Clairton and Pittsburgh

Clairton and the little neighbor down the street;
Today’s rambling

Clairton 26 Springdale 7. Total so far this year; Clairton 598, Opponents 26

They’re everywhere: I got a call this weekend from Bill Bennett, transplanted Clairtonian who lives in Phoenix. He told me that Jack and Clair Pierosh and George and Francine Zdrale were in Vegas to celebrate Jack’s son’s 40th birthday. Last time they’d been to Vegas was to celebrate Jack’s 40th

They left the “kids” and we Clairton grads got together to watch the Steelers beat the pants off Oakland whilst getting homered by their own refs. The event got me thinking about the historical significance of Pittsburgh. I’ve written about Clairton’s history. Here is a little about the little village down the river.

Some facts about the ‘Burgh: In 1758 George Washington and General Forbes rode up to the smoldering remains of Fort Duquesne at the Point and decided to name the small village “Pitts-Borough” which soon became localized to “Pittsburgh.” In 1803 Lewis and Clark began their expedition at the Point. McGuffy’s Reader became the school reading standard and in 184o the Duff’s became first business college to open. In 1908 the City celebrated its 150th anniversary in grand style with parades on land and on the water, and the cornerstone was laid for Soldiers and Sailors Hall. Fifty years later, the Bicentennial was celebrated with celebrations that resembled a World’s Fair atmosphere, and the cornerstone of the Civic Arena was laid. It was the first building with a retractable roof.

Other historical facts about that little village down the river from Clairton include the invention of wire cable that made suspension bridges possible. The oil industry was started by a Pittsburgh resident. Foundries built cannons for the Civil War and the first armor plated warship. The first ground coffee was packaged by John Arbuckle and the invention of Westinghouse air brakes made train travel much safer. In 1881 Pittsburgh became the birthplace of labor unions. Alcoa aluminum was made in the Strip District and Andrew Carnegie opened his first library in Braddock.

Pro football began in Pittsburgh and local George Ferris invented the Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Columbia Exposition of the Chicago World’s Fair. The wheel was higher than the Eifel Tower! H. J. Heinz, of course became the world leader in packaged foods and the Pirates hosted the first World Series in 1903. The banana split, movie theater, bingo, gas station, and road maps, were all firsts in the ‘Burgh. And Pitt was the first college to attach numbers to their football jerseys. Local Nellie Bly became the first female war correspondent and of course, KDKA became the first radio station to broadcast.

In 1924 the Liberty Tubes became the longest artificially ventilated automobile tunnels. The following year a Pittsburgher made the first cross-country flight. In 1929 Isaly’s introduced the Klondike. Other inventions by locals included the Zippo lighter, Ice Capades, and the Jeep.

In the medical field Jonas Salk invented polio vaccine, Alcoa built the first aluminum skyscraper, and WQED became the first educational TV channel. The first atomic-powered submarine and electric plants made their debut at the 1958 bicentennial and of course, one of man’s happiest inventions, the pop top beer can and later aluminum bottles were invented by Iron City Breweries and the Big Mac was a local invention. And the world-famous St. Louis Arch? Prefabricated and erected by Pitt locals. Clean air legislation started downtown. The Steelers were the first NFL team to win four Super Bowls. Local doctors did the first heart-liver-kidney transplant.

I’m from the government and I’m here to help you: In 1890 President Benjamin Harrison created a U. S. Board on Geographic Names in an effort to bring some order to the naming of cities, towns, lakes, mountains, and other things that needed to be named. At the time some states had as many as five towns with the same name. One of the first orders of business of the board was to have the “H” dropped from any city whose name ended in “burgh.” Pittsburgh area people have always been a proud, independent lot and they decided to keep their “H” since the town was obviously a historical exception. In short, they told the Board to stick the rules where the sun don’t shine, and they didn’t mean the smoggy skies of their city. For the next 20 years they waged a torrid campaign to keep their beloved “H” even in the face of threatened federal troop intervention. In 1911 the Board finally relented and let Pittsburgh be Pittsburgh.

