We Get Letters

Before we begin the usual stupidity today, Tube City Almanac would like to congratulate Sheriff Pete DeFazio on his impending retirement.

We believe Sheriff DeFazio entirely when he says that his retirement has absolutely nothing, nothing, to do with the fact that his office is under federal investigation, his former chief deputy is serving a five-year prison sentence, two other employees have been convicted on various charges, and that an audit found that he had overcharged taxpayers $2.5 million in sheriff's sale fees.

Therefore, we wish Laverne's dad all of the best as he returns to Milwaukee to take over the Pizza Bowl, and we hope that whomever the governor appoints, that person is just as qualified to be Allegheny County Sheriff as Pete DeFazio. That rules out Lenny, but perhaps Squiggy is available.

And now it's time to open the ol' Tube City Almanac mailbag and see what crawls out. Alert Reader Alex H. writes from Chicago (which is near Milwaukee) to say:

I am a native of the Pittsburgh area (born in McKeesport), and a descendant of parents and grandparents from McKeesport. My father was an executive with Westinghouse Electric, and although we lived other places as well while I was growing up, I still think of Pittsburgh as home.

My fondest memories of the area revolve around visits to both sets of grandparents and a favorite aunt and uncle. My maternal grandparents lived on Roslyn Street in Boston, while my father's parents lived on Cleveland St., west of Renziehausen Park.

My aunt and uncle lived on James Street in Haler Heights. At any rate, I left the area in 1975 after college to go on active duty in the Navy, and although I have returned very occasionally, I still become rather nostalgic at times. I now live in Chicago, and although the time I spent in the Pittsburgh area is actually a relatively small portion of my life, I still think of myself as being "from" there, a separate notion entirely from where I reside.

While browsing the online Post-Gazette today, I came across the story about the new grocery store opening in the Olympia Shopping Center, and through Google and/or links happened across the Tube City Almanac and Tube City Online.

I just wanted to contact you and express my appreciation for your efforts to document the considerable history and unfortunate present circumstances of a place which has meant a great deal to so many of us.

McKeesport is a prime example of the crushing blow dealt to many once thriving communities nationwide as we shift from a manufacturing Colossus to a service-based economy. We can hope for better times ahead, but I am not optimistic that we will herald their arrival any time soon. Keep up the fine work!

Alex: I don't fish for compliments, but I will take what I can get, and thanks for your kind words.

I'd like to think that McKeesport's best days are ahead of it, though that might not always be obvious right now. Tube City Online started out 10 years ago with mostly nostalgia items, and there's still a heavy component of local history on the site, of course.

But the Almanac tries to focus on the present and the future, and I especially look for positive things going on that impact Our Fair City and its suburbs.

My biggest worry is about the next generation --- will they stick around and try to build up the region, or will they flee for greener pastures? I'm a little bit pessimistic about that, but I try to stay hopeful.

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Speaking of nostalgia, Alert Reader John K. writes:

Haven't been in the immediate McKeesport area for 45 or 50 years, but was doing a web search to see if I could come up with the name of a club / nightspot that was in the area. Operated during the mid to late '50s and attracted a lot of teens. Of course, after all this time, a "lot" is rather indefinite. No clue on the actual numbers, but do recall that it always seemed crowded. Mix of a record hop type thing, with live music some nights --- weekends mostly. Drew people from all around the area --- even some from as far away as Greensburg.

Anyway, found your site, and really did enjoy reading the witty comments. And a few of the other feature items on the site, mainly the history pages. Brought back a certain number of memories, along with awarenesses that weren't possible back then.

Good site --- keep it going.

John: I'm going to sic Tube City Online's crack research team on the problem, but there were so many clubs around the area, it's hard to nail down just one.

There were a lot of clubs in the area in the late 1950s. Off of the top of my head, I can think of the White Elephant in White Oak (formerly the Hotel Belvedere), the Twin Coaches on Route 51, Bill Green's out near the County Airport, Ben Gross' on Route 30, the Vogue Terrace in North Versailles ... any of those sound familiar?

So --- anyone out there remember a nightclub that had a lot of record hops?

