Pittsburgh Dish

North Siders dig new library

Groundbreaking event for Allegheny City

Photo and story by Frank Kownacki

Several politicos and neighbors showed up this morning for the groundbreaking of the new Carnegie Library on the North Side.

Barbara Mistick, President & Director of the Carnegie Library, related a story of the short time it took Allegheny City to build its first library to the ground breaking of this new library after the original one was damaged by lightening two years ago.

Mistick mentioned that the new library will hold historical documents and ephemera related to Andrew Carnegie's former home in Allegheny City, making the new library a research area on the history of the one time city. County executive Dan Onorato spoke about how this is yet another step in the right direction for the revitalization of the Federal & North corridor.

Fred Thieman, President of the Buhl Foundation, spoke about his commitment to the restoration work being done in the Allegheny Commons and to reestablishing the original traffic pattern through Allegheny Center.

The estimated time for completion of the new library is one year.

Building may be saved from wrecking ball

City panel OKs structure for historic status

Photo below by Sarah Higgins. Click image for larger view.

Yesterday the Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh (HRC) made a preliminary determination that the nomination of the Malta Temple Building at 100 W. North Avenue for city-designated historic structure status is "relevant" and not "frivolous."

The nomination means the building is protected from the intended demolition that the Salvation Army wished to carry out in order to build a new social service facility on W. North Avenue. The building will continue in the process in order to be declared a historic landmark.

The Mexican War Streets society nominated the building for historic status.

"The building is a landmark in the historic commercial corridor of North Avenue and Federal Street. The building was constructed in 1927 to be the social and meeting hall of the fraternal society Ancient & Illustrious Order of the Knights of Malta. Akin to the Freemasons, this organization was founded on Christian values and service.

The first floor was built for retail. The Salvation Army blocked in the plate glass windows after taking ownership in 1973. The fraternal society occupied the second and third floors.

"The Great Depression was hard on many social service and fraternal groups whose membership could not support the mortgage and operation costs. The organizations merged, consolidated or folded around the time of WWII,” said local historian David McMunn and member of the Mexican War Streets Society.

The North Side had a whole host of such groups--the Free and Accepted Masons (Masonic Hall next door, pictured left), the Loyal Order of Moose (vacant lot next to Light of Life), the Elks (still holding Lodge at 400 Cedar Ave.), the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (now the Letter Carriers Union Hall on Brighton Road), the Knights of Pythias (mid-block on E. Ohio Street), the Knights of Columbus (now The Parador B&B), the YMCA (still in operation) and the Salvation Army (still in operation).

When hard-work-ethic middle class men came home from the mill, the office, the bank, the shop, and then they spent more time in fellowship with club brothers or serving the less fortunate in a whole host of service opportunities, said McMunn.

Contrary to what the Salvation Army’s lawyer called a "smokescreen" for forcing out the group, McMunn stressed that the Mexican War Streets Society is not against the Salvation Army or its ministry.

"We are not forcing the Salvation Army out of this block or prohibiting construction or renovation of this block,” said McMunn. “We see the structure as a principal landmark in a whole row of buildings and wish that the Salvation Army will incorporate the historic building into its new construction plans. The Salvation Army owns 104 (Acme Window Cleaning Co.) and 110 (vacant lot) on W. North Avenue. We see no loss in the 104 W. North property for demolition, even though it is older and may be historic as well."

This is all about living in and appreciating the historic and historied neighborhood, added McMunn.

"In the 1960s, we lost way too much in the name of "renewal" and "forward thinking,"” said McMunn. “Most North Siders never wish to see that happen any time soon.”

History Enthusiasts/Nerds Unite

Commemorate Allegheny City with pork, chicken and veggie pasta

by Tiffani Emig

On Tuesday, December 6, local history enthusiasts (nerds) and supporters will gather at The Grand Hall at the Priory to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Allegheny City (now the North Side) by the City of Pittsburgh.

The word “commemorate” was carefully chosen in lieu “celebrate” to reflect Allegheny City’s side of the annexation story. By the turn of the 20th century, Allegheny had become the third largest city in Pennsylvania (behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). For a variety of economic and political reasons, Pittsburgh moved to absorb the City of Allegheny; while the majority of Pittsburghers supported the idea, the majority of Alleghenians hoped to remain independent. In a crafty move typical of Pittsburgh politics, the issue was put to public vote, such that the majority of the combined vote in both cities would determine the fate of Allegheny. With a population of just 150,000 compared to Pittsburgh’s 350,000, the voice of Allegheny was woefully overpowered.

