A Brief History of Homestead
The history of Homestead saw the first settlers arrive back in the 1770s. About 100 years later, many farmland and hillsides were purchased and laid out into lots and sold and arranged by local banks and landowners to create what is today Homestead. The town was chartered in 1880 and soon saw a railroad, glass factory, and iron mill. In 1883, Andrew Carnegie bought out Homestead Steel Works and the town soon gained notoriety in July of 1892 as the site of a violent clash between steelworkers who were locked out and hired Pinkerton guards (known as the Homestead Strike). By 1920, due to immigration by Eastern and Southern Europeans, the population of Homestead jumped to over 20,000. In 1940, around 19,000 people lived in Homestead, but during the next few years half the population ended up being displaced as the government added the steel mills to have the capacity to make armor plating for ships and tanks to prep for World War II. At war’s end, a decline in the steel-making industry of the U.S. took place. By 1986, steel mills closed and the Homestead Works was demolished in the early ’90s to make The Waterfront complex that debuted in 1999. The number of people residing in Homestead dwindled to just over 3,000. It has since began to start thriving again.
Fast Facts about Homestead
Famous people from Homestead include the Steelers’ Charlie Batch, actors Jester Hairston, Tamara Tunie and Frank McHugh, race car driver Butch Leitzinger, jazz singer Maxine Sullivan and Jurassic Park’s Jeff Goldblum. Surrounding neighborhoods include Squirrel Hill, Munhall and West Homestead.
I was fortunate to have worked at the BF GOODRICH store at 208 E 8th Ave from 1957 to 1960. The lengty steel strike resulting in a recession caused BFG to close it’s doors. I was me heartbroken. I met very good folks from Homestead and surrounding area. We serviced the police vehicles as well. In that capacity I met most if not all the policemen and the Chairman of the board,Pete Scuffle. I was from Monroeville. After that employ at age 21 I joined the Navy retiring in Seabrook, Texas. Think of Homestead and the good folks I met there. Hello all ya’ll Homesteaders and surrounding communities.
I was from Wesr Homestead but went to the First Baptist Church in Homestead, was married there’, got Vanilla Coke at Moxleys, chipped ham and ice cream sundaes at Isalys, worked at Wohlfarths Bakery& Newberrys 5&10! Took the streetcar up the hill. Mobbed away to NY but visited my Mom. Lots of fond memories. Rememember the dark orange smoke from the steel mills. Happy now it’s rejuvenated!!!
How do you not put Bill Campbell at the top of the list for famous people from Homestead? He’s a legend in Silicon Valley and a hero to the Steel Valley. Look him up. Apple wouldn’t be Apple without him for one.
What makes Homestead special to me is knowing about the Homestead Grays and one special player: Josh Gibson.
The Pittsburgh area had two Negro League teams: The Grays and the Crawfords named for Crawford Street in the Hill District.
The Homestead Grays club is, perhaps, black baseball’s most storied franchise. Formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, the Grays would be in continuous operation for 38 seasons. With the near collapse of the Crawfords,
Josh Gibson returned to the Grays in 1937 and combined with slugger Buck Leonard to power the Grays to nine consecutive Negro National League championships and three Negro World Series titles.
No doubt about it, Homestead was the greatest. Sounds like it still is.
Kenneth C Aiken, Senior Chief, USN, Retired, Seabrook, Texas. All ya’ll keep in touch.
Kenaiken@sbcglobal.net