Three cheers for North Dakota: Oh, did I mention a couple of other US cities named Pittsburg sans “H?” The list of almost name-alikes included:
Pittsburg, California - Contra Costa County
Pittsburg, Colorado - Gunnison County
Pittsburg, Florida - Polk County
Pittsburg, Georgia - DeKalb County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Fayette County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Williamson County
Pittsburg, Indiana - Carroll County
Pittsburg, Iowa - Van Buren County
Pittsburg, Kansas - Crawford County
Pittsburg, Kentucky - Laurel County
Pittsburg, Michigan - Shiawassee County
Pittsburg, Missouri - Hickory County
Pittsburg, New Hampshire - Coos County
Pittsburg, Oklahoma - Pittsburg County
Pittsburg, Oregon - Columbia County
Pittsburg, South Carolina - Greenwood County
Pittsburg, Texas - Camp County
Pittsburg, Utah - Piute County
Pittsburgh, North Dakota - Pembina County They might not have Iron City Beer or an incline, but they have the fortitude to keep their “H.”

A little blogging music Maestro… (all together now) “There’s a pawn shop on the corner, in Pittsburgh Pennsyl-van-i-a…”

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
www.mifflintownship.org

Test Your Clairton/Pittsburgh IQ

A Closed Mind is a Good Thing to Lose

Mostly Personal: It is a safe bet that many blog readers are either current or former residents of Clairton, PA and the Greater Pittsburgh area and their families. We always appreciate hearing from Clairtonians whether current or expatriate. Reader Jill Urso sent us a Pittsburgh IQ quiz. While not exactly Clairton, Pittsburgh is that little town down the Monongahela. Or if you’re not up for a swim, that little village can be reached by driving the River Road (aka Route 837) or the more modern, more congested Route 51. Once you arrive “dawntawn” you are to look around and see how many of these questions you can answer. In the spirit of final exams, which will be coming up soon, here is a Pittsburgh practice test:

1) Newscaster Bill Burns used to end his newscasts with what phrase?

2) Name 2 members of the Rooney family.

3) Pittsburgh once had a bridge to ______________.

4) Name Ricki Wertz dog.

5) Captain Jim sailed on the ship____________.

6) Famous Pittsburgh DJ, Clark _____________.

7) Bill Cardille's nickname was___________________.

8) What pro wrestling champ was from Pittsburgh ?

9) Paul Long's news partner was Don ________________.

10) "It's 11 pm. Do you know where ______________________?”

11) Name the parts of a Primanti sandwhich.

12) Bob Prince's nickname was ______________?

13) Myron Cope invented the Terrible _____________.

14) What tunnels are on the Parkway West?

15) What tunnels are on the Parkway East?

16) What are the former call letters of WPXI Channel 11.

17) What is the Pittsburgh subway system called?

18) Paul Shannon hosted _________________.

19) Nosmo King was played by ___________________.

20) What was Bob Prince's call after a Bucco's win?

21) What famous Market Square Restaurant can a street person eat at the same table as a business executive?

22) In what part of Pittsburgh was Forbes Field located?

23) Where is Forbes Field's home plate now?

24) In what part of Pittsburgh was Three Rivers Stadium?

25) Name the 3 rivers whose confluence is in Pittsburgh .

26) What was the popular hamburger joint in Pittsburgh prior to McDonald's?

27) What number did Roberto Clemente wear?

28) What number did Joe Greene wear?

29) Where will the UP Incline take you?

30) What state park is located in downtown Pittsburgh?

31) What was the name of the local 11:30 pm Saturday show in 60's & 70's?

32) Name the 1st radio station in Pittsburgh .

33) During the 70's, what radio station encouraged listeners to answer their phones with, "I listen to the new sound of _________."

34) What was the nickname of KQV during the groovy 60's & 70's?

35) The host of Dialing for Dollars was Del ______________.

36) The host of Bowling for Dollars was Nick________________?

37) What would you receive if you answered a question incorrectly on Dialing/Bowling for Dollars?

38) Name the late night KDKA radio talk show host.

