Joann Cantrell Libros

Pittsburgh is a city rich in history, perhaps best known as the industrial hub for steel production, but it is also a city with deep roots of personal achievement. From Andrew Carnegie and his important role in putting the "Steel City" on the map to beloved Fred Rogers, renowned early childhood educator, creator, and television host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, countless individuals have made a lasting impact on the community and the nation. Those featured in Legendary Locals of Pittsburgh have played vital roles in the medical field, such as Dr. Kenneth L. Garver, and served as quiet heroes, like Norman and Margaret Samways, Edith Balas, and Harold McKamish--all of whom have contributed to Pittsburgh's unique identity through public service, business, education, and volunteerism. And chances are, readers just might know more than a few of the wide variety of people profiled who have left an indelible mark on a city they loved.

In the early 1900s, orphanages in the United States housed more than 100,000 children, thousands of those living in Pittsburgh. Buildings that became group homes were constructed through churches and fraternal organizations. The facilities, complete with boarding accommodations, dining halls, schools, playgrounds, and infirmaries, offered accommodations for 100 to 300 orphans at any given time. For the orphans living in such homes, everything was communal and privacy was nonexistent. Young boys and girls slept in overcrowded dormitories, waited in long lines to use the lavatories, and lost their individuality to the uniform appearance of being an orphan. Some children still had a living parent, but due to dire circumstances of the times, their fate was in the hands of those who operated the orphanage.

From its founding in 1814 by William Barclay Foster, Lawrenceville has been the center of historic events. During the Civil War, the riverside community became home to the Allegheny Arsenal, where 78 people perished in an explosion in 1862, making it the worst civilian disaster of the war. Lawrenceville evolved into a lively, walkable neighborhood that barely slept because of the high volume of shift workers at places such as Iron City Brewery, St. Francis Hospital, and the steel mills. Businesses, churches, all-night diners, and other gathering places were easily accessible to residents, and families became closely associated with the landmarks where they worked, worshipped, and socialized. Having celebrated its 200th birthday in 2014, Lawrenceville remains a bustling community with a vitality equal to that of the immigrant days, and it continues to be a place of camaraderie where individuals are dedicated to their neighborhood.