Category: History, Mon Valley Miscellany || By

20 Years Ago This Week: On Aug. 28, 1987 --- 20 years ago this week --- the last crew of employees punched out of USX's National Works, closing the door of what had once been the largest pipe-making mill in the world and which gave McKeesport its nickname, "The Tube City."

A few months later, the electric-resistance weld pipe mill, built in the early 1960s in McKeesport's First Ward, reopened under the management of a separate company, Camp-Hill Corp.

But the old "piercing" and rolling seamless pipe mills that had employed thousands would be dismantled and most of the buildings torn down.

To mark this occasion, I went into the dusty, musty archives and pulled out five interviews I conducted in 1997 for the Daily News on the 10th anniversary of National Plant's closing. These "National Works Memories" are now posted in the "Steel Heritage" section of Tube City Online.

And if you haven't already, be sure to explore the section of Pitt's "Labor Legacy" website devoted to National-Duquesne Works information.

. . .

Right Church, Wrong Pew: State Rep. Bill Kortz is mad as hell about the disgraceful condition of the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge, according to Raymond Pefferman and David Whipkey in last night's News. (No story online, unfortunately.)

At a hearing Wednesday before the state Transportation Commission, the freshman Democrat legislator from Dravosburg called the rusty superstructure of the bridge spanning the Monongahela "disgusting" and said the crumbling sidewalks and concrete deck are posing a safety hazard to pedestrians and motorists.

The bridge is the main western entrance to McKeesport for motorists driving to the city from Pittsburgh, West Mifflin and Allegheny County Airport.

Unfortunately, the bridge isn't maintained by PennDOT. It's a county bridge. And Allegheny County wants to rehabilitate the Rankin Bridge first. (Someone make sure to tell PittGirl.)

They've been working their way up the Mon, repairing the Glenwood Bridge in 2000 and 2001, and the Homestead Grays (nee High-Level Bridge) last year and this year.

Nobody asked the Almanac, but just running the darned street sweeper across the Mansfield Bridge and especially the approach ramps would do wonders for the entire area. The loose dirt, gravel and debris on the McKeesport end of the span hasn't been cleaned in ... well, forever, I sometimes think.

. . .



To Do This Weekend: Are you ready for some football? Woodland Hills inaugurates the newly renovated Wolvarena in Turtle Creek tonight when it takes on Mt. Lebanon at 7 p.m. I can safely predict the joint will be rocking.

Elsewhere around the district ... your McKeesport Tigers are traveling to North Hills High School. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Serra Catholic opens its season tonight at home against North Catholic; kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Other local home games include (all kickoffs 7:30 p.m.):

• Clairton vs. Jefferson-Morgan



• East Allegheny vs. Greensburg Central Catholic



• Elizabeth Forward vs. Mount Pleasant



• South Allegheny vs. Seton-LaSalle



• Thomas Jefferson vs. Belle Vernon Area



• West Mifflin vs. Allderdice

Away games tonight include Norwin at Seneca Valley, Steel Valley at Carlynton and Yough at McGuffey. Gateway heads to Youngstown, Ohio, tomorrow to play Cardinal Mooney High.

. . .

P.S.: The ‘Woverines’?: Speaking of Woodland Hills, fans are hopping mad over the rally card that was distributed this week by the Pennysaver, a sister publication of the McKeesport Daily News and the Tribune-Review.

The rally card misspelled the “Wolverines.” (They left out the “L”!)

It’s no reflection on Woodland Hills High School's educational standards. (We hear the proofreaders at the Pennysaver went to Penn Hills.) But the school district is urging residents not to display the signs.

Naturally, we here at the Almanac always try to capitalize on other people's misfortunes help our neighbors. So, if you cheer the Wolverines, feel free to download and print out our replacement rally card.

Does anyone know of a car cruise coming up in Renzie Park this fall? I recall seeing a lot of cars in the ballfield behind the fire station.
Posted by The Dude in West Mifflin at August 31, 2007 12:54 PM

Work with a guy from Woody High. What a gem to have for abuse on the opening night of High School Football in SouthWestern PA! They'll forever be the WOO-verines.

Hey, how about this one. The new Mckeesport Area School District Calendar has come out an mysteriously, Anne Stromberg has replaced me on City Council. Only went out to 10,000 households or so. I'm sure nobody will notice... :)

Paul

p.s. Have a good Labor Day weekend.
Posted by Sluggo at August 31, 2007 04:52 PM

I was at the STC hearing on Wednesday and heard Kortz speak. He used up his allotted five minutes calling attention to rust on the Mansfield Bridge, and then he used up another five minutes beseeching the commission to find funding for the Pittsburgh leg of the Mon-Fayette.

And those were the only two projects he discussed.

The county doesn't pay for major rehabilitation of its bridges all by itself, you know. There's federal transportation dollars in almost every infrastructure project that's bigger than just routine re-surfacing. The STC is relevant - but even they can't make money for a project materialize out of thin air. All they can do is adjust priorities for projects that are already eligible for existing funding streams.
Posted by andrea at September 3, 2007 12:17 AM