<Local History>    <Brookline 250>    <Pittsburgh History>    <Golden Triangle>
<City Council>    <City Views>    <What's In A Name?>    <Sports Franchises>

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The City of Pittsburgh and the Community of Brookline have histories that date back to the pre-Revolutionary War days of the 18th century. Since the time of the early pioneers until today, Brookline and the surrounding area have seen many changes, evolving from a rural farming community into the modern city neighborhood that we live in today.

The following link, Brookline 250, attempts to explore the first 250 years of the history of the Brookline area. Most of this information was retrieved from old Brookline Journal articles, dating from the 1950s, that detailed bits and pieces of Brookline's history up to that point. We have tried to piece all of these articles into one essay. With limitations, it provides an interesting look back in time at Brookline's 250 years.

Brookline History - The First 250 Years (1754-2004)

The histories of the various local churches, and the origins of the public education and recreation facilities, based on the recollections of Professor Joseph F. Moore, recount the contributions of these institutions to Brookline's heritage.

Brookline Public Education and Recreation History
Our Lady of Loreto Church and School History
St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church History
Brookline United Presbyterian Church History
Episcopal Church of the Advent History
Resurrection Church and School History
St. Pius X Church and School History

One thing that most Brookliners can remember from their years as a youngsters, with the exception of their days at school, is the time spent playing sports in one of the local athletic leagues. Brookline has developed a rich tradition of Little League baseball, Prep League football and Youth Soccer, and the activities offered at Moore Park and the Brookline Community Center have enriched young and old alike.

Brookline Little League Baseball Team Photos
Brookline Knights Football Team Photos
Brookline Royals Sandlot Football Club
Brookline Recreation Center Photo Gallery
Moore Park Photo Gallery

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Brookline Maps

The following maps show the transition of Brookline from rural West Liberty Borough (1886), through first residential growth phase (1910) to modern-day Brookline (1997), with it's current borders and street layout. The maps show a great deal about the development of the community.

In the 19th century, West Liberty Borough, which also included Beechview, was dominated by farms and mining ventures. Scattered homes and a few commercial properties dotted the landscape. By 1910 the community had been annexed into the city of Pittsburgh and the rural landscape began to take on an urban look. This development continued through the 1970s.

A little-known subplot named Brookdale, located in East Brookline. It no longer exists.

The early-20th century borders of the community were slightly different than today. Before the Fairhaven/Overbrook land, now refered to as East Brookline, was annexed into the city, Brookline's eastern boundary was Whited Street. In the 1920s that boundary was extended to Jacob Street. An interesting feature of the 1910 map is that many of the street names are different. Once annexed into the city, many of the West Liberty roadway designations were changed and had yet to be incorporated into the books.

<Brookline Map 1886>    <Brookline Map 1910>
<Brookline Map 1928>    <Brookline Map 1940>
<Brookline Map 1997>    <Brookline Map 2003>

<Aerial Views - 1939, 1958, 2005>

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Pittsburghese and Brooklinese

Pittsburghese is a term that represents the rather unique vocabulary that has evolved over the years in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. From phonology to vocabulary, grammar to intonation, the language of the 'Burgh is something that only a true Yinzer can appreciate.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, foods like chipped ham, dippy eggs, jumbo, hoagies and pierogies were often on the menu. Driving up and dahn slippy roads can be rough, and running the sweeper at home is part of reddin' up. Getting jagged by jaggers, annoyed by jagoffs, and caught just jaggin' aroun' was part of growin' up. While doin'is and doin'at, Pittsburghers have developed quite a way of expressing themselves. It's a 'Burgh thing.

From Wikipedia: Pittsburghese

Brookliners are well-versed in Pittsburghese, and have coined some unique words and phrases of their own that might be considered Brooklinese. Generations of students went to Rezzi. Many walked the boulavard to get to school and others took the bus. After school, kids would take the cuts through the neighbor's yards and hoy their friends. They'd then go dahn the park, or cross the pipe to get to the Center. Buying penny candy at the little store, getting a comic book at Newsies, or enjoying an iceball at the Little League games was always a treat. At night, it was time to get home when the lights came on. It's a B-line thing.

