Pittsburgh Celebrates 250 Years

Pittsburgh is a city of bridges and boasts more spans than any city in the world except for Venice, Italy. Photo by visitpittsburgh.com

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It’s fitting during Pittsburgh’s 250th year celebration to recognize Pittsburgh native and master inventor George Westinghouse. After all, it was Westinghouse who made the first step toward a five-day work week—and introduced paid vacations!

But before George Westinghouse there was George Washington, who met with Native Americans and established an early settlement at the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers form the Ohio River, that would become what is now Downtown Pittsburgh.

A few years later—in November 1758—Pittsburgh received its name when a British and Colonial army, led by General John Forbes, occupied the ruins of the former French fort, Fort Duquesne. Gen. Forbes named the new settlement after British Prime Minister William Pitt. And so marked the birth of Pittsburgh, dubbed America’s Most Livable City, according to 2007 Places Rated Almanac.

Duquesne Point. Photo by visitpittsburgh.com

“The Pittsburgh 250th anniversary is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the transformation of Pittsburgh,” said VisitPittsburgh President & CEO Joseph McGrath. “And to commemorate the birth of this great city, there’s an elaborate, year-long celebration in store for visitors.”

From the completion of a hiking and biking trail that will connect Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, to the renovation of Point State Park, to a fabulous you-got-to-see-to-believe festival of lights where buildings in and around Downtown are illuminated, Pittsburgh is going to be celebrating in a big way. And all over the region, expatriates will be returning for reunions of all kinds.

Here’s a sampling of events as Pittsburgh celebrates its 250th birthday!

1. Follow in the footsteps of George Washington and the 1758 Forbes Expedition along the Pennsylvania Forbes Trail—the first route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
   
   
2. Enjoy Point State Park’s $35 million renovation, featuring steps into the rivers, water taxi landings and tie-ups for boats and kayaks.
   
   
3. The Parade of Champions, June 20-22, is dedicated to Steelers, Pirates and Penguins Hall-of-Famers, and hometown heroes.
   
   
4. Learn about Pittsburgh “firsts” such as Big Macs, bingo and the Ferris wheel at “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation,” opening in November at the Heinz History Center.

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