Allegheny City

I have to confess, I would have never bought this postcard if it hadn't been of Allegheny Park.  I grew up about fifty or so miles from Pittsburgh, lived there for a few years, and visited this park, and yes it's still there, hundreds of time.

Allegheny Park was opened in 1867, in Allegheny City, a community that was first laid out in 1788.  It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907, and it was not voluntary.  One of the interesting things about this card is that it was mailed, and has a 1906 postmark, yet the park is identified as part of Pittsburgh, a year before the annexation became official.  Famous people born in Allegheny City; painter Mary Cassatt, dancer Martha Graham, poet Robinson Jeffers, Steeler founder Art Rooney, writer Gertrude Stein, and early film pioneer and director, Lois Weber.

The postmark is from Crafton, PA, "JUL 24, 10 AM, 1906,"  It was mailed to "Lillian Clark, Johnstown, Pa."  Think what the country was like when that was all that it took to deliver the mail.

Two Views of the Point

As anyone from Pittsburgh, PA can tell you, the point is where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers come together to form the Ohio River.  These two views of the point are quiet a few years apart.  The top image shows the original Point Bridge.  It opened in 1877, crossed the Monongahela and connected the south side with downtown.  In 1927, the second Point Bridge was built right beside the original, which was dismantled after it's replacement opened.  In 1959, it happened again, but this time the new bridge was named the Fort Pitt Bridge, which can be seen on the right of the second image.   The first and second bridges ended in an industrial area, but now, the point area is a state park.  The land was taken, using eminent domain, in the fifties, but the park wasn't completed until the point fountain was completed in 1974.

The top card is postmarked, "PITTSBURG, PA SEPT. 25  7:30 P.M. 1908" and addressed to Mrs. W. W. Van Cleve, 289 So-18th-St, Newark, N.J."  And yes, Pittsburg is correct.  For some odd reason, the "H" was dropped for a number of years from the city name.

The second card isn't a very good picture, it's damaged, and looks as if someone stepped on it.  I bought it because I really liked the message on the back.  "Hi Jim!  Arrived here Nov. 23, 1954 and have been enjoying this wonderful metropolis and it's inhabitants ever since. Maybe you'll come see me sometime.  I think I'm going to stay here for awhile.  Latter, Eileen."  It's addressed to "Jimmy Daschbach, 1315 Wood St., Pgh., PA 15221"  So, the Point State Park Fountain can be seen in the photo, so Eileen has been in the city for at least twenty years, and is sending a card to Jimmy, also living in Pittsburgh, like he's some sort of distant friend.  I've always thought that a middle aged Eileen was trying to set something up with Jimmy.  And now that I'm well into my fifties, I like the idea of a tryst between a couple of aging Pittsburghers.  It gives me hope.