I found this wonderful old description of Pittsburgh and wanted to share it: PITTSBURG, a post-town of Pennsylvania, the capital of Alleghany co. situated on a beautiful plain. The Alleghany, which is a beautiful clear stream, on the N. and the Monongahela, which is a muddy stream, on the S. uniting below where Fort du Quesne stood, form the majestic Ohio, which is there a quarter of a mile wide; 1,188 miles from its confluence with the Mississippi. This town was laid out on Penn's plan, in the year 1765, on the eastern bank of the Monongahela, about 200 yards from Fort du Quesne, which was taken from the French, by the British, in 1760, and who changed its name to Fort Pitt, in honour of the late Earl of Chatham. It contains about 200 houses, a gaol, court-house, Presbyterian church, a church for German Lutherans, an academy, two breweries, and a distillery. It has been lately fortified, and a party of troops stationed in it. By an enumeration made Dec. 1795, it appears that there were then 1,353 inhabitants in this borough; the number has considerably increased since. The naviation of the Ohio, in a dry season, is rather troublesome from Pittsburg to the MINGO-TOWN, about 75 miles; but from thence to the Mississippi, there is always water enough for barges, carrying from 100 to 200 tons burden, such as are used on the Thames, between London and Oxford, viz. from 100 to 120 feet keel, 16 to 18 feet in breadth, 4 feet in depth, and when loaded, drawing about 3 feet water. During the season of the floods in the spring, vessels of 100 or 200 tons burden may go from Pittsburg to the sea with safety, in 16 or 17 days, although the distance is upwards of 2,000 miles. It is 178 miles W. by N. of Carlisle, 303 in the same direction from Philadelphia, and 283 N. W. by N. of Alexandria in Virginia. N.lat.40 31 44, W.long.80 8. Source: Morse, Jedidiah, "The American Gazetteer," Abridged. Boston: Thomas and Andrews, 1798 Carol M. _________________________________________________________________ Get rid of annoying pop-up ads with the new MSN Toolbar FREE! http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200414ave/direct/01/
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Carol S. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Movahed" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 9:28 PM Subject: [PITTSBURGH] Pittsburgh historical reference > I found this wonderful old description of Pittsburgh and wanted to share it: > > PITTSBURG, a post-town of Pennsylvania, the capital of Alleghany co. > situated on a beautiful plain. The Alleghany, which is a beautiful clear > stream, on the N. and the Monongahela, which is a muddy stream, on the S. > uniting below where Fort du Quesne stood, form the majestic Ohio, which is > there a quarter of a mile wide; 1,188 miles from its confluence with the > Mississippi. This town was laid out on Penn's plan, in the year 1765, on the > eastern bank of the Monongahela, about 200 yards from Fort du Quesne, which > was taken from the French, by the British, in 1760, and who changed its name > to Fort Pitt, in honour of the late Earl of Chatham. It contains about 200 > houses, a gaol, court-house, Presbyterian church, a church for German > Lutherans, an academy, two breweries, and a distillery. It has been lately > fortified, and a party of troops stationed in it. By an enumeration made > Dec. 1795, it appears that there were then 1,353 inhabitants in this > borough; the number has considerably increased since. The naviation of the > Ohio, in a dry season, is rather troublesome from Pittsburg to the > MINGO-TOWN, about 75 miles; but from thence to the Mississippi, there is > always water enough for barges, carrying from 100 to 200 tons burden, such > as are used on the Thames, between London and Oxford, viz. from 100 to 120 > feet keel, 16 to 18 feet in breadth, 4 feet in depth, and when loaded, > drawing about 3 feet water. During the season of the floods in the spring, > vessels of 100 or 200 tons burden may go from Pittsburg to the sea with > safety, in 16 or 17 days, although the distance is upwards of 2,000 miles. > It is 178 miles W. by N. of Carlisle, 303 in the same direction from > Philadelphia, and 283 N. W. by N. of Alexandria in Virginia. N.lat.40 31 44, > W.long.80 8. > > Source: Morse, Jedidiah, "The American Gazetteer," Abridged. Boston: > Thomas and Andrews, 1798 > > Carol M. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get rid of annoying pop-up ads with the new MSN Toolbar - FREE! > http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200414ave/direct/01/ > > > ==== PA-PITTSBURGH Mailing List ==== > If you need to contact the listowner, send an email to Sue* at: > painter-mcalister-ancestry.comcast.net > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237