I Would Like an H Please

            Founded in 1758 by General John Forbes Pittsburgh is listed as one of the most frequently miss spelled American cities.  General Forbes named the new settlement after the English leader William Pitt the Elder 1^st Earl of Chatham.  Forbes simply added the Scottish –burgh to Pitt’s name and most likely pronounced it in the Scottish fashion Pitts-burro, think Edinburgh in Scotland, burgh being a common ending meaning town.  When the town was formerly created in the 1794 Acts of Legislature the h was included in the spelling.  Again in 1804 when Pittsburgh was incorporated as a borough the h was maintained.  (The distinction between a Town and a Borough is extremely confusing and convoluted so we will just move on.)  In 1816 when Pittsburgh was finally incorporated as a city a printing error caused the h to be left off though we are told the original charter did include the h.  This caused serious ramifications for the spelling of Pittsburgh later made even more difficult because the original charter was destroyed in the 1882 Court house fire and could not be used for confirmation of the correct city spelling.  Thanks to a real lack of spelling consistency among the populous during the 19^th century it was not uncommon to find the h left off Pittsburgh in various publications such as news papers and directories.  The h however was always included in municipal documents.  It wasn’t until the United States Board on Geographical names decided in 1890, in an effort to standardize the spelling of city names, that any city or town using the Scottish ending –burgh would drop the h, this helped end the confusion between towns using the German spelling of –burg and those using the Scottish –burgh.  The Board went even further than simply making a blanket statement regarding all cities and towns ending in –burgh however when it singled out Pittsburgh citing the 1816 printed charter which spelled the name Pittsburg.  The board claimed that it was in fact an error with the Post Office that caused it to be spelled Pittsburgh in the first place and the city had always been Pittsburg.  The Boards decision was only compulsory for government agencies.  Many citizens, institutions and the city its self rejected the loss of the h.  There was considerable pressure from the citizens for the board to change the spelling back.  Finally in 1911 the renamed United States Geographic Board bowed to political pressure from Senator George T. Oliver and reversed its decision giving the h back to Pittsburgh.  The h is something that has become beloved in Pittsburgh.  The name simply looks wrong to anyone from the area spelled Pittsburg, and in fact I find it quite difficult to type it that way.  To Pittsburghers the city is frequently simply PGH and most of us are confused to discover our air port code is PIT.  Even the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s brand of bottled water is PGH²O.  To those cities and towns who lost their h and never got it back we sympathize and say fight for your h. 

To Give the Lady the Wall

            A hundred years ago good manners were a sign of wealth and breeding.  Probably hundreds of books were written on the subject.  These gave advice on every situation one could possible encounter and were indispensable for the newly rich who wanted to enter into High Society.  Demonstrating proper etiquette was a good way to indicate that you belonged.  Having the right amount of money was not enough.  In a lot of ways High Society in America was even more conscious of their behavior than their European counterparts.  Europeans used the age of their family lineage as the determining factor in deciding who belonged to the “in” crowd.  For Americans this was not really a very viable option.  With the country only 100 years old bragging of their long familial lineage was not that impressive. Organizations like The Daughters of the America Revolution certainly tried, and continue to do so today, but with mostly limited success.  Money and lots of it was, and continues to be, the first factor in considering who are “the best people.”   Once this primary consideration met then families could move onto establishing their identities as members of High Society.  Good Breeding was identified with good manners.  Someone who was ill bread would demonstrate this through their lack of knowledge regarding proper etiquette.  Frequently fathers who founded great family fortunes employed tutors to educate their children in the etiquette of High Society.  Gaining entry for their offspring into a club they themselves could never really hope to belong. 

            Good Etiquette dictated every situation and every action of someone’s life.  Nothing would so quickly mark an individual as a member of the best people as their conversation.  The art of conversation was considered one of the most important skills one could possess.  To be able to properly carry on a conversation required one to be witty, intelligent and demonstrate some knowledge of what is going on in the world.  Even expressions of strong emotions whether it be anger, boredom or even passion were strongly discouraged.  Presenting the appearance of being pleasantly cheerful regardless of ones true feelings was absolutely essential.

            Even greeting someone on the street was fought with possible pit falls for the uninitiated.  For example when greeting a gentleman with whom a lady is acquainted, regardless of the level of intimacy, a lady would give a small bow which the gentleman would return.  Failing to return the greeting was the height of rudeness.  If a gentleman wishes to speak with a lady with whom he is acquainted, because of course he would never venture to speak to a lady whom he has never been introduced, when he encounters her on the street he would not detain her but turn and accompany her in the direction in which she is headed for the duration of their conversation then return to his own destination.  A lady should never stand on the street to converse with a gentleman.  To be seen doing so could lead to speculation regarding her character.  When walking with a lady the gentleman should always “give the lady the wall” thus placing his person between the anything that may be splashed up from the street by passing vehicles and the lady.  It is easy to forget in our day of modern sewer systems and storm drains just how truly disgusting the streets could be.