39) The host of Popeye and Knish was Hank ______________?

40) Jack Lambert said quarterbacks should wear _________________.

41) A Saturday morning Tarzan Theater was hosted by Don ________________?

42) The minor league hockey team in Pittsburgh was the _________________.

43) The 2 ABA franchises in Pittsburgh were _____________ & _______________?

44) Chicken on the Hill with _______________?

45) Who had to "leave town" in April after advising Pittsburghers to remove their snow tires the same week Pittsburgh received a 12" snowfall?

46) Name the show that was on every Sunday at 1 pm with
Ricki Wertz and competing students.

47) What was the name of the "Castle Prankster" on Chiller Theater?

48) Where could you send your letters to Santa where they would be loaded on a rocket ship and sent to the North Pole?

49) Name the tart sold by KDKA radio morning DJ's during Christmas season.

50) Who was Bill Burn's co-host before his daughter Patty?

51) Who can?

52) Ring-a-ling-a-ling give ______ a ring.

53) Century Three Cheverolet.

54) Eat and Park, the place for ______________?

55) What cabaret type showroom was located in Monroeville ?

56) Name 4 quaterbacks from the Pittsburgh area who played in the Super Bowl (there are more than 4).

57) Who played Handy Man Negri on Mister Rogers Neighborhood?

58) What section of Pittsburgh would you go to buy fruits and vegetables?

59) The Civic Arena is located just below what area of Pittsburgh ?

60) What 3 Pittsburgh colleges play Division 1 basketball?

61) Wholey's is known for ___________________.

62) What hotel is famous for its dancers?

63) The 1st owner of the Steelers was _______________________.

64) The paddle boats of the rivers are the _________ Fleet.

65) The Pittsburgh USFL team was the _______________.

66) Pittsburgh railroad workers did a dance while they worked. It became known as the __________.

67) "John Naretto __________________."

68) In an early book about the Steel Mills, Pittsburgh was described as “________ with the lid off.”

69) Who hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Pirates a World Series victory in 1960?

70) Who did the Pirates beat in that World Series?

Ok, now exchange papers and let’s check your answers:

1) Goodnight, Good Luck & Good News tomorrow.
2) Dan & Art
3) Nowhere
4) Copper
5) Nancy Bee
6) Race
7) Chilly Billy
8) Bruno Samartino
9) Cannon
10) Your children are?
11) Italian bread, meat, cheese, tomato,coleslaw & french frie
12) The Gunner
13) Towel
14) Fort Pitt
15) Squirrel Hill
16) WIIC (The Ones to Watch)
17) T
18) Adventure Time
19) Paul Shannon
20) We had 'em all the way!
21) The Oyster House
22) Oakland
23) Forbes Quad - Univ of Pgh
24) North Side
25) Allegheny, Monongahela meet to form the Ohio
26) Winky's
27) 21
28) 75
29) Mt Washington
30) Point State Park
31) Chiller Theater
32) KDKA
33) 13Q or Keen, Quick, Vital
34) 14K
35) Del Taylor
36) Nick Perry
37) BD gallon Islay 's Ice Cream
38) Perry Marshall
39) Hank Stohl
40) Skirts
41) Don Riggs
42) Hornets
43) Pipers & Condors
44 Willie Stargell
45) Bob Kudzma
46) Junior High Quiz
47) Stefan
48) Paul Shannon at Adventure Time
49) Farkleberry Frump
50) Marie Torre
51) Ameri-can (Heating Company...spokesman Pie Traynor)
52) Roth
53) Lebanon Church Road
54) Smiles
55) Holiday House
56) John Unitas, Joe Montana, Terry Hanratty, Jim Kelly,
George Blanda, Scott Zolak, Joe Namath
57) Joe Negri
58) The Strip
59) Hill District
60) Pitt, Duquesne & Robert Morris
61) Seafood
62) Edison
63) Art Rooney
64) Gateway Clipper Fleet
65) Maulers
66) Gandy Dancer
67) Cares
68) Hell
68) Bill Mazeroski
70) New York Yankees
We are grading on the curve so if if you missed fewer than 10 give yourself an A. If you missed more than 30 you have to visit the old Burgh more often.

