public hearings-West Liberty

[John Swindler]

Fred Schneider wrote
>
>I have asked many people about the location of West Liberty and I often get 
>blank stares ...  Some . . . claim it was in the area around Palm Garden, 
>and the intersection of Saw Mill Run Blvd. and West Liberty Ave.

Strange, Fred, that your message arrived after a fire drill at work, and 
what better way to spend the evacuation time then looking at an Allegheny 
County atlas from 1876 in the state library!

The "Borough of West Liberty" was south of "Beltzhoover Borough" and, as you 
mentioned, in the vicinity of the south end of the Liberty Tubes.  It 
extended south along West Liberty Ave. towards Brookline Blvd. and east 
along Saw Mill Run towards Oak trestle.  Looked like it was curved out of 
the west end of what was left of Lower St. Clair Township.  All of these 
political subdivisions have since been annexed to the City of Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon r-of-way is indicated, and there is a 
trestle across Saw Mill Run in vicinity of Bon Air siding, probably to serve 
some coal mines along hillside now occupied by South PATway.
In vicinity of what became South Hills Jct., looks like the P&CS had a 
horseshoe r-of-w to line up with back incline.  Also looks like some "Y" 
shaped railroad trackage on top of Mt. Washington to serve two inclines for 
descent to Carson St.  Better maps are in Allegheny County Court House if 
one is really interested.

Guess this has gone somewhat astray for dealing with Pittsburgh streetcars.

John

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