What does the annexation mean to those of us living on the North Side today? It means the Twin Cities are in Minnesota, not Pennsylvania. It means that we North Siders are now living under the rule of Pittsburgh’s Junior Deputy Mayor instead of our own, self-chosen mayor (did someone just say Franco Harris?). It also means that we have the opportunity to gather together to remember the good old days of Allegheny independence and enjoy a mighty tasty dinner to the tunes of Jazz pianist Tom Roberts on Thursday, December 6 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by mailing a check for $30/person to:

Allegheny City Society, P.O. Box 100255, Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Please indicate your choice of pork, chicken, or vegetarian pasta dinner. Visit www.alleghenycity.org for more information.

Photos: Allegheny City Hall's demise (top); Post Office of Allegheny City

Marking history

The Pittsburgh Platform honored

by Tiffani Emig

Photos by Frank Kownacki

Major societal transitions occur when historical and religious ideologies and scientific discovery collide. This is precisely the root of one of the most important moments in American Jewish history, and its radical product was conceived in our own dear Allegheny City.

The Pittsburgh Platform was the result of a conference of rabbis in 1885 who carefully and succinctly defined the direction of the American Reform movement. In an era of rapid technological change, these men felt a growing conflict between the realities of their day-to-day lives and the traditions of Judaism. The Pittsburgh Platform was written as a reconciliation of this conflict. Its liberal tenants are rooted in Jewish tradition, but represent a clear break from the conservative traditionalists. These tenants include:

*The rejection of Jewish laws observed simply for the sake of tradition, because "they fail to impress the modern Jew with a spirit of priestly holiness; their observance in our days is apt rather to obstruct than to further modern spiritual elevation."

*The recognition of Judaism as a religion and the rejection of Zionism.

They believe in a responsibility toward social activism, to "participate in the great task of modern times, to solve, on the basis of justice and righteousness, the problems presented by the contrasts and evils of the present organization of society."

The document was adopted at the Concordia Club that formerly stood on Stockton Avenue, near the current pool house. A new state historic marker was dedicated yesterday in honor of the Platform.

Allegheny City: Tales of the annexation

His name is Pud

by Emilia Boehm

His Name is Pud

Shortly before there were Pirates (and long before there were pIRATE fans), Pittsburgh baseball teams like the Alleghenys and Burghers were entertaining yinzers in Allegheny City. Of the many talented players to grace the early Allegheny diamonds, there’s one you should really know. A Hall of Famer, baseball’s first 300-game winner, and one of the game’s earliest publicized “juicers,” this installment focuses on an adopted son of Allegheny, James Francis “Pud” Galvin (1856-1902).

Born and raised in St. Louis, Jimmy Galvin trained to be a steamfitter before Lady Baseball came calling. His career began around 1875 with teams in his home town, and he arrived in Pittsburgh a few years later for a brief stint with the Alleghenies. In Buffalo (which, on a side note, my father has always referred to as the “armpit of America”) from 1879-1885, Pud established himself as one of the game’s top hurlers. He logged several seasons of 20 or more victories and twice topped the 46-win mark (mind you, it was a different game then...) Galvin was a popular player, nicknamed “the Little Steam Engine” for his durability and “Gentleman Jeems,” for his good nature. He supposedly earned the moniker “Pud” for his ability to turn opposing batters into “pudding.”

Again playing for the Alleghenys, the Chris Duffy-sized Galvin earned a bit of notoriety in 1889, following a match against Boston. Newspapers reported that Galvin had admittedly injected a performance enhancing chemical before the game. Known as the elixir of Brown- Séquard - essentially, testicular fluid taken from live animals such as monkeys, dogs, and guinea pigs. (The substance was named for nineteenth century scientist Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard, who also did a great many medical-science things that didn’t involve testicular fluids and thus will not be discussed here.) Galvin’s successful performance in the game, according to an oft-but-never-properly-cited 1889 article, was evidence that the elixir worked: “If there still be doubting Thomases who concede no virtue of the elixir, they are respectfully referred to Galvin’s record in yesterday’s Boston-Pittsburgh game. It is the best proof yet furnished of the discovery.”

Elixired up or not, Pud continued to rack up monstrous statistics with the Alleghenys and Burghers. After spending 1891-92 with the newly-named Pirates, he finished his career with the St. Louis Browns. Galvin retired in 1892, leaving as the game’s all-time leader in wins (361), innings pitched (5941), games completed (646), and shutouts (57), among other categories. Pud came back to Pittsburgh and opened a saloon downtown, but life after baseball would not be easy. Following the failure of his saloon, he spent one understandably unsuccessful month as a big league umpire, and even tried to make a pitching comeback. But it was not to be. Finally, around 1900, Pud settled into life in Allegheny City. He worked as a bookkeeper and bartender, living on Lacock and W. General Robinson streets with his wife Bridget and several of their many children.

