‘That war changed Pittsburgh forever’: 4 The Record learns about new exhibit at Fort Pitt Museum
Hosts Elena LaQuatra and Lily Coleman lead this week’s 4 The Record, which is part two of our exploration of Pittsburgh’s role in the birth of America
LAST WEEK ON FOR THE RECORD, WE GOT AN EARLY LOOK AT HOW PITTSBURGH IS CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY NOW THIS WEEK. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR STORY THAT YOU HAVEN’T HEARD. BUT IT’S A CRUCIAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE TO UNDERSTANDING THE WAR ITSELF. MORE PITTSBURGH’S ROLE IN HELPING AMERICA GET ITS START, AND MORE OF THE EXPERIENCES YOU’LL WANT TO HAVE IN TOWN AS AMERICA’S BIRTHDAY APPROACHES. IT’S A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN. YOU KNOW, YOUR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR FOR THE RECORD STARTS NOW. WELCOME TO. FOR THE RECORD, I’M ELENA LAQUATRA AND I’M LILY COLEMAN. OUR NATION IS GETTING READY FOR A BIG BIRTHDAY MARKING 250 YEARS ON THE 4TH OF JULY. AND TODAY WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW PITTSBURGH IS CELEBRATING. THAT DOES INCLUDE A NEW EXHIBIT AT THE FORT PITT MUSEUM AT POINT STATE PARK. FOR MORE ON THAT, LET’S GET OUT TO MY INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL BURKE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM. I GUESS WE’LL START WITH THE EASY QUESTION. YOU’RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT A NEW EXHIBIT AT THE FORT PITT MUSEUM. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. SURE. OUR NEW EXHIBIT IS CALLED PITTSBURGH’S REVOLUTION, AND IT DEALS WITH THIS AREA, THIS PART OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. IN THE LEAD UP TO AND ALL THROUGH THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. AND WHAT WE TRY TO HIGHLIGHT FOR PEOPLE IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PITTSBURGH TO THIS BIGGER NATIONAL CONFLICT. OUR FOUNDING CONFLICT, AND ALSO THE WAYS THAT THAT WAR CHANGED PITTSBURGH FOREVER. LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THAT. PENNSYLVANIA, THIS REGION, SPECIFICALLY WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, VERY IMPORTANT TO BOTH THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE BIRTH OF OUR NATION. GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO MAYBE HASN’T TALKED TOO MUCH HISTORY SINCE THE HIGH SCHOOL DAYS, I MIGHT FORGET SOME OF THESE DETAILS, BUT WE SEE IT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN PITTSBURGH, WHETHER IT’S THE NAMES OF CERTAIN THINGS AROUND THE CITY, THE STATUES WE HAVE. SO GO AHEAD, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. YEAH. YOU SEE THESE LIKE CLUES ALL OVER THE PLACE. THIS STREET, YOU KNOW. YEAH. WASHINGTON BOULEVARD AND BOUQUET STREET, ALL THESE THESE NAMES. AND YOU’RE KIND OF LIKE, WHAT DO THEY ALL MEAN? HOW DO THEY ALL CONNECT? I THINK THE KEY TO IT IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK TO THE 1740S AND 50S, THIS IS THIS AREA IS AN AREA OF INTEREST FOR THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THE FRENCH EMPIRE, AND ALSO NUMEROUS NATIVE NATIONS WHO HAVE KIND OF MOVED INTO THIS LAND. AND SO THEY’RE ALL ALL THEIR INTERESTS OVERLAP AT WHAT WE CALL THE FORKS OF THE OHIO, WHERE PITTSBURGH IS TODAY. AND SO IT’S INTO THIS WORLD THAT THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA GETS INTERESTED. AND SOME LAND SPECULATORS AND WEALTHY PLANTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THE OHIO COMPANY TO TRY TO SETTLE THE LAND. AND IT’S AS PART OF THAT, THAT GEORGE WASHINGTON COMES OUT HERE AS A YOUNG SURVEYOR IN 1753. HIS MISSION IS TO EVICT THE FRENCH, WHO HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES NORTH OF THE ALLEGHENY RIVER AT FORT LEBOEUF. AND THEY’RE BUILDING A STRING OF FORTS DOWN CLOSER TO THE FORKS OF THE OHIO. WASHINGTON’S