A little blogging music Maestro… Guy Mitchell’s “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

And just in case you’ve forgotten, the melody was hijacked by Malvina Reynolds who did “Little Boxes.” As a bonus, the words to the song are:

There's a pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
And I walk up and down 'neath the clock
By the pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
But I ain't got a thing left to hock

She was peaches, she was honey, and she cost me all my money
'cause a whirl 'round the town was her dream (was her dream)
Took her dancin', took her dinin' till her blue eyes were shinin'
With the sights that they never had seen (never seen)
If you should run into a golden-haired angel
And ask her tonight for a date
She'll tell you somewhere there's a rich millionaire
Who is calling again about eight

(There's a pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
And I've just gotta get five or ten (five or ten)
(From the pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Gotta be with my angel again

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Helping With the Language Barrier

G-20 Summit to be held in Pittsburgh
(Em guys gonna meet in Pixburg n-at)

A public Service Announcement: Next weekend the so-called G-20 Summit, more formally known as the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, is scheduled to meet in Pittsburgh, PA. The summit will not only have an impact on the city itself but on surrounding communities, known as the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Many residents of the GPA speak colloquially. Therefore, in the interest of Political Correctness, today’s blog will attempt to guide residents of the GPA through some of the vernacular used by outsiders. Today’s blog will translate, paragraph by paragraph, news about the G-20 into Pittsburghese. So if you’re from Pittsburgh, Aspinwall, Baldwin, Beaver, Castle Shannon, Clairton, Crafton, Duquesne, Rankin, Moon, Mars, Swissvale, Coraopolis, Perryopolis or any other GPA location, this post could help you understand the foreigners – both international and New Yorkers - who will invade your Burgh.

Announcement and Press Release: The G-20 has announced it will hold this year’s Summit in the beautiful City of Pittsburgh. The downtown area is located at confluence of the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny Rivers. Weather can be tricky in Pittsburgh this time of year so invitees are encouraged to pack attire appropriate for a sudden chill or a sprinkle of rain. Participants are encouraged to sample the excellent local repast and beverages. Merchants will often prepare sack lunches filled with local delicacies for later consumption.

Da Suits are comin’: A whole bunch of foreign fellas is gonna flap their gums dahn by Point Park, along the Mon, the Ahia, n the Alley-gainey. If yinz go to see ‘em, bring yer babushkas cause it might get chilly er slippy. If the forners ain’t et (jeet yet?) air prolly gonna go ta Pimantis fer a sammich n a Arn City er some pop. Some of ‘em ‘ll buy a chipped ham sammich in a poke fer later.

More information from the G-20 Press Release: Visitors to this area, one of the most beautiful in Pennsylvania, are encouraged to explore. Visit the sights. The South Side is an area of interest with neat homes and unique businesses. The East Liberty area has some fine Italian restaurants. The Strip District with its wholesale area is a local’s delight. As you pass through surrounding communities you might see some local residents sitting on their front porches enjoying life.

If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a home of one of the locals from Moon, Turtle Creek, Slippery Rock, et. al. you might enjoy a local delicacy of skewered pork and veal cubes breaded and fried like chicken, or even a backyard barbecue. Locals drink tap water, not seltzer, and after dinner, plates and utensils are immediately washed. Local pantries are usually well stocked. But don’t just drop in without an invitation or you may be in trouble.

What else the foners ‘ll do: Most of ‘em ain’t been in Pensivania and they’re gonna be nebby. They’ll drive around tahn ‘n at. They’re gonna go see da Sahside, so be sure to redd up. They’re gonna go to Sliberty fer some sgetti. Er they might go dahn by the docks to da Strip. Sit aht on yer stoop to see da strangers.

If you meet one of these ferign fellas, bring him home fer some city chicken er a cookaht in the backyard. Give ‘em water straight from the spiket, n use yer warshrag to redd up the dishes after supper. Show ‘em the food in yer cubbert. But if they try to just pop in, they could be up a crik cause maybe you dittent go ta Foodland or Jynt Iggle yet.

