Clark Street

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Clark Street
Neighborhoods Central Business District, Crawford-Roberts
Origin of name Thomas S. Clarke
Fate Vacated in 2006
Clarke Street (1833–1881)
Origin of name Thomas S. Clarke
Clark Alley (1881–1914)
Origin of name Thomas S. Clarke
Clark Way (1914–2006)
Origin of name Thomas S. Clarke

This former street was laid out as Clarke Street in 1833 by Thomas Scott, Rees Townsend, and Thomas S. Clarke, and was named for the last of these men. The plan of lots also included Scott Street and Townsend Street.[1]

George T. Fleming, in a 1915 column in the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, connects the street name to George Rogers Clark (1752–1818),[2] but this is a mistaken association.

The name is spelled Clarke, with an E, in maps from 1845, 1852, and 1862,[3][4][5] but the final E is missing in maps from 1855 and 1872.[6][7] The name was established as Clark Street (and Clark Alley) by an 1881 city ordinance.[8] Clark Alley, narrower than the rest of the street, ran from Miller Street to east of Overhill Street, now Heldman Street.[9]

Clark Alley became Clark Way in 1914 when an ordinance changed all alleys in the city of Pittsburgh to ways.[10]

Most of Clark Street was eliminated in the late 1950s as part of an urban renewal project to make way for the Civic Arena. See Epiphany Street for more about the demolition of the Lower Hill District.

The last vestiges of Clark Street and Clark Way were vacated by a city resolution in 2006.[11]

References

  1. "Draught of a subdivision of out lot no. 3 in the manor of Pittsburgh, Pitt Twp., Allegheny Co., now 3rd Ward: Laid out for Thomas Scott, Rees Townsend & Thos. S. Clarke." Laid out Sept. 7, 1833; recorded Dec. 5, 1833, Plan Book 1, p. 20. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3778147. [view source]scott-townsend-clarke-plan
  2. George T. Fleming. "Historic names handed down: Crawford, Baron Steuben and George Rogers Clark among historic characters recalled by some Pittsburgh streets." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Jan. 17, 1915, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85751161. [view source]fleming-historic
  3. R. E. M'Gowan. Map of Pittsburgh & Vicinity: Designating the portion destroyed by fire, April 10, 1845. J. W. Cook, Pittsburgh, 1845. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pittsburgh_map_1845.jpg. Published in the front matter of J. Heron Foster, A Full Account of the Great Fire at Pittsburgh, on the Tenth Day of April, 1845: With the Individual Losses, and Contributions for Relief, J. W. Cook, Pittsburgh, 1845 (Internet Archive fullaccountofgre00fost) and of O. Ormsby Gregg, Isaac Gregg, and Moses F. Eaton, Pittsburgh, Her Advantageous Position and Great Resources, as a Manufacturing and Commercial City, Embraced in a Notice of Sale of Real Estate, Johnson & Stockton, Pittsburgh, 1845 (Google Books nrJs-DDEN1sC; Historic Pittsburgh 00afu7810m). [view source]mcgowin-1845
  4. R. E. McGowin. Map of the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny and of the Boroughs of South-Pittsburgh, Birmingham, East-Birmingham, Lawrenceville, Duquesne & Manchester etc. Schuchman & Haunlein, Pittsburgh, 1852. https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/32269. [view source]mcgowin-1852
  5. S. N. & F. W. Beers. Map of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Smith, Gallup & Hewitt, Philadelphia, 1862. LCCN 2012592151; https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/31783; 1862 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]beers
  6. The Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, with Parts of Adjacent Boroughs, Pennsylvania. 1855. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0089; https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1688~130047; https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/32240; 1855 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). In George W. Colton, Colton's Atlas of the World: Illustrating physical and political geography, J. H. Colton & Co., New York, 1856 (https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?q=Pub_List_No%3D0149.000). [view source]colton
  7. Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, pp. 25–26, 36. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1872
  8. "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1881, no. 33. Passed Feb. 28, 1881; approved Mar. 4, 1881. Ordinance Book 5, p. 212. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1880, pp. 213–234 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source]ordinance-1881-33
  9. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 3, plate 13. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1900. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1900-volume-3-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source]hopkins-1900-vol-3
  10. "An ordinance changing the name 'alley' on every thoroughfare in the City of Pittsburgh to 'way.'" Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 402. Passed Nov. 10, 1914; approved Nov. 16, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 360. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh for the Year 1914, appendix, p. 226, McClung Printing Co., Pittsburgh (HathiTrust uiug.30112108223899; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1914). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Nov. 23, 1914, p. 11 (Newspapers.com 86505785), and Nov. 24, p. 12 (Newspapers.com 86505809). [view source]ordinance-1914-402
  11. "Resolution vacating Clark Way, Clark Street, Judge Street and a portion of Rose Street in the 3rd Ward, 6th Council District, of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city resolution, 2006, no. 343. Passed May 23, 2006; approved May 30, 2006. https://pittsburgh.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=640329&GUID=A2FD5D45-16BA-4874-A0EE-C27700EB5DD5. [view source]resolution-2006-343