West Liberty

[John Swindler]

>Jim Holland commented:
>
>Greetings!
>
>John Swindler wrote:
>
> > Don't suppose there is any interest in short history of public 
>transportation in Pittsburgh written by Pitts. Ry. president for 1931 
>history????
>
>	Welllllll, of course . . . NOT.  Why on earth would people on a PRCo mail 
>list be instrested in such?  It eludes me!!:>)
>	I assume this is coming under separate cover - extra postage, too!!
>	Thanks for that very interesting and informative lesson concerning West 
>Liberty.  What is the status of that borough today?
>
>


This may end up as three parts, Jim.  Here's number one with more trivia (or 
where did some of our trolley line names originate)  Sources are city/county 
histories of 1888, 1922 and 1931.  Also couple Pittsburgh Press articles.

"To the east of the boundary line of the 19th ward is the West Liberty 
district, formerly a part of Lower St. Clair Twp, and incorporated as a 
borough 7 March 1876, and the village proper was formerly a small hamlet on 
the National Turnpike.  It was annexed to city in 1908."

Both Shadyside and East Liberty (PRC 75) "gained their names when PRR 
applied their names to suburban stations".  (note for Don Galt:  but your 
definition is 1000% correct for "Borough of Northern Liberties", which we 
now call strip district.)

Old Borough of Lawrenceville and Liberty Township annexed to city in 1868 
(was East Liberty in eastern part of Liberty Township?)

Bloomfield (PRC 77/54) was originally part of Lawrenceville.  It was never a 
borough or municipality.

Point Breeze (PRC 75 & 76) named after tavern at Fifth and Penn.

"Homewood (PRC 87, 88, 76) is a beautiful residential section beyond East 
Liberty extending to Wilkinsburg."

Oakland Township created from Pitt Township, now know as Oakland.

Term Fineview (PRC 21) applied to Nunnery Hill by (city?) Council action.

Knoxville (PRC 44) formerly known as Jeremiah Knox's fruit farm of 125 
acres, and platted into village streets and lots in 1872 by Knoxville Land 
Improvement Company. . . Its' accessibility to the city by trolley lines 
soon made it one of the most properous communities on the South Side.

Beltzhoover (PRC 49) was borough named after Beltzhoover family of Lower St. 
Clair Twp.


Pittsburgh Press, 21 Sept 1903, pp 2:	Important changes which will give the 
people of the West End better traction facilities were made by the 
Pittsburgh Railway Co. today.
The Thornburg and Crafton and Crafton and Ingram routes have been 
consolidated and the service improved by putting them on a ten minute 
service.

Pp 5	Trolley Trust for Newsies.
Only youngster with authorized caps allowed on cars. (to sell newspapers)

Pp 7	To limit Franchise.
An effort will be made to place limits on the franchise which is being 
sought for certain streets in McKeesport by the Pittsburgh, McKeesport and 
Connellsville Street Railway Company.  (doesn't give streets)


Pittsburgh Press 6 Oct 1903  Pp 2:  Tunnel Assured Fact  Mt. Washington was 
pierced yesterday after one year’s work.
The Mt. Washington Tunnel was made an assured fact yesterday by the meeting 
of two gangs of workman who had been laboring at either end of the tunnel.  
A terrific blast broke away the last beds of rock, and the hole was 
completed from end to end yesterday afternoon about 4:15 o’clock.  It was 
auspicious day for Booth and Flinn, Limited, who are constructing the tunnel 
for the Pittsburgh Railway Co.  A. W. Neeld, the engineer and George Flinn, 
son of the contractor, who were the first persons to crawl through the 
aperture from different sides, and their coming out on the other side was 
the occasion for cheers for the little group of men gathered there.
The Tunnel is 3,500 feet long and extends from Carson St. at the south Side 
Terminal of the Smithfield St. bridge to a point on the other side of Mt. 
Washington near Albert St.  The work had been started about a year ago, and 
had been carried on with remarkably few accidents.  The tunnel will be 24 
feet wide, which will allow the use of double tracks for streetcars, and 21 
feet high.  As fast as the work permits,  tracks will be laid and cars 
started to run.  It is expected to have cars running regularly by next 
spring.
The cost of the tunnel, when completed, will be more the $ 2 million.


Pittsburgh Press  11 Oct 1903  Pp 2:  Pittsburgh Charleroi – 35 miles.  Take 
any hilltop car to head of Knoxville Incline.  See wonders of Monongahela 
Valley as you could not see them before.  Cars run through Castle Shannon, 
Library, Finleyville, Mingo Falls, Riverview, Lock # 4, and Charleroi.  
Through car every half hour.

(was hoping to find article on opening of Charleroi line.  struck out)


History of Allegheny County:  1888

Balwin Township:  While the land is valuable for farming and gardening, the 
underlying strata of coal constitute the great source of wealth.  The mines 
are operated . . . and in the valley of Saw Mill Run by the Pittsburgh & 
Castle Shannon Railroad Company, John W. Ortman, president;  E. J. Reamer, 
secretary/treasurer; S. Kaufman, v.p. and Alexander Patterson, 
superintendent.  The company was incorporated 18 Sept 1871, and the road, 
extending from Pittsburgh to Castle Shannon, a distance of six miles, was 
opened November 1, 1871.  Of the other railroads in the township . . . . and 
the Baltimore & Ohio short line in 1883.  The latter was originally 
chartered July 3, 1876, as the Pittsburgh Southern Railroad, and was opened 
to Washington as a continuation of the Castle Shannon road.  The branch from 
Glenwood to Finleyville, sixteen miles long, was built in 1883.  The road 
was sold under foreclosure 20 Nov. 1884, and purchased by the Baltimore & 
Ohio for $50,000.  It was subsequently reorganized under the present name.  
The portion of the old line between Castle Shannon and Finleyville, twelve 
miles long, has since been abandoned.

(that last sentence sure got my attention)

In 1837, Borough of Northern Liberties became 5th ward, now 9th and 10th 
wards, of Pittsburgh (vic. Greyhound Station to strip district)
Obstacle to further annexations was “city’s heavy indebtedness”  (some 
things never change)

Bethel Township:  Bethel Twp. was suggested in 1802 for upper end of St. 
Clair twp, that being name of a meeting house, but not formed until 1886 
from Snowden Twp . . .  This territory enjoyed railroad facilities during 
the short period that the Pittsburgh and Southern was in operation, and 
names of Smithton, Upperman, Bethel, Cowan, Rockridge, Norwood and Library 
yet adorn the map.

(question:  As phrased, seems to imply  railroad stations?  And is/was part 
of Charleroi line on old Pittsburgh Southern railroad right of way?  Or is 
discussion concerning Pittsburgh Southern garbled by authors???????  Maybe 
there is more to Charleroi line then we have known???)


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