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Time
Begin/In Cue |
Content |
Connections |
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00:47
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Intro: County Fair, West View Park, Streetcars, Downtown, Department
Stores, Jenkins Arcade, Forbes Field
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TH01
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2:46
Shopping center with Hahn's Garden center
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Nickelodeons to Drive-ins
This history traces of Pittsburgh's movie houses from the Nickelodeon
(the first movie theater in the world that coined the word "Nickelodeon")
through neighborhood theaters in the South Hills and McKeesport, the
ornate downtown picture palaces like Warners (Cinerama), Loew's Penn
(now Heinz Hall), Stanley (now Benedum Center), and finally 1950s drive-in
theaters.
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Having Fun: Movie theaters
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TH02
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7:30
B&W film of streetcar, then Isaly's store
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Isaly's
Isaly's came to Pittsburgh from Ohio in 1931, opened its first store
in Homewood, then the Oakland site that became its central office. They
eventually expanded to 100 stores, which became hubs of the neighborhoods
they were in. Open until midnight, they served late-night moviegoers
and sports fans their famous skyscraper ice cream cones, Klondikes,
and chipped ham.
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Creating Community: business, gathering places
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TH03
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18:30
"Welcome to South Park" sign
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Allegheny County Fair
25,000 cars used to park on the hillsides when visitors came from all
over to see the agricultural, livestock, poultry, arts and crafts, entertainment
and competitions during the Allegheny County Fair. It was held during
August every year until 1973.
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Having Fun: County Fair
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TH04
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24:00
Skybus at the county fair cutting to streetcars
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Streetcars
In the 1890s Pittsburgh was a spider web of wires as 70 electric trolley
routes allowed people to travel around the city and finally have an
inexpensive way to commute to work from brand-new suburbs. Interurban
cars ran to outlying towns such as Washington, Charleroi, Butler, and
New Castle. Cars went from the boxy orange and yellow cars to the "Streamliners"
introduced in the 1936.
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Rivers and Valleys:
Transportation Streetcars
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TH05
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28:15
"Welcome to West View Park" sign
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Trolley amusement parks
West View Park opened in 1906 as a "trolley park" to encourage weekend
ridership. Rides like "The Dips" roller coaster were the big attractions.
In the 1920s the "hairpin" feature was added and thrilled millions over
the years. At one time there was more roller coaster track in Western
Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the world. Stage acts and Big Bands
on Saturday nights at Danceland kept the park popular until a fire brought
it to its end in the 1973.
The trolleys spawned about 12 amusement parks in the area at the turn
of the century, all competing to develop attractions. "Luna Park," built
in 1905 had an "infant incubator" exhibition that promoted the advances
of modern medicine by displaying the care of real premature babies!
Luna Park was destroyed by fire in 1909.
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Having Fun: Trolley
and amusement parks
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TH06
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39:20
Man looking at slides at a light box
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Downtown Stores
Downtown's Golden Triangle was a central retail hub for the first half
of the 20th century until suburban shopping centers became
too much competition. Rosenbaum's, McCrory's and Frank & Seder,
were among the early department stores downtown. Donohoe's Cafeteria
sold butter by the piece, cut off of huge rolls and wrapped, as well
as their own bakery products. In Jenkins Arcade, one of the first indoor
malls, brought stores and professional offices under one roof.
The old Carlton House Hotel on Grant Street at Bigelow Boulevard hosted
many famous people in its day–Mohammed Ali, the Rolling Stones,
Richard Nixon, Nikita Kruschev, and even Lassie until it was imploded
in 1980. The Casino Theater was a burlesque that some thought was a
"coming of age" ritual for the young men of Pittsburgh.
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Creating Community: stores
"Then and Now"
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TH07
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44:00
Taxis on a rainy night
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Wylie Avenue nightclubs
The Musician's Club on Wylie Avenue in the Hill District hosted all
the big acts, like Sophie Tucker and Duke Ellington, after they finished
their performances downtown. Wylie Avenue, before Civic Arena construction
destroyed it, was a unique street that began with a church and ended
with a jail! Sarah Vaughn and Billy Ecksein stopped by Goode's Drug
Store when they played in clubs like the Copa, Carousel, the Silver
Grill, Vogue Terrace, and Crawford's. In 1969 Walt Harper, pianist from
Crawford's, opened his very successful "Walt Harpers Attic" Downtown.
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Having Fun: Wylie Avenue
Nightclubs
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TH08
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49:30
B&W film of hockey
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Baseball: the Negro Leagues and Forbes Field
Duquesne Gardens, originally a streetcar barn, was home rink for the
Penguin predecessors, the Hornets. Nearby t barn in Homestead Park the
Homestead Grays played baseball in the early 1930s. During the years
before desgregation, Pittsburgh had two legendaryblack baseball teams
Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.
Between the two black teams and the Pirates, Pittsburgh was the center
for baseball. The Pirates played at old Forbes Field which was built
in 1909 and torn down in June 1970.
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Having Fun: Sports:
Hockey, baseball, Forbes Field
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57:46
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The End
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