MISSION IS TO GO AND GIVE THEM THEIR EVICTION NOTICE. AND SO THAT’S THE AREA THAT’S KIND OF THIS ZONE OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST THAT WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS IN THE 1740S AND 50S. THAT IS REALLY COOL. AND I LIKE HOW YOU EXPLAINED IT TOO. IT’S REALLY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. NOW, THIS NEW EXHIBIT, WHAT CAN PEOPLE SEE IF THEY GO TO CHECK IT OUT, WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE WHEN YOU COME TO THE EXHIBIT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU COME, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE TWO 50TH ON THE 4TH OF JULY, THAT’S THE BIG THING FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR MUSEUMS LIKE US. THIS YEAR, YOU’LL WALK INTO PITTSBURGH’S REVOLUTION, AND THE VERY FIRST THING THAT YOU’LL SEE IS THE FLAG OF JOHN PROCTOR’S FIRST BATTALION OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. SO WHEN THE WAR BREAKS OUT AND THERE’S A LOT OF BUILD UP TO IT ON THE FRONTIER, FRONTIER, PEOPLE ARE KIND OF READY FOR IT IN NUMEROUS WAYS, WHICH WE CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT. BUT WHEN THE WAR BREAKS OUT, WHEN NEWS OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD, THE OPENING SHOTS OF THE REVOLUTION, WHICH TAKE PLACE JUST OUTSIDE OF BOSTON, WHEN THAT MAKES IT TO PITTSBURGH AND WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PEOPLE ARE MOBILIZED AND THEY’RE READY FOR WAR, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY, FORM A MILITARY ASSOCIATION. THEY DRAFT A SERIES OF RESOLVES, ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT WE WILL DEFEND OUR COUNTRY AT ALL COSTS. THEY’RE VERY ANGRY AT THE PARLIAMENT AND MINISTRY IN ENGLAND. THEY’RE STILL DECLARE THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THE KING BECAUSE INDEPENDENCE HADN’T YET BEEN DECLARED. AND SO THEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CREATE THESE MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS. THEY FORM TWO BATTALIONS. ONE OF THEM IS LED BY JOHN PROCTOR, AND THE FLAG SURVIVES. IT’S IN THE COLLECTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION AND ON DISPLAY AT THE FORT PITT MUSEUM. SO THAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU WALK INTO PITTSBURGH’S REVOLUTION. AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU KIND OF GET A SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF THE WAR. SO IT’S ON THE EAST COAST. IT’S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE FAMOUS BATTLES, BRANDYWINE AND MONMOUTH AND SARATOGA, DIFFERENT PLACES LIKE THAT. OUT HERE, THE FOCUS IS ON THE LAND TO THE WEST AND THE OHIO COUNTRY FRONTIER. AND SO THAT’S KIND OF HOW WE ORIENT THINGS IN THE EXHIBIT. IT’S LIKE THAT. THAT’S PITTSBURGH’S FRONTIER AT THAT POINT. IS ALL THE LAND WEST OF HERE, YOU KNOW, FOR A THOUSAND MILES DOWN THE OHIO RIVER. THAT’S REALLY COOL. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY AFTER SEEING THIS EXHIBIT? WE WANT PEOPLE TO PEOPLE FROM PITTSBURGH, I THINK, TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR CITY AND THIS REGION IN THAT CONFLICT. PITTSBURGH IS IS LITERALLY THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY IN THE WEST. AND IT’S WASHINGTON WHO’S GOT THESE DEEP ROOTS IN THIS AREA THAT’S KIND OF GUIDING THAT PROCESS. AND HE KNOWS THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REGION TO SECURE. SO WE WANT PEOPLE FROM PITTSBURGH AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO KNOW THAT THIS PLACE WAS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT TO THE NATION’S FOUNDING. AND THEN WE WANT PEOPLE FROM ELSEWHERE TO REALIZE THAT AS WELL, AND TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR STORY THAT YOU HAVEN’T HEARD, BUT IT’S A CRUCIAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE TO UNDERSTANDING THE WAR ITSELF. AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AFTER. BECAUSE AFTER THE WAR CONCLUDES, IT’S ALL ABOUT SETTLEMENT DOWN THE OHIO RIVER. AND SO PITTSBURGH AT THAT POINT TRULY BECOMES THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST. I THINK MANY PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE AMERICA. 