Other highlights of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh was once known as the Steel City. Their football team is named “Steelers,” even though U.S. Steel, J and L Steel, etc. are gone or now only shadows of their former selves. Take a ride on the streetcars for an hour or so. Be prompt though for if you’re running late, they won’t wait for you. Keep the tickets in a rubber band as souvenirs. Pittsburgh is a safe city. It is not pretentious. The most common dog breed is a mongrel.

More stuff ‘bout the Burgh: Piksburgh still has da Stillers, but Jaynell n at closed dahn. Go on da streecar fer an ahr er so, but if yer late they won’t wait on ya. Put a gummband around the tickets. Don’t be ascared in Picksburg. It ain’t uppity. Most dogs are Heinz 57 n at.

Final note to locals: As you can see, there’s gonna be a whole bunch a strangers in tahn next week – maybe a hunnert thousan. They’ll be driving rented Chiys n at, so be careful if ur on the Bulvard Dallies or da Parkway er in Carnaygee. Use ur blinkers n be as careful as if ur drivin a baby buggy. Don’t be ignernt to em er a jagoff n at. Get some kranz an make some “Welcome” signs. If ur in the park share the sliding board with em. If they sit at ur table in the park, skootch over for em. Maybe even buy em a sno-cone. And don’t let them know you feel sorry for them ‘cause when they get back home they won’t have Klondikes, jumbo sammiches, lightning bugs, jagger bushes, er a decent caach to sit on. They don’t know who Marn Cope was or da Bus and probly never saw Bill Caher coach da Stillers. Listen to yer Mum when she tells you to be nice or you’ll get a lickin. Make sure all da forners go home with good memories. Dats it. Fort Pitt.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Pennsylvania Polka” by Frankie Yankovic.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

An H By Any Other Name Doth Sound As Sweet?

What’s in a name? Pittsburgh revisited.

John, Jon, or Juan: I received so many comments from the recent Pittsburgh post that I was moved to write a followup. I once had a friend named Jon. He was proud of the fact that his name was unique. Everybody else with a similar sounding name spelled theirs John or Juan. He spelled his Jon. He said the spelling of his name distinguished him from those whose name is synonymous with the room in which men relieve themselves. He also said that it shows his heritage is 100% American, although I’m not sure the Native Americans would agree that John is any more American than Juan. As for me, I think John became Jon after having had the “H” knocked out of him. The same might be said about Pittsburgh.

More on my former hometown: Pittsburgh is probably the most frequently misspelled name among American cities. There are wannabe Pittsburghs, namely in Kansas and California but neither of them boast an h at the end of their names or a confluence of rivers in their midst. The Pittsburgh that is today accessible from State Route 51 via either the Liberty Tubes or the newer Fort Pitt Tunnels was named by General John Forbes in honor of Sir William Pitt. It was founded in 1758 complete with an “H” at the end of its name. All was well for the next 30 years or so. Nobody bothered to challenge the “H” until some troublemakers in the form of politicians decided to fix something that wasn’t broken. The feds were screwing things up way back then, long before anybody had ever heard of George W. Bush.

I’m from the government and I’m here to help you: In 1890 President Benjamin Harrison created a U. S. Board on Geographic Names in an effort to bring some order to the naming of cities, towns, lakes, mountains, and other things that needed to be named. At the time some states had as many as five towns with the same name. One of the first orders of business of the board was to have the “H” dropped from any city whose name ended in “burgh.” Pittsburgh area people have always been a proud, independent lot and they decided to keep their “H” since the town was obviously a historical exception. In short, they told the Board to stick the rules where the sun don’t shine, and they didn’t mean the smoggy skies of their city. For the next 20 years they waged a torrid campaign to keep their beloved “H” even in the face of threatened federal troop intervention. In 1911 the Board finally relented and let Pittsburgh be Pittsburgh.

