1899 Press Clippings For The Monongahela Street Railway Company, Pittsburgh, PA

Antiques : Books, Manuscripts

 

This is a late Victorian press clipping scrapbook that was compiled by the Central Press Bureau in 1899 for the Monongahela Street Railway Company. It covers dates of March 5, 1899 to December 2, 1899. It is a fascinating read! Companies would often request that such Press Bureaus to compile books as this for their reading enjoyment as well as company legacy.

This book features hundreds and hundreds of articles clipped from various newspapers during that time frame. all relate in one way or another to the Monongahela Street Railway Company, no matter how obscure! Each article is stamped with the date and the name of the newspaper.

Many of the articles are very interesting to read, even if one is not familiar of the local areas. Kennywood Park, located in West Mifflin just a few miles outside of Pittsburgh, and home to one of the countrys oldest amusement parks, is mentioned quite a bit! As a patron of Kennywood for more years than we care to remember, this was a treat!

For another example of the type of articles that are in this book, we must go a bit more "dark". Lots of articles relating to the deaths of passengers, or whose death came in or near the service. Still, very interesting.

For those of you familiar with Pittsburgh and it's suburbs, the locales that are mentioned seem to be in and around the Mon Valley and the East Hills. Braddock, McKeesport, Homestead, West Mifflin, Rankin, and Swissvale. The South Side is also mentioned. As is Snowden Twp (South Park) Baldwin, Carroll Twp and Union Twp in Washington County.

There are quite a few weather related articles also. It is just a lot of fun to read about riots in Homestead involving the police and the streetcar workers, the fact that on one particularly hot day, Kennywood park had close to 2,000 visitors! Anyone who still frequents the park will appreciate this story!

In general, this is a great historical piece. The condition is good, with most all articles intact. Looks like there may have been 3 smaller ones that have since fallen out. There are quite a few articles that fold over because they are so large. All are in VERY GOOD condition! The book measures 12" by 9 1/2" by 2 1/4". The binding is beginning to split along the spine, but it is still holding quite well.

Item ID: JJS1176