Dana Daily

Before reading this entry, you may want to read, Allegheny Arsenal, Parts I , II , and III , if you haven't already. Why Pittsburgh? With the United States now stretching its borders from one ocean to the other, it is easy to forget that at one time Pittsburgh was on the western border of the United States . In Pittsburgh two rivers (the Monongahela and Allegheny) meet at “ The Point ” to form another major river (the Ohio ) which then flows into another you may have heard mentioned in passing, the Mississippi River . Both the British and the French fought for control of the Pittsburgh area in the 1750s. The importance of these waterways cannot be underestimated. A wealth of information is available on a Pittsburgh history blog including this: “ In 1753, George Washington, under orders from Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, explored the land at the confluence and wrote, ‘I spent some time in viewing the rivers and the land in the fork, which I think extremely well suited ...

In my hot little hands I am holding the Lawrenceville Historical Society’s newsletter, promised to me by “Coworker Josh”, published by the Lawrenceville Historical Society. Called Historical Happenings it is a wealth of information regarding the Allegheny Arsenal. The research and articles were submitted for the newsletter by Tom Powers and James Wudarczyk. Since I’ve already discussed a bit of the arsenal’s history, I’ll just make a few additions here. ·         Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of the most sought after architects in the country, designed the arsenal. Many in western PA will recognize the “Latrobe” name as a town in Westmoreland County was named for him. ·         The arsenal consisted of 50 structures (four buildings remain today). ·         The arsenal stretched over 38 acres. ·         Total cost of the arsenal was $300,000 (an e...

If you haven't read Allegheny Arsenal, Part I, click here . One of my coworkers lives in Lawrenceville and in passing I remarked that I was in his neighborhood recently checking out Arsenal Park . Josh seemed surprised, but I explained the email and my interest in history. That got him talking. I never would have guessed that Josh is a history enthusiast, but he is on the Board of Directors for the Lawrenceville Historical Society . GOLD MINE! He shared some more information about the arsenal and then casually mentioned that it just so happens the historical society’s newsletter features the Allegheny Arsenal in this publication. Fact is stranger than fiction. But, it gets even better. He is going to bring me a copy. . .for a quarter. Ah, gotta love his sense of humor. Every year on the first Saturday after the 4 th of July, Lawrenceville hosts “Doo Dah Days”, or rather Doo Dah Day as it lasts only one day, but that is neither here nor there. Doo Dah Day s is a festival...

History has always interested me and the Pittsburgh area has plenty. I stumbled upon today's subject by chance. On a “Roadtrips in Pennsylvania ” website I noted a short paragraph on Allegheny Arsenal Park and realized that I know exactly where it is. Like a lot of people I’m sure, I’ve passed it and never thought twice about its name, the location, or its historical significance. I decided to check it out with Sarah and Emily in tow. Located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh , home of Sarah and Emily’s paternal great-grandparents incidentally, the   Allegheny Arsenal was established in 1814. It was an important supply and manufacturing center for the Union Army during the American Civil War.  It is also the site of the single largest civilian  disaster during the war. On September 17, 1862 , around 2 pm , the arsenal exploded. The explosion shattered windows in the surrounding community and was heard in Pittsburgh , two miles away. Other explosi...