250 THIS YEAR FOR VARIOUS REASONS. FOR YOU GUYS, I’M SURE IT IS A VERY MONUMENTAL MOMENT AS WELL. HOW’S THAT SHAPED HOW YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THINGS AT FORT PITT MUSEUM IN THE MUSEUM WORLD AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR MUSEUM. THAN A DECADE. YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN ON PEOPLE’S RADAR. AND SO IT’S SHAPED OUR CHOICE OF EXHIBITS. WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER EXHIBIT ON FRONTIER WEAPONS THAT’S OPENING LATER THIS SUMMER. IT’S SHAPED OUR PROGRAMING GOALS. WE’LL HAVE LOTS OF CANNON FIRINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE’VE GOT THE FOURTH AT THE FORT COMING UP ON JULY 4TH, WHICH IS A A REALLY GREAT LITTLE CEREMONY WE DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THAT OPERATE THE FORT PITT BLOCKHOUSE. SO WE A COUPLE DAYS IN ADVANCE, WE’LL RAISE UP A BRITISH FLAG ONTO THE FLAGPOLE THAT SITS IN THE BLOCKHOUSE YARD. AND THEN ON JULY 4TH AT 11 A.M., WE’LL HAVE A CEREMONY THERE WHERE WE STRIKE THE BRITISH COLORS AND WE RAISE UP THE 36 FOOT GARRISON FLAG, THE 13 STAR FLAG, WITH THE HELP OF USUALLY LOCAL SCOUT GROUPS OR VETERANS GROUPS TO UNFURL THIS GIANT FLAG AND KIND OF RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE. AND IT’S A GREAT IT’S A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN, YOU KNOW, YOUR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT KIND OF BRINGS YOU, THAT GROUNDS YOU AND BRINGS YOU BACK TO WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. AND THAT’S HAPPENING. 4TH OF JULY, 4TH OF JULY IN THE MORNING, I’M ASSUMING. YES. YEAH. IT STARTS AT 11 A.M. AND SO WE’LL HAVE SOME SPEAKERS THERE. WE HAVE A LOCAL CHORAL GROUP THAT DOES PATRIOTIC SONGS. AND IN THE BLOCKHOUSE YARD WILL BE ABSOLUTELY PACKED WITH WITH VISITORS. VERY EXCITING. WE’RE HOPING FOR GOOD WEATHER FOR THAT FOR SURE. YES, YES. NOW, IN A BROADER SENSE, TALKING ABOUT THE FORT PITT MUSEUM, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO VISIT PITTSBURGHERS MAYBE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE, ASIDE FROM THE AMERICA 250 FOCUS, WHAT CAN THEY LOOK FORWARD TO? WHY IS THAT SOMETHING EVERY PITTSBURGHER SHOULD GO AND CHECK OUT? YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT’S TRICKY BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU DON’T GET TO SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD. AND SO WE’RE ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME AND VISIT. WHEN YOU COME TO FORT PITT, WHAT YOU’LL SEE IS, IS THE BIG OVERVIEW OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THIS REGION. SO WE COVER THE NATIVE, YOU KNOW, HISTORY, THE KIND OF MOVEMENTS INTO THE OHIO COUNTRY, FRENCH AND BRITISH, AND THAT FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR THAT ERUPTS IN THE 1750S. WE COVER THE REVOLUTION, WE COVER THE WHISKEY REBELLION. SO ALL OF THOSE KIND OF EVENTS THAT EVERYBODY HEARS, YOU KNOW, IN SCHOOL WHEN THEY’RE YOUNG, WE KIND OF CONNECT THE DOTS ON ALL OF THOSE. AND SO THAT’S WHAT YOU’LL SEE WHEN YOU COME TO FORT PITT. AND WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY, WE DO A LOT OF TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE UP FOR, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO. AND THEN WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT KIND OF INCORPORATING THAT CONTENT BACK INTO THE MUSEUM AND ALWAYS HAVING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SEE. SO OUR GOAL IS EVERY TIME YOU COME TO FORT PITT, YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING NEW. THAT’S REALLY COOL. YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS WORKING HARD, ALWAYS EVOLVING, CHANGING. