside as late as the 1950's, steel was still king through the end of the Vietnam War anyhow- although the Lucy and Isabella furnaces in Etna and the 10th Ward met an early demise.

As a youth, it seemed as if every other adult I knew, if they didn't work for J&L or US Steel, they worked for trucking or other machine shops that serviced the steel business.

If I wouldn't have seen Pittsburgh survive with my own eyes since the collapse of steel which began in the mid 70's, I would have never believed it.

I was reading an article from the Beaver County historical society which said that at one point in time, some 60+% of Beaver County workers were represented by the USW. Now when you add in all the other people who worked in the mills, engineers, clerical staff, etc, that's a lot of people working in one industry. Sadly that site has no search engine, and I'll probably never find that article again.