North Shore of Allegheny River before construction of Three Rivers HeritageTrail Photo:Friends of the Riverfront
People have walked along the banks of the Allegheny River and it's many creeks for thousands of years. Sacred land and family land tied to irreplaceable memories and family lore turned into a dump by years of industrialization and now being reclaimed.
The Allegheny River (325 m; 523k) begins in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Pennsylvania and runs south into Pennsylvania and New York. It joins the Monongahela at Point State Park to form the Ohio River. -- click for more.
As of 1985, 20 Paleo Indian sites have been located along Chartiers Creek in Allegheny and Washington Counties, an average of one site for every 1.8 miles of stream. Some of these are classified as camp sites. This is a high concentration, considering that there are only 216 know sites in all of western Pennsylvania, an average of one every 72 square miles. This valley could have been attractive as an easy trail through the mountains. In the 18th century, the Catfish Path Indian trail passed through this valley from Pittsburgh to near Braddock in Washington County. Or, the Chartiers Creek valley may have been rich in large wildlife species, attracting Paleo Indian hunters. -- Prehistory of the Abbott Farm Land
Travel anywhere in the United States and mention that you are a Pittsburgher. People will ask you
- About the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and in general about sports.
- Tell you about the relative or ancestor in their family from Pittsburgh and if you know them.
Many have said our rivers are the region’s life blood. But is that truly understood? So many people have come and gone, some leaving their mark others forgotten in time. But there are those who have made an indelible impression that will last for all time. They are the true life blood of our region, said Thomas E. Baxter IV, Executive Director Friends of the Riverfront, Inc.
The biggest need in Pittsburgh region is to continue our upward swing towards reconnecting with our rivers. The rivers define who we are, where we go and shape our communities in a ways few understand. We need to draw the rivers out of a conceived obscurity and once again back to a prominent role in our daily lives not selfishly for ourselves but for those who are yet to come" said Baxter. Slideshow at Right: Friends of the Riverfront
Families that passed through the portal of Pittsburgh
Navigating the rivers in W Pennsylvania, US Army Corps of Engineers, an historical perspective
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