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Pittsburgh and Brookline Population

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Pittsburgh City Council Representatives

Pittsburgh's City Council is the legislative branch of government. It carries out duties in accordance with the Home Rule Charter and the laws of the state. It is primarily responsible for making laws which govern the City of Pittsburgh. City Council is composed of nine members. Each member represents one council district.

Brookline is part of District 4, which also includes the communities of Beechview, Bon Air, Overbrook, most of Carrick, and a small portion of Mt. Washington.

District 4 City Councilmembers since 1989:

The current makeup of City Council began in 1989, when the nine individual districts began electing their own representatives, in an effort to insure that all Pittsburghers receive adequate representation. This electoral process has proven effective.

List of all City Councilmembers since 1989:

The one-council-representative-per-district system has not always been the electoral procedure for City Council. From 1911 through 1989, members were elected by way of at-large elections, where no particular member represented any specific district. Instead, the entire council represented the whole City of Pittsburgh and all of it's neighborhoods.

List of City Councilmembers from 1911 to 1989:

Prior to 1911, the City had a bicameral City Council comprised of a Common Council and a Select Council which sat as our form of legislative branch beginning in 1816 when the City was first incorporated. The Select Council was comprised of a representative from every ward in the City, meaning that Brookline would have had a representative on the Select Council for three years, from its annexation in 1908 until 1911.

Before 1816 the fledgling town, known as Pittsborough or Pittstown, was governed by an executive committee.

<Short History of the Mayors of Pittsburgh>

* Thanks to John Fournier for helping gather information on City Council *

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We're All Pittsburghers

Below are links to pictures and explanations that reveal much of Pittsburgh's past. We've found some interesting old color postcards and photos of various sites throughout the city. There are several pictures of "The Golden Triangle" that show it's evolution over the past 250-plus years, and links to other webpages that offer more on Pittsburgh's history. After all, Brookline may be the community we live in, but Pittsburgh is the city we call home.

Links To Pittsburgh History

Bushy Run Battlefield Museum
Maps of Pittsburgh
The Brady Stewart Collection - Historic Images
George Washington at Fort Duquesne

From the Pittsburgh Press archives and the Brookline Connection:
 A History Of Pittsburgh And Western PA Troops In The War - 1919 

On May 31, 1918, the intent to form the country of Czechoslovakia
was formally declared at the Moose Hall in downtown Pittsburgh:
"The Pittsburgh Agreement"

From the Post-Gazette archives:
EYEWITNESS: Civil War-Era Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh Century (1900-1999)
The Pittsburgh 250 Celebration
The '60 Bucs - Looking Back 50 Years

From Google Books:
"The History of Pittsburgh", printed in 1851.

From Wikipedia:
The History of Pittsburgh
List of Pittsburgh Historic Landmarks

From the Historical Center of Western Pennsylvania:
"Documenting Pitt", an online archive
The Hopkins Map Collection (1872-1939)
Historic Pittsburgh Image Collection

From The Heinz History Center:
Fort Pitt Museum
250 Years Of Pittsburgh Innovation
Life In Western Pennsylvania

For Interesting Information on Pittsburgh Sports Stadiums:
Fun Facts About Pittsburgh's Ball Parks

The Golden Triangle

"'Most Livable City' Took Its Lumps Over Tag In 1985"
"Pittsburgh: America’s Most Livable City" - (2007)
"Pittsburgh Rated 'Most Livable' Once Again" - (2007)
"Pittsburgh ranked tops in U.S. by The Economist" (2009)
"Pittsburgh Named Most Livable City Again" (2010)

At the heart of it all is downtown Pittsburgh, sitting on a parcel of land known world-wide as the Golden Triangle. Up until it's annexation in 1907, Pittsburgh's North Shore was known as the City of Allegheny. The two municipalities combined to unite the vista as one picturesque metropolis. The links below show the evolution of The Point over the last 250-plus years.