            When one thinks of complicated etiquette noting strikes fear into modern society quite like being seated at an extremely formal dinner which seems to be include every possible version of silverware and dishware available.   This was no less true at eh turn of the 20^th century when an average small family dinner, among those who could afford it, included a minimum of five courses and a large formal dinner could last for several hours and include dozens of courses.  Using the wrong fork with the wrong dish or even holding the utensil incorrectly could mark a person as one who didn’t belong.  It was considered essential that this be part of the educational curriculum for children of high society. 

            Although we like to think of ourselves has having moved beyond these measures of breading and on to the more enlightened idea of judging a person for themselves we have not.  Etiquette is still a powerful indicator of who belongs and who does not.  Those who forget this do so at their peril. 

The Neighborhoods of Pgh

            The Neighborhoods of Pittsburgh are one if the city’s most beloved characteristics.  Ask a Pittsburgher where they are from and you are just as likely to get Polish Hill, Brighton Heights, Lawrenceville, Squirrel Hill, Observatory Hill, (we do like our hills here) as you are to get Pittsburgh.  If you are physically in the city in fact you are almost guaranteed to get a neighborhood.  Each neighborhood is unique and has its own characteristics and feel.  This mostly comes from the early period of immigration when these neighborhoods were towns in their own right.  As Pittsburgh grew in population it expanded by annexing its neighboring towns with an unstoppable appetite.  Originally Pittsburgh existed solely on the land between the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers but as it grew the borders spread across both rivers.  Some of these neighboring towns accepted their fate while others fought for their rights to exist all the way to the US Supreme Court as Allegheny City did finally loosing its case and being absorbed into Pittsburgh in 1907. 

            As one might expect the neighborhoods have changed to varying degrees over time. Perhaps none so much as the area known as The Point which today forms the tip of the Golden Triangle as the Downtown area is commonly called.  This area is traditionally the very tip where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River.  It was the location for the first settlement in Pittsburgh.  The French Fort Duquesne then when it was captured by the English it became Fort Pitt.  Over time as the city grew it became one of the most crowded slum areas.  Eventually it was so bad the city counsel brought in Frank Lloyd Wright to give reconditions on how the city could change and begin the process of beautification for the Golden Triangle.  His recommendation was to tear down the entire area and start over.  Since this wasn’t a very practical suggestion, as one can’t simply destroy the entire center of an established city, the city counsel released Wright and moved on.  What eventually was created was the demolition of the point and the creation of Point State Park.  This is perhaps one of the most well know areas of Pittsburgh even if people don’t know its name it is prominent in any picture of the Down town Pittsburgh skyline.

            Other neighborhoods haven’t experienced quite the range of blighted area to beautiful state park.  The area of Shadyside began as a single farm out side of Pittsburgh that was broken up and pieces sold creating a very trendy suburb of Pittsburgh for its wealthy industrial leaders to be able to get out of the grit of Pittsburgh and into a beautiful rural feeling area.  Shadyside still maintains its suburban feeling with its large houses on beautifully manicured lawns despite the fact that it is only a few minutes away from the Golden Triangle. 

            While Shadyside was able to maintain its upper class neighborhood status some areas like the South Side are just beginning to experience this type of growth in the last 15ish years.  The South Side began as an area for the workers of the mills to live.  Situated side by side with these mills this area was often crowded, extremely hot in the summer and thanks to the soot produced by the mills extremely dirty.  When water pipes were laid in the area the residents shared these lines with those same mills and it was quite usual for here to be absolutely no water available during the hours the mills were running.  Women used to fill tubs, buckets and even pans with the water they needed for the day very early in the morning before the mills began their work day.  The South Side struggled through the rust belt years and has come out now as one of the trendiest hot spots in the city.

            The area of East Liberty is perhaps 10 years behind the South Side in terms of rebirth and development.  This neighborhood is located in the area originally set aside as a free liberty where the residents of Pittsburgh could let their animals out to graze on the communal land.  Like much of Pittsburgh it too eventually supported its own mills and working class neighborhood.  It to has struggled through the rust belt years and now because of the low rents is quickly becoming a great place for new restaurants and art galleries to open, which will of course raise property values in the area.

            These are just a very few of the neighborhoods Pittsburgh has to offer.  Entire books can and have been written about Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods.  I would encourage everyone to come and experience them for your self.  Next week etiquette in the 1890’s.  What exactly does it mean to “give the Lady the wall” anyway?

