[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Expands

[Edward H. Lybarger]

I think I gave it to you.  But I don't recall where I got it.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
W. Schneider III
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 5:09 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Pittsburgh Expands



 Before I loose these notes again, you might all way to share in them. 
So here is a documentation of how the city of Pittsburgh expanded over
time  Following each annexation is the date of its addition to the city,
and the total square miles the city had reached.  I've attempted to
identify the location of those areas that you might not know from riding
trolleys in the city, especially if of significant size.  Note that
three-
fourths of the city's ultimate size was in place by 1909 and that the 
greatest portion of the remaining lands lay south of the Monongahela 
River. 

 I was never great at remembering people's names and sadly, as I age,
this
problem simply worsens.  One of the library workers at PTM gave me the 
map and list from which this has been condensed.  I public apologize to
him 
for forgetting who gave it to me!

Borough of Pittsburgh,  1804
City of Pittsburgh,  1816, .5000 square miles
     [The original city was no more than the Point or Gorden Triangle.
     The land extended eastward to perhaps Grant Street or a block or 
     two beyond.]
Northern Liberties Borough,  1837, 0.672 sq. mi. [Strip District]
City Districts 8 and 17, 1845, 0.841 sq. mi. [Herron Hill]
Three parts of Pitt Township, 1846, 1.766 [ river to river. Extended 
     northeast along the Allegheny River to about 35th St., to Soho
     along the Monongahela, to top of Herron Hill or Bedford between.]
Remainder of Pitt Twp., all of Peebles, Liberty, Collins, 
     Oakland Twps., and Lawrenceville Boro.,1868, 23.07 sq. mi. 
     [This was the almost all of remaining east end except Brushton
     and Sterrett Township - the largest single annexation to the city.
     This annexation includes the neighborhoods we now call Highland,
     East Liberty, Morningside, Homewood, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield, 
     Lawrenceville, Oakland, Bellefield, Greenfield, and Glenwood.]
Union, Temperanceville, Mt. Washington, West Pittsburgh, Monongahela,
     South Pittsburgh, Allentown, Birmingham, East Birmingham,
     St. Clair, and Ormsby boroughs, 1872, 27.301 sq. mi.  
     [A huge chunk of the South Side and up onto Mount Washington. 
     - the third largest single annexation.]
Brushton Borough, 1894, 27.754 sq. mi. [This never appeared on a trolley
     destination sign.  Brushton was east of Homewood, served by routes
76,
     87, 88.  All of this land was north of the Pennsylvania Railroad;
     Wilkinsburg was to the south.]
Beltzhoover Borough, 1898, 28.051 sq. mi.
Elliott Borough, 1905, 28.368
Esplen Borough, 1906, 28.649 South bank of Ohio River from McKees Rocks 
     Temperanceville.]
Sterrett Township, 1906, 29.133 [east of Brushtown, n. of Wilkinsbg.]
Montooth Borough, 1907, 29.247 miles [hill between Saw Mill Run and
     Beltzhoover Borough.]
Sheraden Borough, 1907, 30.217, [south of Esplen]
City of Allegheny, 1907, 38.287 sq. miles [All of the North Side except
     for Spring Garden Borough and some small parts of Ross and Reserve
     townships. This was the second largest annexation.]
West Liberty Borough, 1908, 41.023 sq. mi. [2.7 square mile chunk of 
     land surrounded by Overbrook, Carrick, Montooth, Beltzhoover,
     Dormont boroughs and parts of Baldwin, Mt. Lebanon and Lower St.
     Clair townships.]
O'Hara Township, 1908, 41.346, [North side of Allegheny east of Aspin-
     wall Borough; includes the Pittsburgh water works.]
Beechview Borough, 1909, 41.674 sq. mi.
Part of Union Twp., 1909, 41.675 sq. mi.[north edge of Dormont]
Part of Baldwin Twp., 1912, 42.002 sq. mi. [next to Overbrook and 
     West Liberty]
Part of Ross Township, 1916, 42.018
Spring Garden Borough, 1920, 42.211
Part of Penn Twp., 1920, 42.213 [northeast of Brushtown]
Part of Chartiers Township, 1920, 42.231 sq. mi. [small piece south of 
     Sheraden]
Remainder of Chartiers Township, 45.653 sq. mi. [West End, wedge from
     Ohio River southward between Greentree and Crafton, and west of
     Sheraden]
Part of Reserve Township, 1922, 45.903 sq. mi. [northeast of interstate
     279, northeastern corner of city.]
St. Clair Borough, 1923, 46.870 mi. sq.  [Mt. Olver east to river]
Parts of Lower St. Clair Township, 1924, 46.952 [north of Beechview]
Part of Swissvale Borough, 1925, 46.986. [The Parkway - East follows
     this wedge of the city.]
Carrick Borough, 1927, 48.579 sq. mi.
Knoxville Borough, 1927, 48.881 sq. mi.
Westwood Borough, 1927, 49.178 mi sq. [north of Greentree]
Union Township, 1928, 50.116 sq. mi. [Between Greentree and W. Liberty] 
Part of Ross Township, 1928, 50.178 mi sq.
Hays Borough, 1929, 50,922 sq. mil.
Part of Mifflin Twp., 1929, 51.844 sq. mi.
Four parts of Ross Twp., 1929, 52.017 sq. mil.
Part of Mifflin Twp., 1929, 52.020 [Along Mifflin Road, far south east]
Two parts of Penn Twp., 1930, 52.072 sq. mi. [East Hills]
Overbrook Borough, 1930, 53.307
Part of Baldwin Twp., 1931, 53.384
Part of Mifflin Twp, 1931, 54.144
Part of Reserve Twp., 1931, 54.295
Part of Baldwin Twp., 1947, 54.356
Part of Ross Twp., 1948, 54.372 
Two parcels of Baldwin Township, 1951, 55.494. [Undeveloped land between
     Baldwin Borough and the Monongaleha River]
Part of Robinson Township, 1955, 55.525. [Industrial lands along
Chartiers Creek in West End.]