The Point - 1750
The Point - 1754
The Point - 1759
The Point - 1763
The Point - 1776
The Point - 1784
The Point - 1790
The Point - 1795
The Point - 1803
The Point - 1804
The Point - 1817
The Point - 1826
The Point - 1828
The Point - 1839
The Point - 1843
Fire of 1845
The Point - 1849
The Point - 1852
The Point - 1854
The Point - 1871
The Point - 1875
The Point - 1877
The Point - 1880
The Point - 1889
The Point - 1890
The Point - 1896
The Point - 1900
The Point - 1902
The Point - 1905
Flood of 1907
The Point - 1909
The Point - 1910
Proposal - 1913
The Point - 1916
The Point - 1920
The Point - 1923
The Point - 1924
The Point - 1926
The Point - 1929

"The Moses Plan"
1939

The Fourth River



Point State Park
Construction
1950-1955

The Point - 1930
The Point - 1932
Flood of 1936
The Point - 1938
Proposal - 1939
The Point - 1940
The Point - 1942
The Point - 1943
The Point - 1945
The Point - 1948
The Point - 1950
The Point - 1951
The Point - 1952
The Point - 1954
The Point - 1955
The Point - 1956
The Point - 1957
The Point - 1958
The Point - 1961
Proposal - 1961
The Point - 1963
Flood of 1964
The Point - 1969
The Point - 1970
Flood of 1972
The Point - 1974
The Point - 1975
The Point - 1976
The Point - 1980
The Point - 1988
The Point - 1995
Flood of 1996
The Point - 2000
The Point - 2004
Flood of 2004
The Point - 2006
The Point - 2009
The Point - 2010
The Point - 2011

<Detailed History of Floods, Snowstorms and Tornados in Pittsburgh>

<The Growth of Pittsburgh - Annexation and Population>



For some fantastic photos of the Pittsburgh Skyline ...
www.pittsburghskyline.com

Pittsburgh City Views - Yesterday and Today

Alcoa Building
Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny Observatory
Allegheny Riverfront
Armstrong Tunnels
Benedum Center
Bigelow Boulevard
Bloomfield Bridge
Boulevard of the Allies
Buhl Planetarium
Burke Building
Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Music Hall
Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Tech
Cathedral of Learning
Chatham Center
Civic Arena
Consol Energy Center
Courthouse and Jail
Duquesne Brewing Company
Duquesne Club
Duquesne Incline
Duquesne University
Eat'n Park Restaurant
Exposition Hall
Exposition Park
Farmer's Bank
First National Bank
Fitzgerald Field House
Forbes Field
Fort Pitt Blockhouse
Fort Pitt Bridge
Fort Pitt Hotel
Fort Pitt Tunnels
Frick Building
Frick Fine Arts Building
Gateway Clipper Fleet
Grant Building
Greyhound Bus Station
Gulf Building
Heinz 57 Varieties
Heinz Hall
Heinz Field
Highland Park Zoo
Hilton Hotel
Jenkin's Arcade
LST 512 in Pittsburgh
Lemont Restaurant
Liberty Bridge
Liberty Tunnels
Library Road (Route 88)
Magee Women's Hospital
Market Square
Mellon Bank
Mellon Center One
Mellon Square Plaza
Mercy Hospital
Mon River Lock #1

The Hump

Pittsburgh "Firsts"





New Sports Stadium?

Short History of the
Mayors of Pittsburgh

Monongahela Bridge
Monongahela Incline
Montefiore Hospital
Nixon Theatre
Oxford Centre
P&LERR Railroad Station
PNC Park
Palumbo Center
Penn Brewery
Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania RR Riots
Petersen Events Center
Phipps Conservatory
Pitt Stadium
Pittsburgh Brewery
Pittsburgh Coal Mines
PPG Place/PPG Plaza
Pittsburgh/Castle Shannon RR
Pittsburgh Old Inclines
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Steel Mills
Point Bridge
Pittsburgh Post Office
Presbyterian Hospital
Saw Mill Run Creek
Saw Mill Run Road
Schenley Hotel
Schenley Park
Skybus
Skyline History
Skyscrapers
Smithfield Street Bridge
South Hills Coal Company
South Hills Expressway
South Hills Junction
South Park
South Side Hospital
Station Square
Strip District
Syria Mosque
The Mon Wharf
The Pittsburgh Potty
The River Junction
The Smokey City
Three Rivers Regatta
Three Rivers Stadium
Trinity Church
Trolleys Around Town
USS Requin Submarine
Union Bridge
Union Station
University of Pittsburgh
U.S. Steel Building
Wabash Railroad Bridge
Wabash Tunnel
Westinghouse Industries
West Liberty Avenue
William Penn Hotel

Pittsburgh - Renaissance and Renewal
by Edward K Muller

What's In A Name? - The Pittsburgh Pirates

The 1896 Pittsburgh Pirates, featuring Louis Bierbauer (2nd row, 2nd from left). It was the
Bierbauer controversy, in 1891, that earned the organization the name "Pirates."

