In 1774, what was the selling price of the land that is today
Schenley Park?
- "$1.21 an acre." (1)
When was Oakland first known as "Oakland?"
- "The name 'Oakland' first appeared, in 1839, in a local paper called Harris'
Intelligencer." (2)
Why is Oakland known as "Oakland?"
- "This area derived its name from the abundance of
oak trees found on the farm of
William Eichenbaum, who settled here in 1840." (3)
What may have happened to these numerous oak trees?
- According to remarks published in 1904 of James J. Booth, select city
councilman
and chairman of the Oakland Board of Trade's committee on ore dust, "This
ore dust is destroying everything, too." (4)
"The ore dust has killed my
flowers and trees. Before we had this ore and this smoke from the
Junction railroad we had hundreds of fine oak trees hereabouts. Now we have none." (5)
According to Mr. Booth, what was the source of the "ore
dust"?
- The Jones & Laughlin company. (6)
What spurred Oakland's growth in the nineteenth century?
- "Oakland developed rapidly following the Great Fire of
1845 in
Downtown, with people moving out to what was then suburban territory." (7)
"By 1860, passenger rail service had encouraged residential growth as far
as Bates
and North Bellefield Streets, and commercial development along Fifth
Avenue." (8)
When was Oakland Township incorporated?
- Oakland Township was incorporated in 1866. (9)
When was Oakland Township annexed to the City of Pittsburgh?
- Oakland Township was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1868. (10)
How did Mary Croghan Schenley affect the City of Pittsburgh?
- "In 1889, Mary Croghan Schenley gave the city
300 acres in Oakland for a park.
Officials bought another 100 acres from her for Schenley Park. Schenley later
gave another gift, land for Schenley Plaza." (11)
When can a bridge be a bridge and yet not be a
bridge?
- When it's been buried.
What was Andrew Carnegie's gift to Oakland and to Pittsburgh?
- At Schenley Plaza "Andrew Carnegie built a library,
museum and concert
hall complex which opened in 1895." (12)
What were the predictions for Oakland at the beginning of the twentieth century?
- In 1904, Arthur A. Hamerschlag, Director of Carnegie
Technical School, "said that in his estimation Oakland [was] bound to become the
institutional center of Pittsburg." (13) "Leading
business men and property owners in Oakland agree[d] with the talented,
energetic head of the big Carnegie school and...believe[d] the district
wherein they [had] settled [was] bound to enjoy a future of great
prosperity." (14)
What are the origins of Carnegie Mellon
University?
- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is the
result of a merger in 1967 of "Carnegie
Institute of Technology,
founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie
to train skilled persons for industry" (15) and
"Mellon Institute, founded in 1913
by Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon to conduct industrial
research." (16)
When was Forbes Field built?
- Forbes Field was built in 1909. (17)
How old is the University of Pittsburgh?
- The University of Pittsburgh is heir to
Pittsburgh Academy, incorporated in 1787. (18)
When did the University of Pittsburgh take up residence in Oakland?
- The Western University of Pennsylvania relocated from Allegheny to Oakland in 1907,
becoming the University of Pittsburgh. (19)
What are the origins of the
University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning?
- "The University of Pittsburgh's expansion dates to 1921 when, after scrubbing an
'Acropolis' plan to construct on a hillside, Pitt
decided to build its main
facility straight up. A site was chosen on Frick's
Acres, and in 1925 work
began on [at that time (20)] the world's tallest
educational building,
the 42-story Cathedral of Learning." (21)
When the University of Pittsburgh acquired Forbes Field in 1958, what were the
expectations reported at the time?
- "With the elimination of sports events at Forbes Field, the biggest generator of
traffic congestion will be removed. The area will be free to develop as a center
of educational, cultural and medical activities." (22)
When was the final game played at Forbes Field?
- According to the plaque accompanying the old
home plate, now inside
Forbes Quadrangle, a part of the
University of Pittsburgh, the final game played at Forbes Field
was between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on June 28, 1970.
How may the relationship of the University of Pittsburgh to its home in Oakland
be described?
- "The University of Pittsburgh moved to Oakland in 1908, forever changing the neighborhood,
forever changing the city. Though many of its accomplishments have received national
and international attention, the University's everyday impact is far more telling, if
subtle. The relationship between Pitt and its environment moves forward by quiet,
almost immeasurable inertia, unnoticed until the next research breakthrough or next
commencement or neighborhood tiff." (23)
How was Oakland dealing with issues of development, growth
and planning in 1993?
- "In an overall process called 'Oakland 2000,' the neighborhood [was] planning for
the future through task forces discussing Pitt's long-term construction plan,
participation in a rewrite of Oakland's zoning regulations by the city, and an
update of a 1980 guideline for the neighborhood's development." (24)
What, among other plans, have been proposed
for Junction and Panther Hollows?
- "There had been talk for years about doing something useful with, or to, the
hollows on the periphery of Schenley Park, such as filling them in with
slag or using the sides of the ravines as a natural amphitheater and
stadium." (25)
What is the significance of
"the neon-lit corner of Forbes Ave. and Bouquet Street in
Oakland?" (26)
- "Site of 'The O' [The Original
Hot Dog Shop] and the Wall [in front of the University of Pittsburgh's
Law School], an unofficial rallying point for college students
and local teenagers, every weekend, year 'round." (27)
What are some of the major institutions that make their home
in Oakland?
- Carlow College, Carnegie Mellon University, Children's Hospital, Falk
Clinic, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Magee-Womens
Hospital, Phipps Conservatory, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, Pittsburgh Blind
Association, the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education, Soldiers and
Sailors Memorial Hall, the University of Pittsburgh (including the
School of Library and Information
Science), the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center (consisting of Montefiore University Hospital, Pittsburgh
Cancer Institute, Presbyterian University Hospital and Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic), Western
Pennsylvania School for Blind Children and The
Carnegie.
What is one view of Oakland's importance?
- "Oakland is one of the region's hubs. Like the Golden Triangle and
the airport corridor,
Oakland's economic growth provides capital and creates jobs for residents of Allegheny
County and beyond. Over the last 25 years, Oakland's educational and medical
institutions have grown and become internationally competitive." (28)
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