Cleaning up the language: An excerpt from the Board directive for standardizing names and words used in the designation of places follows:
(a)The avoidance, so far as seems practicable, of the possessive form of names.
(b) The dropping of the final "h" in the termination "burgh."
(c) The abbreviation of "borough" to "boro."
(d) The spelling of the word "center" as here given.
(e) The discontinuance of the use of hyphens in connecting parts of names.
(f) The omission wherever practicable of the letters "C.H." (Court House) after the names of county seats.
(g) The simplification of names consisting of more than one word by their combination into one word.
(h) The avoidance of the use of diacritic characters.
(i) The dropping of the words "city" and "town" as parts of names.

Three cheers for North Dakota: Oh, did I mention a couple of other US cities named Pittsburg sans “H?” The list of name-alikes included:
Pittsburg, California - Contra Costa County
Pittsburg, Colorado - Gunnison County
Pittsburg, Florida - Polk County
Pittsburg, Georgia - DeKalb County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Fayette County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Williamson County
Pittsburg, Indiana - Carroll County
Pittsburg, Iowa - Van Buren County
Pittsburg, Kansas - Crawford County
Pittsburg, Kentucky - Laurel County
Pittsburg, Michigan - Shiawassee County
Pittsburg, Missouri - Hickory County
Pittsburg, New Hampshire - Coos County
Pittsburg, Oklahoma - Pittsburg County
Pittsburg, Oregon - Columbia County
Pittsburg, South Carolina - Greenwood County
Pittsburg, Texas - Camp County
Pittsburg, Utah - Piute County
Pittsburgh, North Dakota - Pembina County

A little blogging music Maestro... Anything BUT “I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Chicago, or New York New York.”

Dr. ForgotSee me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/

City of Champions

“I entered a contest. The winner went to Vegas; the loser had to go to Pittsburgh”

That used to be one of the lines about my old hometown. Few people know some of the great things that have happened in “The Burgh.” So in honor of its anniversary, read and enjoy.

Pittsburgh is celebrating its 250-year anniversary this year. For those of you that lived near Pittsburgh , this will just jog your memory. If you didn't live here, it will be some trivia. Pittsburgh (and some surrounding areas) was the first city in the world to do a lot of neat things including:

First Heart, Liver, Kidney Transplant - December 3, 1989. The first simultaneous heart, liver and kidney transplant was done at Presbyterian-University Hospital .

The First Internet Emoticon - 1980.The Smiley :-) was the first Internet emoticon, created in 1980 by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman.

First Robotics Institute - 1979. The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University was established in 1979 to conduct basic and applied research in robotics technologies relevant to industrial and societal tasks. The college is still working on Robots ~~ in fact it is their robots used in the unmanned air craft that fly over Iraq .

First Mr. Yuk Sticker – 1971. Mr. Yuk was created at the Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh after research indicated that the skull and crossbones previously used to identify poisons had little meaning to the children of today (for most children it means exciting things like pirates and adventure). Covering 27 counties and 33 percent of Pennsylvania’s population, the Pittsburgh Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is the largest such center in the United States.

First Night World Series Game - 1971. Game 4 of the 1971 World Series was the first night game in Series history. Pittsburgh tied the series in that game with a 4-3 win and went on to win the series, 4 games to 3. This was one of the last big moments in the career of well-loved Pirate, Roberto Clemente. Fourteen and a half months after the 1971 World Series, he died in a plane crash off the coast of his native Puerto Rico as he attempted to take food, clothing and medical supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua .

First Big Mac - 1967. Created by Jim Delligatti at his Uniontown McDonald's, the Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in three other Pittsburgh-area McDonald's restaurants in 1967... Bellevue and Butler. By 1968 it was a mainstay on McDonald's menus throughout the country and eventually, the world.

First Pull-Tab on Cans - 1962. The pull-tab was developed by Alcoa and was first used by Iron City Brewery in 1962 For many years, pull-tabs were only used in this area.

First Retractable Dome - September 1961. Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena boasts the world's first auditorium with a retractable roof. This is still being used although the Hockey team wants to tear it down and build a new building.

