Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle - 1920
Pittsburgh in 1920 was the ninth largest city in the United States with a population of 588,343. World War II ended a year ago, and the nation was headed into the Roaring Twenties. The economy was booming and Pittsburgh's industrial output was second to none. The Oliver Building on Grant Street was the tallest building in downtown Pittsburgh, which seemed divided into two sections, the lower industrial and warehouse area near the Point and the upper white-collar corporate section around Grant Street. The freight yards of the Pennsylvania and Wabash railroads dominate the Point, and the modern skyscrapers of the business, law and financial barons stand alined further uptown. Around the country, Pittsburgh was viewed as a less than desirable place to live, with the endlessly roaring steel mills saturating the air with dirt and soot, and the abundance of rail activity and river shipping creating an environment some described as "hell with the lid off." Plans were already being drawn that would put an end to that talk. It would take thirty years and another World War before those plans would become a reality. Until then, Pittsburgh's industrial heart beat on, fueling the growth of a nation. Click on images for larger photos |