Remarkable Video: Riding Pittsburgh's Inclines in 1926

Imagine sharing a ride up Mt. Washington with a horse.

The Inclines of Pittsburgh This incredible video from 1926 features not only the the Monongahela Incline (built in 1870 & still in usetoday) but also the adjacent Monongahela Freight Incline which was in operation for 51 years (1884 to 1935)! Also featured is the Knoxville Incline (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville_Incline) with its lower station being located at South 11th and Bradish Street in the Southside. Posted by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh on Monday, August 17, 2015

90 years ago, inclines carried more than just people up and down the side of Mt. Washington. Horse-drawn carriages and cars also made the trip

This film, shot in 1926, features the Monongahela Incline (built in 1870 & still in use today), the adjacent Monongahela Freight Incline which was in operation from 1884 to 1935, and is the Knoxville Incline which ran from 1890 to 1960. The Knoxville Incline included a curve in its track, an unusual engineering feat for an incline at that time.

h/t The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh









photo by richard cook



#HealthyRide: Early bird discount

For the first time, Pittsburgh's bike share system is offering annual membership options which could save regular riders big bucks. Unlimited 30-minute Healthy Ride passes are available for $120 and unlimited 60-minute passes are available for $200.

The passes will be available through March 1.

Since it launched in the spring, Healthy Ride has offered rentals for $2 for every 30 minutes, or monthly memberships for $12 for unlimited 30 minute rides and $20 for unlimited 60-minute rides.

Memberships can be purchased at healthyridepgh.com, the “nextbike” app, or by calling 412-535-5189.

––Richard Cook









Upgrades to the museum include cleaning of the museum's iconic diorama of the Point during the mid-1700s (pictured above). / photo courtesy of Senator John Heinz History Center



#Ft. Pitt Museum: Temporarily Closing for updates

Beginning Monday, Jan. 4, the Fort Pitt Museum will temporarily close for exhibition maintenance and updating.



Upgrades will include a revamp of the museum's long-term Building Fort Pitt exhibition, installation of an 18th century French trade musket, and cleaning of the museum's iconic diorama of the Point during the mid-1700s.



The Fort Pitt Museum’s exhibition, Captured by Indians: Warfare & Assimilation on the 18th Century Frontier, will be on display through May 22, 2016. Using documentary evidence gleaned from 18th and early 19th century primary sources, dozens of rare artifacts, and a series of life-like figures, the exhibit examines the practice of Indian captivity from its prehistoric roots to its impact on modern American Indians and other ethnicities.

The Ft. Pitt Museum, part of the Senator John Heinz History Center museum system, will reopen to the public on Saturday, Jan. 30.

––RC