A history of Allegheny,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Allegheny from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Allegheny was laid out in 1788 according to a plan by John Redick. The lots were sold in Philadelphia by Pennsylvania's state government or given as payment to Revolutionary War veterans. It was incorporated as a borough in 1828 and as a city in 1840. Prior to the 1850s, most of the area was still largely farmland, but was subdivided into residential lots, first for the growing German population and later for Croat immigrants. It was commonly referred to as "Deutschtown", derived from the German word Deutsch, referring to the language and ethnicity.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Allegheny’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewThe Presbyterian historical alman…, 1859: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Allegheny
See all 30 →
Allegheny, decade by decade
CommonsCarnegie Hall, Allegheny, Pa.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh an…c. 1860
CommonsView at Allegheny City.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh and Alle…c. 1860
CommonsView at Allegheny City.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh and Alle…c. 1860
CommonsView at Allegheny City.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh and Alle…c. 1860
CommonsView at Allegheny City.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh and Alle…c. 1860
CommonsView at Allegheny City.Alternate Title: Pittsburgh and Alle…c. 1860
CommonsView of flood at Allegheny City, Pennc. 1860
CommonsView of flood at Allegheny City, Pennc. 1860
CommonsView of flood at Allegheny Cityc. 1860
CommonsMusic hall, Carnegie Library and music hall, Allegheny City…1890
CommonsMusic hall, Carnegie Library and music hall, Allegheny City…1890
CommonsReading room, view toward the delivery room, Carnegie Libra…1890
CommonsAllegheny Athletic Association football team 18921892
LOCUniversity Park where 300 residence sites invite the home b…1895
CommonsAllegheny Athletic Association football team 18961896
MapAllegheny City map1898
CommonsCity Hall Park, Carnegie Library1898
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as US 1880s Allegheny PA Laundry Blue Inks Medicines Advertising Cover (1840s) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (22), the Library of Congress (1) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.