Representing the University of Pittsburgh, my daughter Elizabeth was the co-sponsor of a short course this month in conjunction with Konan University in Kobe, Japan. Its subject was “Global Cities: Pittsburgh and Kobe – Livability, Resilience, and Sustainability”; its objective was to explore the future potential for the two cities. When she first discussed the project with me, I volunteered to help out and was rewarded by being permitted to provide one lecture, focusing on Pittsburgh’s resilience heritage. After all, how many times have we boasted of our ability to overcome major problems as “the Comeback City”? I gave my…

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It has been thirty years since my last visit to the Arden Trolley Museum. An old friend, Kevin Abt, here for a visit, suggested we remedy that omission. It was particularly appropriate for me; my recent column on trolleys in this area has peaked my interest in them. Kevin was one of my first students when I began teaching at Pitt in the mid-1990s, and has become one of my best friends in the ensuing years. He currently lives in Virginia Beach where he is functioning as Project Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission, managing the construction…

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Twenty-five years ago, when she was in high school, my daughter Sara wrote an eloquent paper on John Steinbeck, terminating with the conclusion that he was America’s greatest writer. Knowing full well that that honor belonged to William Faulkner, I corrected her, initiating a heated disagreement. Since then, every time I read something by Steinbeck, I am tempted to call Sara and acknowledge the logic of her argument. When I learned that we were going to vacation in the Monterrey area, I immediately announced that we had to include a visit to the Steinbeck museum in nearby Salinas. I have…

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One of the highlights of our recent family vacation in California was a trip to Felton and a ride on the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad (RCBT). This was a nostalgic journey for me; my wife and I had ridden this train twenty years ago, with our daughter Elizabeth. This time our entourage numbered nine, eight of whom were humoring my passion for railroading. The RCBT is unique in that it was constructed in 1963 as an historic replica of a California logging railroad. It is located in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. In 1867 San…

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I have just returned from a delightful family vacation in California. My ninetieth birthday occurred in the middle of the month; that was sufficient excuse for us to justify an extravagant experience. It was the first time we have all been together in several years, and the opportunity was greatly appreciated by all. The venue was the Seven Coves Resort in Carmel Highlands, right on the ocean about three miles south of Carmel-on-the Sea, at the northern end of Big Sur. The lodge has an interesting history. Thirty years ago many scenes from the movie “Basic Instinct” were filmed with…

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July 4, 2021, turned out to be a red-letter day for me. I had not visited the Oliver Miller Homestead since the pandemic, so I decided to take advantage of one of their special events, the re-enactment of Independence Day. For once the weather cooperated, giving us a bright sunny day with the temperature being just cool enough to be comfortable on a summer afternoon. I was pleased to see the event well attended, particularly with so many families with small children. In addition to the well-preserved stone house built by the Millers early in the 1800s, the Homestead has…

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Every so often the subject of Bridgeville’s absence from the network of streetcars in this area pops up, usually as part of a story of a young man stranded in Carnegie late at night and being required to walk home. Somehow the trolley-building boom at the beginning of the twentieth century got no closer to Bridgeville than Heidelberg. We have discussed this general subject in this column before, but at this point we have enough additional information to develop it further. We know that the Pittsburgh and West End Traction Company ran its first cars into Carnegie on Memorial (Decoration)…

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I visited the Bridgeville Area History Center this week to borrow a copy of the 1907 R. L. Polk Business Directory for Bridgeville in support of one of my projects – a series of maps of Washington Avenue down through the years. I am starting with the Sanborn 1906 Insurance map as a source and wanted to identify the commercial institution at each street address. As soon as I entered the building it was obvious something special was happening. As it turned out, a gentleman named Ron Jesiolowski had just brought in an intriguing artifact, hoping someone there could help…

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One of the best things about the gradual relaxation of the pandemic restrictions is the fact that our high school brunch group is now able to get together in person again. We normally meet twice a month; our most recent get-together was the third time since things began to improve. Following the forty-fifth reunion of our (1949) high school class in 1994, Sam Capozzoli suggested that the guys who still lived in the area should get together once a month; nine of us began to have brunch on the first Wednesday of each month at Denny’s in Heidelberg. The idea…

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I have enjoyed the “2nd Saturday Civil War Series” at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall for a number of years, originally in person and more recently virtually. When I learned that the series was returning to live presentations this month, I immediately put a note on my calendar. As the date grew closer, my interest in the event increased significantly. The subject – “The West Virginia State Guard in the Civil War: 1863 – 1865” – was attractive enough to ensure my attendance. In addition, I learned that the presentation would be preceded by a half hour…

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