PITTSBURG (ante) is the second city in population and importance in Penn sylvania and the county seat of Allegheny county. Its history dates from about 1754, when a portion of its present limits was taken by the English, and a stockade was built at the junction of the Ohio and Monongahela rivers. After three or four severe struggles with the French and Indians, permanent occupation was established, and about 1759 the place began to be an important trailing post. A new fort was built and called fort Pitt in honor of William Pitt, then at the head of the British ministry, from which eventu ally the town derived the name Pittsburg. The site of the original town was surveyed in 1773, or the following year, by members of the Penn family, and the lower part of the city still retains the streets and general conformation given it by them. In 1816, when the town became a city, the limits were confined to a peninsula of level ground between the two rivers; but these limits have gradually been extended until they nosy embrace territory far over the adjoining hills and seven miles up both rivers, The city is sub stantially and compactly built, contains many fine residences in the eastern part, and a large number of the principal avenues are graded and paved. Of the population in 1870 the majority were of foreign birth and chiefly Irish, German, and English. must of whom were engaged in trade, manufactures, and manual labor. The business of manu. factoring, which is a distinguishing characteristic of the city, began at a very early period, and the establishment of rolling mills and foundries began shortly after the close of the second war with Great Britain, and has been going on steadily ever since. The capital invested in 1875 in manufactures was estimated at $60,000,000, and the annual export of manufactured goods at $150,000,000. There were at that time within the city 43 iron mills, using 570 puddling furnaces and 520 nail-machines; 12 blast furnaces for the production of pig metal; 75 foundries and machine shops; 70 glass-factories, employ ing 5,000 men; together with manufactories of -malt liquors, white lead, leather, tobacco, cotton and woolen goods, pottery, carriages, and brushes. The city is also largely
identified with the production of petroleum, and contains numerous refineries. The number of men employed in all these various establishments is usuallybetween thirty and forty thousand. Besides these great interests Pittsburg also has facilities for traffic in its three rivers, and it is a port of delivery in the district of New Orleans. In 1874 the number of vessels belonging to the port was 467, with an aggregate tonnage of 104, 0-40. The Pennsylvania, the Alleghany Valley, and the Pittsburg, Washington and Baltimore railroads afford direct connection with the eastern cities and with nearly every part of Pennsylvania; the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad and tributary lines connect the city with the west and northwest; and the Pittsburg, Cin cinnati and St. Louis line furnishes communication with the southwest. There are 16 national banks, with a capital of $9,000,000; 23 savings banks, with a capital of $3,250, 000; and 19 home insurance companies. The assessed value of property was in 1870 $172,000,000, and the city debt amounted to about $13,000,000. The number of graded schools was, in 1870, 53, one of which was a high school; and the western university of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburg female college (Methodist) are also located within the city. At present the number of daily newspapers published is 10. and of weeklies, 20. The religious denominations arc represented as follows: 4 African methodist Episcopal; 8 Baptists; 1 Church of God; 1 Congregational; 17 Presbyterian; 10 Episcopal; 1 German Evangelical; 2 Jewish; 9 Lutheran; 6 Methodist; 21 Methodist Episcopal; 34 Roman Catholic; 1 Unitarian; 1 Universalist. The city is divided into 37 wards, and is governed by a mayor, a select council of 74 members, and a common council of 44 members. It has a police force and a fire department.