An "Act of Piracy" it was called after Manager Ed Hanlon signed a loose infielder claimed by the American Association. Thus the Pittsburgh Pirates came into being. The year was 1891, and the Alleghenys, as they had been known, were last in the National League, but improving. In the previous season they had accomplished the distinctive feat of winning 23 games while losing 113.

The Alleghenys were organized in 1876 as the city's first professional baseball club. Five years later they were playing in the new American Association, called the "Beer and Whiskey League" because most of its six teams were backed by liquor distillers. In 1887, they joined the National League and moved into Exposition Park, a former race track on the banks of the Allegheny River.

A Pirates baseball game at Exposition Field, which stood on the North Shore from 1890 to 1915.

The hapless Alleghenys were the league's worst team, always finishing in last place. In 1891, the team acquired Louis Bierbauer, the disputed player, and became known around the league as the Pirates. The term stuck and soon was adopted as the team's official name. The alleged theft helped the team to their only winning season of the 19th century, finishing second in 1893.

In 1900, Barney Dreyfuss brought his team up from Louisville and merged with the Pirates. The Pirates became instant winners, finishing first from 1900 to 1903. They won a World Series in 1909 and posted winning seasons in the first 14 years of the 20th century.

Today's Pirates may resemble the hapless Alleghenys of the 1800s, and may have to resort to another act of piracy to somehow climb out of the cellar of despair. But, despite their mediocre performance in the first decade of the 21st century, they are our beloved Pirates and have built up quite a legacy in their 130-something years as a professional franchise.

So what's in a name? The Pittsburgh Pirates may be synonymous with Major League Baseball, but the legacy of the Pirates of Pittsburgh reaches beyond the baseball diamond and also has roots in two other well-known professional sports.

Pittsburgh - The City of Champions

When modern NFL professional football came to the city on September 20, 1933, the first game was played at Forbes Field in front of 25,000 fans. The final score: New York Giants 23, Pittsburgh Pirates 2. The team, owned by Arthur J. Rooney, changed their name to Steelers in 1940. Thirty-nine years later, the Pittsburgh Steelers combined with the Pittsburgh Pirates to give the city a new name. After the Pirates won the 1979 MLB championship and the Steelers won the 1979 NFL championship, Pittsburgh became known as the "City of Champions."

"City of Champions" proved a difficult title to hold onto. In the 1980s, the Pirates quickly fell into obscurity and the Steeler's championship years had run their course. In 1991 and 1992, the resurgent Pirates and the Pittsburgh Penguins came close to bringing the prestigious double-title back to the 'Burgh. Mario Lemieux and the Penguins hoisted the Stanley Cup as champions of the NHL after both seasons, but the Pirates fell short of a trip to the World Series in three consecutive playoff appearances.

Then came 2009, the year of Big Ben and Sid the Kid. In February, Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to their second Super Bowl championship of the new millenium and sixth overall. The Penguins followed in June when Sidney Crosby and the Comeback Kids brought the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh for the third time. On June 12, 2009, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holder of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Lord Stanley's Cup, was once again dubbed the "City of Champions."

  
Ben Roethlisberger hoists the Lombardi Trophy and Sidney Crosby brings home the Stanley Cup, both in 2009.

History has taught us that the official title may be as fleeting this time as it was thirty years ago, but what's in a name? For those of us who live in the land of Black and Gold, Pittsburgh will always be the City of Champions and we're proud of it.

What's In A Name?
A Final Note On The Pittsburgh Pirates:

The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team in 1969. This was not, however, Pittsburgh's first entry in the league. Back in 1925, the City of Pittsburgh became the seventh franchise in the young NHL, which was entering only it's ninth season. The club lasted a mere five seasons before being sold and relocated in 1930. The name of the city's first NHL team was ... The Pittsburgh Pirates! The Pirates are shown below on Opening Night, December 2, 1925.

Believe it or not, the Pirate naming saga does not end with the NHL Pirates. In 1907, the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, the first professional ice hockey league in North America, was in need of two new teams in order to continue as a viable association. One of the teams to enter the league the Pittsburgh Lyceum, and the other was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The franchise competed for only one season.

