Category Archives: History

A Revolution on Wheels: The Model T at 100

Model T FordImage by gem66 via Flickr

This is a very interesting time for the automobile industry – it is interesting to think about just how much cars have changed when they were first developed.  The exhibit Model T at 100 is at the Frick Musuem until May 3, 2009.  has a 1914 Model T as part of their collection and they have borrowed some other Model T’s for the exhibit.

When Henry Ford unveiled the Model T in 1908, few could have anticipated the incredible 19-year production run that awaited the vehicle. Simply put, the car was a revolution on wheels. More than 15 million Model Ts were sold worldwide, placing it among the top-selling automobile models of all time.

A Revolution on Wheels: The Model T at 100 celebrates the T’s birthday with an exhibition of five examples of the Model T, representing a variety of body styles from 1909 to 1926. The Frick has borrowed four models to supplement the 1914 Model T Touring car already in our collection. They include a 1909 Model T Touring Car, a 1917 Model T Runabout, a 1925 Model T ‘Depot Hack,’ and a 1926 Model T Coupe. All were built by the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan, with the customized body of the ‘Depot Hack’ manufactured by the Calumet Truck Body Corporation in Calumet. Michigan.

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Pittsburgh is for 2nd Homes and Historic Grocery Stores

Null Space, Chris Briem’s blog with lots of interesting info – often about Pittsburgh, links to this blog post from Otherstream – a blog from a North Carolina resident who has just purchased a 2nd home here in Pittsburgh – mostly just because he loves Pittsburgh.  I wanted to share an excerpt of his post Why Pittsburgh…

So now on to the bigger and more interesting question of why I would consider a place like Pittsburgh, and how I could assume I might like it better there than, say, San Francisco, given all the relief I felt upon living that particular urban area. It’s a valid question, and it’s one that even my husband asked me at one point.

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Pittsburgh gives me that “urban” that I crave. I fell in love with the city on my first visit in 1997, and I love it a little more each time I visit. Unlike most sunbelt “boom towns”, the texture is decidedly urban, with a diversity of building types, people, and incomes. Unlike San Francisco and other “sophisticated urban areas” , the mood is neither expensive nor pretentious. And unlike such rust belt icons as Cleveland and Detroit, there’s an actual economy; in fact, Pittsburgh has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

Otherstream has some more great posts about Pittsburgh.  The author also writes a blog about old grocery stores, Groceteria.com, which is very well put together website with tons of interesting information.  There are even some pictures of some Pittsburgh grocery stores on the site – SureSave in Bloomfield, Swartz’s on Carson Street, and Breakers in Dormont.

Congratulations on your new Pittsburgh home! Continue reading →

Telling Untold Tales – Unbeknownst Pittsburgh!

Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine a...Image via Wikipedia

I stumbled upon this event while browsing weekend activities for this weekend at ThisIsHappening.org and this looks like my kind of event – Pittsburgh story telling.  A bunch of historians from around Pittbsurgh are digging up some artifacts and stories from the Warhol Museum (I love Andy Warhol’s time capsules), The Homewood Cemetary, Pitt, Chatam and more. I don’t know much about the Archival Happy Hour Group but it looks like this is going to be a pretty amazing story hour.Unbeknownst Pittsburgh! from the Archival Happy Hour Action GroupFriday, Feb. 6, 2009 7pmMary Breed Lecture Hall, Margaret Morrison Building, Carnegie Mellon UniversityFree 

A multimedia presentation of Pittsburgh stories and images you’ve never heard of! Eigh of Pittsburgh’s many archival repositories have agreed to raid their Hollinger boxes to bring you unknown and hard to believe stories, photos, songs and movies. Participants include The Carnegie Mellon University Archives, Rivers of Steel, The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, The Archives of the Andy Warhol Museum, Chatham University, and The Homewood Cemetery. Come prepared for opera singers, safety films, time capsules, singing coeds, grown men in togas and 23-Skidoo! 

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Weihnachtsmarkt this weekend is Historic Harmony

The Harmony Society warehouse (built in 1809) ...Image via WikipediaWeihnachtsmarket is German for Christmas Market.  Historic Harmony village, which is about a 25 minute drive north of Pittsburgh, is hosting their annual Christmas Market this weekend (Nov. 15-16, 2008).

Now it has been a few years since I took the tour of the Harmony Museum but here is what I remember about Harmony – The historic Harmony Village is located on the site of the Harmony Colony – which was establised in 1800, the harmonists later moved to Indiana and back to Western, PA.  The Harmonists were celibate and eventually they all died.

A German Christmas Market
Harmony, PA
Saturday, November 15, 11-7
Sunday, November 16, Noon-4
Click here for more info on the market.

While you are there stop by the Bottle Brush Gallery – a new art gallery and gift shop in downtown Harmony that some friends of mine opened last month. This weekend is the opening of a new show – water color paintings from Maria Kovalenko Leysens.


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Fort Ligonier Days – 250th Anniversary of the Battle

Fort Ligonier 2006.Image by ryanophilly via FlickrEach year thousands of people head to Ligonier – just a quick 60 minute drive from Pittsburgh for a huge celebration that commemorates the battle of Ligonier which was one of the battles of the French and Indian War.   The fort is still there and you can even watch a reenactment of the battle. I try to make it to Fort Ligonier Days each year for the parade on Saturday Morning and the food – it is the most amazing festival food I have ever found.

I definitly don’t want to miss the 250th Anniversary celebration at this years Fort Ligonier days.  The fun starts on Friday morning, the parade is on Saturday and the events run through Sunday.

All of the details with a complete schedule is available here.

You can watch the battle reenactments at 2 & 4 on Saturday and Sunday at the Fort.

The other reason to make the drive to Ligonier is the fall foliage – this is the perfect time of year to see the spectacular colors of leaves.  I will be looking for candy corns and pumpkins and some apple cider too.

While you are in Ligonier you MUST stop in to see Joe’s Bar – this place is spectacular, a different kind of spectacular than the leaves, but spectacular. Joe’s has one of the largest collections of taxidermy in the US – see pictures here.  More pictures here and here. Continue reading →