Confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, Pittsburgh, P.A.

The Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers unite to form the Ohio River where Pittsburgh is now located. This site has an interesting history. It was looked upon by the French and the English as an ideal place for a fort. In 1754 Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, built a fort here. The French and Indians drove the English out. In turn, General Braddock tried to drive out the French. You recall that he failed, and lost his life in the attempt. In the hands of the French the fort was called Duquesne (d kn). The French finally destroyed their fort and a new fort was built by the English. This one, at Washington's suggestion, was called Fort Pitt in honor of the Prime Minister of England. Pittsburgh today is the 8th city in size in the United States. The 1910 census gives it a population of over a half million. It is now the greatest city in the world in the iron and steel industry. This is largely due to its location. The Monongahela River taps the coal fields of West Virginia 100 miles south. The Allegheny River taps the coal and oil fields 100 miles north. The Ohio River, leading into the Mississippi, gives a great shipping outlet to points in these valleys and seaward through the Gulf of Mexico. The city has fine railroad connections in all directions. You will notice on your maps its location with respect to Philadelphia, New York, Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and other large cities. It is the center of a spider web of railway and rivers. Hence the great industries that have sprung up here. As you see in the view, the city is on rough ground. It has more bridges than any other city in the United States. Keystone ID: 6342 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.