Pittsburgh’s Professional Tour Guides
Pittsburgh’s got quite a few tales to tell. From ghosts to fires to the rise and fall of the steel industry, you can learn it all.
Sign up for our newsletter!
THE HISTORY OF PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh is known as “The Gateway to the West” thanks to its ideal location at the intersection of three major waterways. It was founded in 1758 right where the Allegheny River and Monongahela River join together to form the Ohio River.
Pittsburgh’s position made it a titan of early trade in America, and it’s recognized as the official starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. By the mid-1800s, Pittsburgh had become one of the largest cities in the West. But the city’s story isn’t all smooth sailing; over 1000 buildings burned down during the Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845.
The city recovered, rebuilt in part by Irish immigrants escaping the Great Famine. By the 20th century, the city had grown to over a half million. By World War II, they had the manpower to produce 95 million tons of steel for the war effort.
Following WWII, Pittsburgh took the initiative to develop a cleaner, greener environment. The city launched revitalization projects to clean up the air and the rivers and invest in cultural development, creating the vibrant, artistic city we know and love today.