History of Pittsburgh Professional Sports Franchises

Pittsburgh has always been a sports town. Professional baseball began here in 1876. The Pittsburgh Alleghenies Baseball Club was established in 1882 and in 1887 joined the big East Coast cities in the National League. The Alleghenies, who soon changed their name to the Pittsburgh Pirates, were the City's first official professional sports franchise.

The origins of professional football have their roots in Pittsburgh. On November 12, 1892, a player named William "Pudge" Heffelfinger signed a contract, and was paid $500, to play in a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He was the first footballer to be openly employed to play the game. The milestone is honored with a plaque near the location of old Recreation Park on the North Side.

The sport of professional ice hockey also has its origins in Pittsburgh. The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, at the turn the 20th Century, was the first association to openly employ professionals. Pittsburgh was the first city in North America to have an artificial ice surface, located in the Schenley Park Casino. Ice Hockey was later played at the Duquesne Gardens. In 1925, the Pittsburgh Pirates hockey club was granted the seventh franchise in the fledgling National Hockey League.

Let's face it. Professional sports are big in the 'Burgh, and it's not just baseball, football and hockey. The City has been represented in a variety of pro sports leagues. Basketball, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, roller derby, rugby and roller hockey have all seen professional franchises here in Pittsburgh. Many of these teams have lasted only a year or two. But some, like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club, have been around for several years and have prospered.

Fifty-two individual professional franchises have been identified as being from Pittsburgh. This is not an all-inclusive list. There may be more. This is what we've uncovered so far:

Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates (1882-present)
Homestead Grays (1912-1950)
Pittsburgh Crawfords (1930-1938)
Pittsburgh Keystones (1922)
Pittsburgh Rebels (1912-1915)
Pittsburgh Burghers (1890)
Pittsburgh Stogies (1884)

Football

Pittsburgh Steelers (1933-present)
Pittsburgh Colts (1979-present)
Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)
Pittsburgh Americans (1936-1937)
Pittsburgh Lyceum (1906-1910)
Pittsburgh Stars (1902)
Pittsburgh Atheltic Club (1891-1898)
Allegheny Athletic Association (1890-1896)

Basketball

Pittsburgh Phantoms (2009-2010)
Pittsburgh Xplosion (2005-2008)
Pittsburgh Piranhas (1994-1995)
Pittsburgh Condors (1970-1972)
Pittsburgh Pipers (1967-1968), (1969-1970)
Pittsburgh Rens (1961-1963)
Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946-1947)

Hockey

Pittsburgh Penguins (1967-present)
Pittsburgh Hornets (1937-1956), (1961-1967)
Pittsburgh Shamrocks (1935-1936)
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1915-1925), (1930-1932), (1935-1937)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1925-1930)
Pittsburgh Bankers (1900-1904), (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Lyceum (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1907-1908)
Pittsburgh Professionals (1904-1907)
Pittsburgh Victorias (1902-1904)
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (1895-1904), (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Duquesnes (1895-1901,1908-1909)
Pittsburgh Keystones (1895-1904)
Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (1895-1900)

Soccer

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1999-present)
Pittsburgh Stingers (1994-1995)
Pittsburgh Spirit (1978-1986)
Pittsburgh Phantoms (1967)

Arena Football

Pittsburgh Power (2011-present)
Pittsburgh River Rats (2007)
Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987-1990)

Women's Football

Pittsburgh Passion (2003-present)
Pittsburgh Force (2009-present)
Steel City Renegades (2010-present)

Tennis

Pittsburgh Triangles (1974-1977)

Rugby

Pittsburgh Sledgehammers (2011-present)
Pittsburgh Vipers (2010)

Roller Hockey

Pittsburgh Phantoms (1994)

Roller Derby

Steel City Derby Demons (2006)

Lacrosse

Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2000)
Pittsburgh Bulls (1990-1993)

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Pittsburgh Sports Logos Throughout The Years

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The Pittsburgh Steelers and The Steelmark Logo

Regarding logos, while some teams prefer to change their standard every ten years or so, the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has only had one logo. The Steelmark was introduced in 1962. Prior to that the team's helmets were solid gold, with no emblem.

The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on just one side of the helmet (the right side). A year after the introduction of the Steelmark, in 1963, the team switched to black helmets to make their new logo stand out. It's been that way ever since. When you come up with a winner, stick with it!