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A 1907 lion attack at Luna Park, death by spontaneous combustion, Jack the Ripper's rumored visit to the city, and an umpire who was rescued from an angry crowd by Pirates players are only a few of the rumored (and mostly true) strange bits of history outlined here by local Pittsburgh Historian Thomas White. -
Violent bank heists, bold train robberies and hardened gangs all tear across the history of the wild west–western Pennsylvania, that is. The region played reluctant host to the likes of the infamous Biddle Boys, who escaped Allegheny County Jail by romancing the warden’s wife, the Cooley Gang, which held Fayette County in its violent grip at the close of the nineteenth century, and Pennsylvania's own Bonnie and Clyde–Irene and Glenn–whose murderous misadventures earned them seats in the electric chair in 1931. From the perilous train tracks of Erie to the gritty streets of Pittsburgh, authors Thomas White and Michael Hassett trace the dark history of the crooks, murderers and outlaws who both terrorized and fascinated the citizenry of western Pennsylvania.
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Ghostly travelers are said to wander the lonely roads of western Pennsylvania. A creeping fog rises from Blue Mist Road, and stories of car crashes, lynchings and even strange beasts haunt this isolated stretch outside Pittsburgh. Is it the angry spirit of a jealous husband or a gypsy king who stalks Erie County’s Axe Murder Hollow? Shades of Death Road in Washington County may be host to phantom coal miners killed during a deadly labor dispute. With firsthand accounts and historical research, authors Thomas White and Tony Lavorgne travel the backcountry roads and byways of western Pennsylvania to discover their ghost tales and mysterious legends.
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Oppaymolleah’s Curse. General Braddock’s buried gold. The original man of steel, Joe Magarac. Such legends have found a home among the rich folklore of Western Pennsylvania. Thomas White spins a beguiling yarn with tales that reach from the misty hollows of the Alleghenies to the lost islands of Pittsburgh. White invites readers to learn the truth behind the urban legend of the Green Man, speculate on the conspiracy surrounding the lost B-25 bomber of Monongahela and shiver over the ghostly lore of Western Pennsylvania.
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"The earliest physicians arriving in Pittsburgh had their roots in military service. The legacy of these physician-soldiers extends from pioneer days through modern times. The involvement of military contingents, physicians serving with or trained by military units, and the myriad organizations that were created to respond to their efforts have played a critical role in the long-term development of healthcare in the city.
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The years between 1900 and 1945 witnessed the peak of Pittsburgh's commercial development and industrial might. Pittsburgh: 1900–1945 features postcard views taken during this period and illustrates the power, wealth, and beauty of the city of Pittsburgh during its era of industrial greatness.
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Pittsburgh's drinking culture is a story of its people: vibrant, hardworking and innovative. During Prohibition, the Hill District became a center of jazz, speakeasies and creative cocktails. In the following decades, a group of Cuban bartenders brought the nightlife of Havana to a robust café culture along Diamond Street. Disco clubs gripped the city in the 1970s, and a music-centered nightlife began to grow in Oakland with such clubs as the Electric Banana. Today, pioneering mixologists are forging a new and exciting bar revival in the South Side and throughout the city. Pull up a stool and join Cody McDevitt and Sean Enright as they trace the history of Steel City drinking, along with a host of delicious cocktail recipes.
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Pittsburgh has been part of the film industry since the days of silent film, but it was not until the 1951 classic Angels in the Outfield—set at Forbes Field—that the Steel City had its first major role on the silver screen. Greater Pittsburgh’s film and television industry has since produced everything from the beloved children’s program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to the cult classic Night of the Living Dead. Most recently, Christopher Nolan has chosen to set the conclusion to his Batman trilogy in the city. From the first nickelodeon and “film row” of those early days to the locations and cutting-edge sets of today, local author John Tiech takes a behind-the-scenes tour of Pittsburgh cinema.
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Pittsburgh Jazz documents the almost-forgotten magic created in the city of Pittsburgh. Revisit the smoke-filled clubs, bars, restaurants, and theaters & learn about the countless improvised songs, compositions, and unique styles of Jazz musicians who were born in, raised in, & influenced by Pittsburgh. Features Pittsburgh Courier photographers between the 1930s and 1980s.