In the fall of 1901, Pud caught a fatal case of pneumonia; he died on March 7, 1902. His funeral at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on West Ohio Street drew a large crowd of mourners while his death monopolized the local sports headlines. To assist with funeral expenses and aid the Galvin family, a benefit event was quickly organized. Held at Old City Hall in Allegheny, the benefit featured boxing matches and raised a “considerable sum” for Pud’s widow.

Pud Galvin was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965. (He’s buried here in Pittsburgh, in Calvary Cemetery, if you want to extend a belated congratulations.) Whether you view him as a no-good cheater or the best pitcher you’d never heard of, Pud Galvin deserves a nod for his incredible career. One thing’s for sure- with that stylish ‘stache, he could whip today’s Bucco starting nine with one arm behind his back.

A little NPR blurb about Pud.

A Pud fan site where you can buy “Got Pud?” t-shirts.

Pud’s Hall of Fame page.

Allegheny City: Tales of the annexation

Don't drink the water

by Tiffani Emig

"The Radium Water Worked Fine until His Jaw Came Off" [titled borrowed from the Wall Street Journal, 1932]

No commemoration of the history of Allegheny City would be complete without mention of the many famous people born and raised here. Popular children of Allegheny include Andrew Carnegie, Mary Cassatt, Martha Graham, H.J. Heinz, and Gertrude Stein. But this is the story of an all-but forgotten Alleghenian, a strapping young chap named Eben Byers.

Eben was born in 1880 to Alexander Byers, a prominent iron and steel industrialist. Destined to take over the business from his father, Eben attended Yale, where he was quite popular among the ladies. Also a successful athlete, Byers claimed the U.S. Amateur Golf championship in 1906.

Life was going well for Byers, until a night of revelry on a party train after the Harvard-Yale football game landed him with an injured arm. To cure the pain, a local doctor prescribed the revolutionary Radithor – a combination of concentrated radium and esothorium in water. Byers became an unofficial spokesman for the drug, touting its healing powers and consuming approximately 1400 bottles of the juice over a period of several years. Unfortunately for him, ingested radium eats away at the body from the inside out. After suffering extreme weight loss and general pain (which of course led him to consume even more Radithor), Byers lost his teeth, suffered from holes in his skull, and eventually lost his jaw. He died from the disintegration of his bones in April 1932.

I cannot resist the urge to draw a grand analogy about the life of Eben Byers and the fate of Allegheny City after its annexation by the City of Pittsburgh. In Allegheny, Byers lived like a king; in Pittsburgh’s North Side, he died like a jellyfish (perhaps there’s a better analogy, but it escapes me). Like Allegheny City, Byers’s memory has been nearly erased from local history. As the centennial of the annexation approaches, let us take a moment to remember both Allegheny City and Eben Byers with a mixture of warm nostalgia and profound pity.

Screwed by Pittsburgh

A history of Allegheny City Part I

Dish HQ is located on the North Side. But if Dish were founded in 1905, as opposed to 2005, and Charles Fairbanks invented the internet rather than Al Gore, our offices would have been in Allegheny City.

See, in 1907 Pittsburgh was seeking additional tax revenue. And, as you know, land doesn't exactly grow on trees (yes, that is the worst metaphor ever. Thanks). So, the politicos in Steeltown set their greedy eyes on that independent city across the Allegheny river. Get the land, tax the people and, yay!, a bigger, more powerful and richer Pittsburgh.

And the Pittsburghers pounced. Then Allegheny residents fought back. Then, naturally, the courts got involved. By 1907, after going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the matter was settled and Allegheny City became the part of Pittsburgh known as the Northside, North Side, North Shore, or that neighborhood across the river where Pittsburgh Dish is headquartered.

These broad strokes are known to many, but there are plenty of gems that are known to only a few. Over the next few months Pittsburgh Dish hopes to share some of these stories with our readers through the voice of guest writers. Dish is also soliciting Allegheny City stories to help us mark the centennial of the annexation. So, if you think you have a good one, please contact us about making a submission at editor@pittsburghdish.com. Perhaps these tales will inspire North Siders to start a counterrevolution a century in the making. (Watch your hiney, Ravenstahl.)

This 1877 Allegheny City firehouse is for sale.