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THAT ONE FACT OR THAT ONE PIECE OF HISTORY OR DETAIL THAT ALWAYS TAKES PITTSBURGHERS BY SURPRISE ABOUT OUR AREA? WHEN IT COMES TO HISTORY? I THINK IT’S JUST THAT IT WAS IT WAS SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL ZONE OF CONFLICT. IF YOU THINK OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND WHY THAT’S SO SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, GEORGE WASHINGTON IS OUT HERE IN 1754. HE FIRES WITH HIS MEN ON THIS DETACHMENT OF FRENCH TROOPS. THAT EVENT SETS IN MOTION THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, WHICH LEADS DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. AND SO ALL OF THAT HAPPENS HERE IN WESTERN PA. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME AWAY WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE IN THAT HISTORY. AND THAT KIND OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PLACE. AND IT CONTINUES TO BE. ABSOLUTELY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? YEAH. PLEASE COME DOWN AND SEE US, ESPECIALLY FOR THE TWO 50TH THIS YEAR. KIDS ARE FREE THANKS TO THE CAYMAN FREE FOR KIDS INITIATIVE AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER, WHICH WE’RE PART OF. AND SO COME ON DOWN AND SEE US SPEND SOME TIME. GET TO KNOW YOUR THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE CITY AND REGION A LITTLE BIT BETTER. STILL AHEAD ON. FOR THE RECORD, AS WE STAND HERE, WE HAVE A PANORAMA OF PITTSBURGH HISTORY. THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER ON WHAT’S PLANNED IN THE STEEL CITY FOR THE BIG 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION. AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU MISSED PART ONE OF OUR TWO PART SERIES ON PITTSBURGH’S ROLE IN THE BIRTH OF AMERICA, YOU CAN REWATCH IT ANYTIME. IT’S AVAILABLE ONLINE@WTAE.COM AND ON THE WTAE APP UNDER THE FOR THE RECORD TAB. YOU CAN ALSO WATCH IT ON THE VERY LOCAL APP. WE’RE BACK RIGHT AFTER THIS. WELCOME BACK TO. FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU SAW LAST WEEK’S PART ONE OF OUR SERIES ON AMERICA’S 250TH, YOU DID SEE LILLY’S SIT DOWN INTERVIEW WITH ANDY MASICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HEINZ HISTORY CENTER. AND OUR CAMERAS LATER CAUGHT UP WITH ANDY AGAIN AT A NEWS CONFERENCE PREPARING FOR PITTSBURGH’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS. LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT WHAT’S IN STORE, THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER IS PITTSBURGH’S TIME CAPSULE. SO IT’S 350 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FEET OF MUSEUM. IT’S A SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATED MUSEUM, AND IT’S A PROUD AFFILIATE OF THE THE SMITHSONIAN THAT HAS JUST BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE HISTORY MUSEUM. SO PLEASE COME AND VISIT US DURING THE CIVIC SEASON. THAT’S WHAT WE CALL THIS PERIOD FROM JUNE 19TH TO JULY 4TH. ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER ON JULY 4TH. THOUGH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME TO POINT STATE PARK TO SEE THE FORT PITT MUSEUM AND PITTSBURGH’S OLDEST BUILDING, THE BLOCKHOUSE, WHICH IS STILL MANAGED BY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. SINCE THE 1890S, THEY’VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. THAT OCTAGONAL OR THAT THAT BLOCKHOUSE THAT WAS BUILT AS AN OUTBUILDING OF FORT PITT IN 1764. YOU KNOW, AS WE STAND HERE, WE HAVE A PANORAMA OF PITTSBURGH HISTORY, 250 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE SHAWNEE AND DELAWARE AND SENECA PEOPLE LIVING HERE. THEY WERE LIVING IN CONCERT WITH TRAPPERS AND TRADERS AND PEOPLE WHO STARTED A CITY RIGHT HERE AT THE FORKS OF THE OHIO. THAT’S WHAT THEY CALL THE CONFLUENCE OF THE THREE RIVERS. 