Union Station, or Penn Station, is the second train depot erected at Eleventh Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The first, built in 1857, was destroyed by the rioting that accompanied the tragic railroad strike of 1877. Rebuilt in 1899, Union Station is one of the oldest structures in the city.

Railroads were at one time a major mode of local transit. In 1910, East Liberty alone was served by 104 trains a day and in peak hours railroads scheduled 12,323 passengers out of the downtown area, compared to 23,942 on street railway lines. In 1922, the peak year, 368 daily commuter trains operated in the Pittsburgh district. By 1947, the automobile and better road networks reduced that number to only sixty-seven.

Named a historic landmark, the old train depot still echoes with the sounds of the conductor, and freight trains bound for warehouses along Liberty Avenue still snake their way along the old tracks. If you want to take a ride on the scenic Pennsylvania Railroad, Amtrak service still operates out of the Pittsburgh station.

The upper floors of the aging landmark have been refurbished and are now part of "The Pennsylvanian", an upscale apartment complex. The old station is one of the few remaining links to the heyday of Pittsburgh's railroad past.

Pennsylvania Railroad 28th Street Riots

"Give them hell!" the mob screamed when Sheriff Fife, backed by Philadelphia troops, tried to arrest a ringleader on July 21, 1877. A revolver shot followed a barrage of stones. The soldiers opened fire, leaving many dead and wounded. The trouble had started five days earlier in Baltimore and spread west. On the 19th, Pennsylvania Railroad workers in Pittsburgh struck in protest against wage cuts and layoffs.

News of the 28th Street battle flashed through the city. Soon, railroaders were joined by thousands of angry millhands and other workers. By midnight 20,000 people were upon the grounds, 5000 of them armed. The rioters burned a roundhouse to dislodge the soldiers and then spent the evening sending blazing oil trains crashing into freight cars and sleeping coaches.

The following day, anarchy reigned in the city and the rioters descended upon the Union Depot and Hotel. Soon the building was also in flames. Thousands of Pittsburghers gathered on hillsides to see the sight. Law enforcement authorities were helpless to stop the carnage.

The rioting lasted for three days before peetering out. When it was all over, property damage exceeded $7,000,000. Sixty-one people had died and 150 were injured.