Forged Steel - Banks of the Monongahela - Pittsburgh

Trains hauled raw materials along the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad to mills that helped forge america. The railway, still in use with trains carrying the same materials, along the banks of the Monongahela River is littered with visuals of the bowels of industry that built the city and the country. Steel was the primary result, now intertwined between panels of glass and concrete creating a backdrop to Station Square while the machinery that created it stands across the river. Crossing the river is the same as a "bridge in time", cause and effect staring at each other across a river flowing with history.

The Bessemer converter of the former Clinton Furnace stands as a testament of the regions history and ingenuity. The furnace was Pittsburgh's first successful blast furnace, beginning operations in 1859 and spurring an industry that helped build the country. Today it stands at the center of one of Pittsburgh's civic centers, alongside a converted train station, river boat fleet and an array of commercial space. History flows along the southern shore of the Monongahela River, past and present forged together with an eye towards the future.

  

        

Three Rivers Heritage Trail-South Shore-Remnants of Steel

The following pictures were taken along the South Shore section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. I happened to stumble upon it when looking for a spot to take pictures of the Liberty Bridge, This section of the trail lies in between Station Square (portion of trail shown in previous post) and the South Side and provides a unique and rarely seen view of the city. This section of the trail features the concrete plant from the movie Batman:Dark Knight Rises and is set along an operating industrial center of Pittsburgh. This section of the trail is not as structured as the sections it is bounded by but is definitely worth a visit.

With the South Shore being a former industrial stronghold, remnants of the ores that made it so litter this short section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Railroads of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Company curve underneath utilitarian iron bridges while passing by ore carrying barges and decommissioned slag rail cars. The pieces left behind keep with the theme of the trail while standing as historic artwork. In true Pittsburgh fashion, the redevelopment of the area utilizes its past while reinventing its future, thus never forgetting what brought the region to power while exemplifying what will bring it back to its former glory.