250 YEARS AGO. BUT SO MUCH HISTORY WAS MADE HERE FROM THE TIME YOUNG 21 YEAR OLD GEORGE WASHINGTON ARRIVED IN 1753 TO THE TIME ABRAHAM LINCOLN SPOKE RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER THERE AT THE MONONGAHELA HOUSE IN 1861. AS HE WENT ON HIS WAY TO WASHINGTON JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, DURING THE CIVIL WAR, PITTSBURGH WAS THE ARSENAL OF THE UNION, AND THEN AFTER THE WAR, IT BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL CENTER, MAKING RAILS THAT CRISSCROSSED THE NATION. OF COURSE, DURING WORLD WAR TWO, THIS WAS THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY. IT’S WHERE ROSIE THE RIVETER, 50,000 WOMEN WENT INTO THE WORKFORCE AND KEPT THOSE MILLS GOING 24 OVER SEVEN. PITTSBURGH PRODUCED MORE STEEL THAN ALL THE AXIS POWERS PUT THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT STORIES OF HEROISM AND INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE. YOU’LL FIND THEM AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER AND AT ALL THE PARTNER SITES. THE HISTORY CENTER HAS BEEN HONORED TO WORK WITH AMERICA. 250 PA AND ALL THE OTHER PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE IN PLANNING WHAT SHOULD BE AN AMAZING SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL FOR YOU LATIN SCHOLARS. SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL 250 YEARS. IT’S GOING TO BE BIG. STILL AHEAD BECAUSE PITTSBURGH CHANGED THE WORLD. THIS CITY, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, BUILT THE 20TH CENTURY. ANOTHER LOOK AT AMERICA’S 250TH AND THE ROLE PITTSBURGH’S STEEL INDUSTRY HAS HAD IN THE GROWTH OF OUR NATION. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD, AS WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE AMERICA’S 250TH, WE ALSO HAVE A LOOK AT THE ROLE THAT PITTSBURGH HAS HAD IN GROWING AMERICA OVER THE PAST QUARTER OF A MILLENNIUM. OUR SHANNON PERRINE DIVES INTO THAT VERY SPECIFIC PART OF OUR HISTORY AND HOW IT STARTED IN THE TOWN, APPROPRIATELY CALLED THE STEEL CITY. YOU CAN’T EXPLORE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY WITHOUT THE STORY OF STEEL. A STORY SET IN PITTSBURGH. SO THIS WAS MY GRANDFATHER’S WORK BADGE THAT HE WORE AT NATIONAL FOR 48 YEARS. THE FACE OF A STEELWORKER, WILLIAM KIRKLAND. KNOWING MY GRANDFATHER DID THIS BEFORE ME, THAT HE MADE THIS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. WILLIAM KIRKLAND KELLY, JUST TWO OF THE THOUSANDS OF STEELWORKERS WHO FORGED AMERICA’S BACKBONE. IT’S PRIDE THAT WE MAKE STEEL HERE THAT MAKES A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE WORLD. BACK IN THE DAYS THEY, YOU KNOW, BUILT THE BRIDGES AND THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING AND STUFF. THERE’S PRIDE. WE SEE THAT LOGO ON THINGS. YOU KNOW, MY WASHER AND DRYER WAS MADE WITH STEEL FROM MY PLANT. LET’S GO BACK IN TIME TO BEFORE KELLY STARTED WORKING AT U.S. STEEL’S EDGAR THOMSON PLANT IN BRADDOCK. BECAUSE PITTSBURGH CHANGED THE WORLD, THIS CITY, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, BUILT THE 20TH CENTURY. JUST LIKE STEEL REQUIRES VERY SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS. PITTSBURGH HAD EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO LAUNCH A GLOBAL INDUSTRY. THE FIRST INGREDIENT SITS RIGHT BELOW MY FEET. GEOLOGISTS CALL THE PITTSBURGH COAL SEAM THE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC MINERAL DEPOSIT IN THE WORLD. NUMBER TWO, RIVERS FOR TRANSPORTATION. AND THE THIRD AND MOST CRUCIAL INGREDIENT, PITTSBURGH’S PEOPLE. I MEAN, THEY CAME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. ORIGINALLY. WHO’S BEING ATTRACTED HERE TO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY? IT’S, YOU KNOW, NORTHERN