Filling Holes - Schenley Park

            I have given my self deadline in which to have my book ready.  Whether it is possible or not remains to be seen.  I am shooting for the end of August.  Three months may not be enough time but if I am going to ever finish my book a tighter deadline is demanded.   I have always worked better under tight deadlines than the when ever you finish is fine type.  This is the single largest reason, I think, that people don’t finish their masters and PhD degrees.  But I digress.  I have described the current state of my book as a block of Swiss cheese.  It is recognizable as cheese but full of holes.  I do have a recognizable storey but the historical detail I am striving for is mostly missing.

            In an effort to fill in some of the larges holes I spend a good part of my time researching the parks in Pittsburgh.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the beautiful green spaces Pittsburghers now take for granted were just becoming a reality in the 1890’s.  The view of Pittsburgh in this period was once famously described as looking like hell with the lid off.  The fires from the Iron, Steel and Glass factories put so much smoke into the air that it was not always possible to see probably one of the most famous views of the city looking down on the Golden Triangle and North shore area from Mt. Washington.  The creation of Green Space, much like Central Park in New York, was intended to give the residents of Pgh a peaceful place to get away from the factories and crowded inner city.  It is highly unlikely that the people who would have benefited the most from these garden spots actually had time for such frivolous activates.  Most mills ran 24 hours a day and many other supporting businesses kept similar hours. 

            Never the less the parks created at this time remain.  Probably Pittsburgh’s largest Schenley Park was a gift to the city from Mary Schenley.  Although she lived primarily in England, having defied her father and created an international scandal at the age of 15 when she ran away and married 43 year old Captain Edward Wyndham Harrington Schenley.  She never forgot her home and in 1889 she gave the city 300 acres and sold the city a further 120 acres at a greatly reduced rate.  Schenley Park started out mostly as a baron space.  Today it is so completely filled with trees and wide open grassy spaces that it is difficult to imagine the area as anything other than the lush green space it appears today.  William Falconer the fist landscaper supervised the planting of thousands of trees and probably millions of flowers.  Given the natural feel of the park it is hard to see his original design but it must have been a stunning effort to transform the completely baron land he started with.  One can almost see the middle and upper class families enjoying the space for taking the air and holding picnics.  The park even hosted the city’s first automobile race.  The park returns to that heritage in mid July when it hosts the Pittsburgh Vantage Grand prix.  The park is also home to the Phipps Conservatory as well as the Main Carnegie Library. 

            I plan to spend next week researching the neighborhoods of Pgh.  More to come. 

In The Beginning

I am writing my first book.  I still find that statement to be rather pretentious.  To get over this idea my husband suggested that I blog about what I am doing.  Although I think he is crazy I have my whiskey sour and am going to give it a whorl.  I am writing my first book and this blog is intended as a way to practice writing as well as give me an outlet to explore the things I find and stop driving my family crazy talking about all the things I find fascinating.  I mostly started writing my book to release the creative energy that had built up since I finished grad school.  I have found that this is a wonderful way to utilize all the research skills I developed in school, while at the same time the freedom to write and research what I want rather than have it dictated to me by my professor is amazing.  My book is set in turn of the century Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  The last century that is.  I picked Pgh (for so the locals abbreviate it Pittsburgh being rather cumbersome for continued writing) for two reasons.  First it hasn’t been over done.  The last thing the world needs is yet another book about vampires.  Secondly I live here.  I moved here five years ago immediately after I got married.  Literally the day after we returned from our Hawaiian cruse we put all our stuff in a truck and moved across the country to Pgh.  It is a truly beautiful place whether the hills are covered in green leaves or snow, for a girl from Orange County California it is an almost magical place of seasons and weather. 

           

            As for the time period there was really only one choice.  It had to be some time during the heyday of Pgh.  As a trained historian I have always been attracted to earlier times.  I am thankful for modern medical care and can not go more than 20 minutes with out checking my cell but love the perceived glamor of so called earlier times.  I have mentally divided the history of Pgh into 4 periods.  The beginning, the discovery of Pgh by George Washington to the end of the Civil War, Industrialization, the time of Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick among others, the rust belt years and rebirth i.e. the last 15 years.  For me the choice of the industrial age didn’t even require thought there is so much going on in the period that the options are almost unlimited.  While I am working on my first book really it’s a series of books.  Mysteries to be specific.  Mysteries are my favorite kind of relaxation reading.  I love the puzzles and the unlimited possibilities available to the mystery author.  So far I have solid plot lines for 3 books and ideas for 4 more.  The more research I do into the area and the period the more ideas come to me.  

            So now I spend my free time thinking about writing and researching.  It has been a great distraction from my every day job and if some day it is published great, but really I am doing it for myself.  It is my intention to blog about what I learn and anything else I find that interests me weekly.  Check back for more to come.