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Just a short hop, skip and jump down the Monongahela River --- careful not to step on any tugboats --- takes us to Clairton, where Alert Reader Rebecca asks:

Not long ago we bought the "big house" (the former Clairton Works superintendents house) in the fair city of Clairton. It's at the end of the block on Mitchell Street at Sixth.

It was built by the steel works for the superintendent around 1900 or 1903. It was lived in by a succession of mill supers from then until the mid '50s. It sat unoccupied for several years until sold to the family that we purchased it from.

We know the names of the supers that lived here and have bits of info on them and their families, but no info on the staff (we are told a cook, a maid and a least one male (groundsman, driver, handyman etc.) who apparently lived on site a least part time.

We are attempting to find the names of those who worked here or relatives of those who worked here who might be of help in putting a face to this big house. Perhaps early photos of the neighborhood or the house itself. Stuff like that.

We have spoken to several people from various historical organizations without success.

This place is a part of the Mon Valley and its history, we have invested a lot of work and time in attempting to make it the grand home it once was.

The point of all this is; Can you help? I realize you're in McKeesport and we're in Clairton but long ago people knew one another. Many thanks for your time in reading this too long missive.

Rebecca, the award-seeking Tube City Online research department welcomes anyone from across the highly esteemed Mon-Yough area, so Clairton inquiries are always invited.

If you thought your missive was "too long," wait until you see my answer.

I've had some luck researching this type of information through the census records at the Carnegie Library in Oakland. After 75 years, U.S. Census details become public record, so you should be able to get the names of the people who lived at that address in 1910, 1920 and 1930. The census will tell you even the names of the servants.

Also, the McKeesport Heritage Center in Renzie Park has some information about Clairton. They might have some reports from the Clairton mill or newspaper clippings. If you can find any books that might have been put out by the Clairton Chamber of Commerce --- like for the 50th anniversary of Clairton --- they might have some information. Check the Clairton Public Library or the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's main branch in Oakland.

Carnegie Library also has a "clip" file in the Pennsylvania Department that is pretty through. You might see what their folder on Clairton says.

You might also want to check and see what the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania has on U.S. Steel in Clairton, along with the Archives of Industrial Society at Pitt.

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Finally, Alert Reader Nancy writes from Arizona:

I really enjoyed your article about Cynthia (Neish). She really was something --- a real force behind the progress of the Heritage Center! And the Heritage Center is a true gem for the community.

Amen to that, Nancy, and thanks for your kind words.

Incidentally, the Heritage Center is an integral part of two great ongoing projects. First, a documentary maker from Westmoreland County is producing a film about aviation pioneer Helen Richey, the first female commercial airline pilot and a McKeesport native.

(Your humble correspondent has seen a few minutes of the early footage, and as an airplane buff myself, I found it highly entertaining and rewarding.)

After being forced to quit her airline position under pressure from the all-male pilots union, Richey set several flight records and competed in a transcontinental air race with contemporary Amelia Earhart. Richey ended her life in relative obscurity --- suffering from a serious depression and the ravages of alcoholism, she committed suicide in New York City in 1947.

If this film tells Richey's story to a new generation, it's a wonderful achievement.

Second, the Heritage Center is collaborating with Arcadia Publishing to produce an inexpensive picture book of McKeesport history along the lines of the small, black-and-white paperbacks about Homestead, Duquesne and other local communities.

This will be a great keepsake for many current and former residents, and I'm looking forward to it.

. . .

And so ends another visit to the Tube City Online and Almanac mailbag. Keep those cards and letters coming, along with obscene movies, murals, postcards, neckties, samplers, stained-glass windows, tattoos ...

Oops ... sorry, I was channelling Tom Lehrer for a second.

. . .

To Do This Weekend: Carnegie Library of Homestead presents the "Taste of the Valley" fundraiser tomorrow in the beautiful restored music hall in Munhall, starting at 6 p.m. "Come and sample the signature dishes from the best restaurants in the valley!" says the library. There will be live music and special guests David Conrad, star of CBS' "The Ghost Whisperer," along with PBS and WQED-TV filmmaker Rick Sebak. Tickets are $40. Call (412) 462-3444, ext. 227. ... Bootsie's, 699 O'Neil Blvd., presents Dallas Marks, 10 p.m. tomorrow. Call (412) 672-1120.