EUROPEANS, GERMANS, DUTCH, ENGLISH. WHY? BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT BACKGROUND. THEY’RE WORKING IN THE IRON INDUSTRY, IN THE COAL INDUSTRY, IN EUROPE, IN PITTSBURGH. HENRY CLAY FRICK MADE HIS ORIGINAL MONEY IN COKE, WHICH IS COAL BURNED DOWN INTO A BYPRODUCT THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR STEEL. FROM MILLIONAIRE’S ROW ON FIFTH AVENUE IN SHADYSIDE, ANDREW CARNEGIE, BRIEFLY THE WORLD’S RICHEST MAN AND HIS SECOND IN COMMAND, HENRY CLAY FRICK, BORROWED THE BRITISH INVENTION CALLED THE BESSEMER FURNACE, TO CAPITALISM BY MASS PRODUCING STEEL. SO BUYING UP PROPERTY, BUILDING COKE OVENS. BY 1880, ROUGHLY THE TIME THAT HE GETS MARRIED AND MOVES INTO PITTSBURGH, HE HAS MADE HIS FIRST MILLION. HE IS CALLED THE KING OF COKE. PARTNERS UP WITH ANDREW CARNEGIE AND THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER. KIND OF TAKE THE STEEL INDUSTRY TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN PITTSBURGH. AND THEY ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS, NOT NECESSARILY FRIENDS. ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT CARNEGIE IS THAT HE WAS CONSTANTLY REINVESTING. HE WAS ALWAYS CUTTING EDGE WITH TECHNOLOGY. IF SOMETHING NEW WAS COMING ALONG, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE INDUSTRY, THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO PRODUCE NOT JUST A CHEAPER STEEL, BUT A BETTER STEEL. HE WOULD INVEST IN IT HEAVILY. AND THAT’S WHAT ALLOWED FOR HIS SUCCESS. CARNEGIE LEFT FRICK IN CHARGE WHEN HE TOOK A TRIP TO EUROPE IN 1892, THE YEAR OF THE BATTLE OF HOMESTEAD. SEVEN STEELWORKERS AND THREE PINKERTONS WOULD LOSE THEIR LIVES. WHAT HAPPENED HERE? ON JULY 6TH, 1892, CHANGES AMERICA. CHANGES THE CLIMATE OF LABOR IN THIS COUNTRY AND WAS REALLY LABOR’S LAST GREAT STAND IN THE 19TH CENTURY TO SAY WE DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. WE DESERVE A PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM THAT OUR LABOR, OUR SWEAT EQUITY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ANDREW CARNEGIE’S CAPITAL. AFTER THE BLOODSHED AT THE HOMESTEAD WORKS, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER 40 YEARS UNTIL AMERICAN STEELWORKERS GOT UNION REPRESENTATION AGAIN. AND FOR 100 YEARS WORK IN THE MILL, AND THE UNITED STEELWORKERS UNION LIFTED MILLIONS OUT OF POVERTY. THE INDUSTRIES CREDITED WITH CREATING THE WORLD’S FIRST MIDDLE CLASS. BUT AFTER WORLD WAR TWO, AMERICA HELPED FORMER ENEMIES BUILD BRAND NEW STEEL MILLS, WHILE PITTSBURGH’S DETERIORATED, THE JAPANESE STEEL COMPANIES IN THE 1970S. WHAT DID THEY DO AND WHAT MOVES DID THEY MAKE? CHESS MOVES THAT LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF STEEL IN PITTSBURGH IN THE 1970S, OUR MAJOR COMPETITORS ARE GERMAN AND JAPANESE STEEL. AND WHY WOULD THAT BE? WORLD WAR TWO. WE DESTROYED ALL THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, DESTROYED THEIR INDUSTRIES. AND UNDER THE MARSHALL PLAN AFTER THE WAR, REBUILT THOSE INDUSTRIES, THEY HAD NEWER MILLS. THEY HAD NEWER MILLS. THEY’RE ABLE TO PRODUCE STEEL LESS EXPENSIVELY IN THE MON VALLEY ALONE, THE INDUSTRIES COLLAPSE, WIPED OUT 95,000 JOBS. IT WAS EVERY OTHER HOUSE, EVERY ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS HAD SOMEBODY, A BROTHER OR SISTER OR UNCLE, MOM AND DAD, SOMEBODY THAT WORKED HERE, THAT WAS THIS COMMON. AND I STILL DON’T THINK THE AREA SURVIVED. WHAT HAPPENED? THE NUMBER OF STEEL JOBS DWINDLED, BUT THE PRIDE REMAINS SENSE OF FAMILY. IT’S EVERYTHING I’VE KNOWN FOR MY LIFETIME. WITH THE JOBS THAT ARE HERE. YOU KNOW, THE PLANTS THAT HAVE CLOSED. BUT WE’VE SURVIVED. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THERE’S STILL 3000 OF US HERE MAKING QUALITY STEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STUFF THAT THAT WE NEED. SO IT’S A, IT’S A PRIDE IN BEING A STEELWORKER. AND WE WANT TO THANK SHANNON PERRINE FOR THAT REPORT. COMING UP, THIS WEEK’S FINAL WORD AND WHO’S HELPING TO EDUCATE OUR NATION’S YOUTH ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. BEFORE WE GO, THIS WEEK’S FINAL WORD. DURING MY INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL BURKE, WHO’S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE FORT PITT MUSEUM, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD HIM MENTION THAT THE ADMISSION TO THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER IS FREE FOR CHILDREN AGES 17 AND UNDER. NOW, THAT’S ALL THANKS TO THE CAYMAN FREE FOR KIDS INITIATIVE. I ASKED BURKE WHY HE AND HISTORY CENTER PRESIDENT CEO ANDY MAJCHRZAK THINK THAT INITIATIVE IS SO IMPORTANT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT’S BEEN ON ANDY’S RADAR FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THE MUSEUM SYSTEM MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR YOUNG KIDS. AND I THINK THAT’S THE SOONER YOU GET KIDS INTERESTED IN HISTORY, THE DEEPER THAT SETS ROOTS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS TO SHAPE AND INFORM EVERYTHING THAT GOES FORWARD FOR THEM. THAT DEFINITELY SHOWS WHY THE INITIATIVE IS SO IMPORTANT. IT CERTAINLY DOES. THAT’S GOING TO WRAP THINGS UP FOR TODAY’S EDITION OF FOR THE RECORD. REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE A TOPIC YOU’D LIKE US TO ADDRESS, SEND US AN EMAIL TO NEWS@WTA.COM. YOU CAN ALSO REWATCH THIS EPISODE OR ANY EPISODE WITH THE VERY LOCAL APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET, OR SMART TV. AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 11 A.M.
‘That war changed Pittsburgh forever’: 4 The Record learns about new exhibit at Fort Pitt Museum
Hosts Elena LaQuatra and Lily Coleman lead this week’s 4 The Record, which is part two of our exploration of Pittsburgh’s role in the birth of America
Updated: 11:00 AM EDT Jun 28, 2026
Sunday’s episode of 4 The Record was part two of the program’s exploration of Pittsburgh’s role in the birth of America, airing less than a week before the America 250 celebration on July 4.Co-host Elena LaQuatra spoke with Michael Burke, assistant director of the Fort Pitt Museum, to learn about a new exhibit that puts part of that history in the spotlight.”Our new exhibit is called Pittsburgh’s Revolution, and it deals with this area, this part of western Pennsylvania, in the lead-up to and all through the Revolutionary War,” Burke said. “And what we try to highlight for people is the importance of Pittsburgh to this bigger national conflict, our founding conflict, and also the ways that that war changed Pittsburgh forever.”Sunday’s episode also featured Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center, as he prepared the city for the festivities surrounding America’s big birthday.WATCH THE FULL EPISODE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
PITTSBURGH —
Sunday’s episode of 4 The Record was part two of the program’s exploration of Pittsburgh’s role in the birth of America, airing less than a week before the America 250 celebration on July 4.
Co-host Elena LaQuatra spoke with Michael Burke, assistant director of the Fort Pitt Museum, to learn about a new exhibit that puts part of that history in the spotlight.
“Our new exhibit is called Pittsburgh’s Revolution, and it deals with this area, this part of western Pennsylvania, in the lead-up to and all through the Revolutionary War,” Burke said. “And what we try to highlight for people is the importance of Pittsburgh to this bigger national conflict, our founding conflict, and also the ways that that war changed Pittsburgh forever.”
Sunday’s episode also featured Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center, as he prepared the city for the festivities surrounding America’s big birthday.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE