What are the origins of Hazelwood's name?
- "Hazelwood's name derives from the hazelnut trees which once covered its site along the
Monongahela River." (1)
Why was part of Hazelwood once known as "Scotch
Bottom?"
- "Immigrants from Scotland were the first settlers in this Indian
territory, and the area from Four Mile Run to the Six Mile Ferry (four
and six miles respectively from The
Point) was called Scotch Bottom." (2)
Who was among the first settlers in
what is now Hazelwood?
- "John Wood[s], a prosperous lawyer, (3) first settled here in 1784 and built an
estate which he called 'Hazel Hill.'" (4)
What fame attaches itself to John Woods' father, George
Woods?
- "The first survey of Pittsburgh was made in 1784 by Colonel George
Woods and the present Wood Street in downtown Pittsburgh honors him." (5)
What was the result of early real estate development in
Hazelwood?
- "Large farms and estates were carved into the woodland areas along the Monongahela,
attracting numerous families of wealth to the region." (6)
What Pittsburgh families early
settled in Hazelwood?
- "Early families included the Olivers, Nixons, Evanses, Scullys,
Burgwins, Joneses, Laughlins and Blairs." (7)
What physical improvements were
made due to the number of wealthy residents?
- "A wooden plank road--the
first of its kind around Pittsburgh--[was] built to bear
the carriage traffic between the Point and Hazelwood." (8)
What is one aspect of Hazelwood's terrain?
- "The Hazelwood district has an attractive backdrop of a hilly,
tree-covered area within its boundaries. This area has slopes of a 25%
grade or more which makes development rather difficult." (9)
What strategic, geographic advantage spurred Hazelwood's
growth?
- "Hazelwood was strategically located between the coal fields of Connellsville and the
City of Pittsburgh." (10)
How did B. F. Jones change the face of Hazelwood?
- "In 1861 Mr. B. F. Jones, of the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad and later of
Jones and Laughlin, built the first line of track through the area, bringing with it
new residents and new jobs." (11)
Where did B. F. Jones place his railroad tracks and
why?
- "Even with the railroad, Hazelwood retained its image of a tranquil place to live.
Concerned citizens convinced Mr. Jones to build his railroad inland from the river
in order to retain the the natural beauty of the river banks." (12)
When was the Hazelwood area annexed to the City of
Pittsburgh?
- Hazelwood was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1869. (13)
Between 1870 and 1910 what kind of industries and businesses
blossomed in Hazelwood?
- "The iron and steel industries, railroading, boatbuilding and the
river trade." (14)
Did industrialization change Hazelwood?
- Yes.
Was coal ever mined in the Hazelwood area?
- "A coal seam was once mined in Glen Hazel Heights by the Pittsburgh
Coal Company." (15)
What was once a principal feature of the social life of
Hazelwood?
- "A strong fraternal town, Hazelwood had its share of lodges--Masons, Odd Fellows, Pythias,
Malta, Rebekah, Eastern Star, Knights of Columbus, Hibernians, Moose, veterans, service
and ethnic clubs." (16)
In 1962 what was the profile of business in Hazelwood and
Glenwood?
- In 1962 Hazelwood and Glenwood had "two shopping centers, one
extending from Hazelwood Avenue to Elizabeth Street and the other from
Mansion Street. There [were] 206 business houses in the area. [These
included:]
2 large supermarkets 1 movie house (now closed)
2 hardware stores 5 beauty shops
3 jewelers 5 real estate offices
1 five and ten cent store 2 variety stores
8 independent grocers 5 drug stores
1 bank 210 store fronts in the area
1 loan office 1 Post Office" (17)
In the late 1970s what ethnic mix could be found in
Hazelwood?
- Hungarian, Italian, Slovak, Carpatho-Rusin, Polish, Irish and
African-Americans. (18)
In the late 1980s what plans were laid for the site of
the old Jones & Laughlin Steel plant in Hazelwood?
- "Two university presidents, standing in the former Downtown board
room of
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., described high-tech research centers
their schools plan to build on the former site of a J & L hot strip
mill in Hazelwood.
"The buildings will be part of the Pittsburgh Technology Center along the
Monongahela River." (19)
What was the first structure to be completed in the
Pittsburgh Technology Center?
- The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Biotechnology and
Bioengineering "is the first structure to be completed in the Pittsburgh
Technology Center along Second Avenue. Carnegie Mellon University, Pitt
and the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority devised the plan six
years ago for scientific and research development on the former J & L
Steel site. It was seen then as a major step for this post-industrial
city." (20)
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