First U.S. Public Television Station - WQED - April 1, 1954. WQED, operated by the Metropolitan Pittsburgh educational Station, was the first community-sponsor ed educational television station in America and was also the first to telecast classes to elementary schools (1955).

First Polio Vaccine - March 26, 1953. The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas E. Salk, a 38-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor, and his staff at the University of Pittsburgh .

First All-Aluminum Building - ALCOA - August 1953. The first aluminum-faced skyscraper was the Alcoa Building , a 30-story, 410 foot structure with thin stamped aluminum panels forming the exterior walls. (This building is still being used today.)

First Zippo Lighter - 1932. George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 in Bradford , Pennsylvania . Although hardly a community "in the surrounding area," you can even find the name of the manufacturing location, either Bradford or Niagara Falls , stamped on the bottom of every Zippo lighter. The name Zippo was chosen by Blaisdell because he liked the sound of the word "zipper" - which was patented around the same time in nearby Meadville , PA.

First Bingo Game - early. Hugh J. Ward first came up with the concept of bingo in Pittsburgh and began running the game at carnivals in the early 1920's, taking it nationwide in 1924. He secured a copyright on the game and wrote a book of Bingo rules in 1933.

First U.S. Commercial Radio Station - KDKA - November 2, 1 920. Dr. Frank Conrad, assistant chief engineer of Westinghouse Electric, first constructed a transmitter and installed it in a garage near his home in Wilkinsburg in 1916. The station was licensed as 8XK. At 6 PM. on Nov. 2, 1920, 8KX became KDKA Radio and began broadcasting at 100 watts from a makeshift shack atop one of the Westinghouse manufacturing buildings in East Pittsburgh. (The station is now KDKA.)

The First Gas Station - December, 1913. In 1913, the first automobile service station, built by Gulf Refining Company, opened in Pittsburgh at Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in East Liberty. It was designed by J. H. Giesey.

The First Baseball Stadium in the U.S. - 1909. In 1909 the first baseball stadium, Forbes Field, was built in Pittsburgh , followed soon by similar stadiums in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and New York. Forbes Field closed in 1970 when Three Rivers Stadium opened. PNC Park is the newest replacement, opening in 2001.

First Motion Picture Theater - 1905. The first theater in the world devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures was the "Nickelodeon," opened by Harry Davis on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh .

First Banana Split - 1904. The banana split was invented by Dr. David Strickler, a pharmacist, at Strickler's Drug Store in Latrobe, Pennsylvania .

The First World Series - 1903. The Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in baseball's first modern World Series in 1903. The Pirates lost the final game 4-3, before a crowd of 7,455 in Boston. Four of the series' games were played in Pittsburgh.

First Ferris Wheel - 1892/1893. The first Ferris Wheel, invented by Pittsburgh native and civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-1896) was in operation at the World's Fair (Columbian Exposition) in Chicago. It was over 264 feet high and was capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers at a time.

Long-Distance Electricity - 1885. Westinghouse Electric developed alternating current, allowing long-distance transmission of electricity for the first time.

First Air Brake - 1869. The first practical air brake for railroads was invented by George Westinghouse in the 1860's and patented in 1869. In the same year he organized the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. With additional automatic features incorporated into its design, the air brake became widely accepted, and the Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893 made air brakes compulsory on American trains.

The STEELERS were purchased by Art Rooney Sr. for $2500...they were originally the Canton Bulldogs. They are the first team to win four super bowls, now five after six appearances, and the first team to get into the playoffs as a wild card and go all the way to win the Super Bowl.

The Pittsburgh Rens played basketball at the Civic Arena but are no longer in existence.

The Rolling Stones came to Pittsburgh first and played at West View Park Danceland. Price of a ticket was 50 cents. They were considered too weird and went back to England and came back after the Beatles broke the ice.

Ah, Pittsburgh. Today it is a place where air is clean and sex is dirty.

A little blogging music Maestro: “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania” by Bob Merrill (No kidding… it begins, “There’s a pawnshop on the corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania…)

Dr. Forgot

Se me also at http://vegasbuzz.com