Hulburt Alley

From Pittsburgh Streets
Hulburt Alley
Neighborhood Central Lawrenceville
Fate Vacated in 1910
Spruce Alley (until 1868)
Hemlock Alley (1868–1910)

This alley formerly ran between Harrison Street and the tracks of the Allegheny Valley Railroad, from 48th Street to 50th Street. It appears, unlabeled, in maps from the 1850s and 1860s, between Henry Street (today Harrison Street) and Clay Street (today the AVRR).[1][2] It was originally named Spruce Alley.[3]

Lawrenceville was annexed by the City of Pittsburgh in 1868,[4] and later the same year an ordinance changed the names of many streets. The name Spruce Alley conflicted with another alley in Lower Lawrenceville and the Strip District, today Spruce Way, so it was changed to Hemlock Alley.[3]

In 1910, three years after Pittsburgh annexed Allegheny City, a similar ordinance was passed to fix duplicate street names. Hemlock Alley conflicted with Hemlock Street, so it was renamed Hulburt Alley.[5]

Just a few months later, the alley (under the old name Hemlock Alley) was vacated.[6]

It continued to be shown in maps and street directories for some time. It is shown in the 1923 Hopkins atlas, but its label "Hulburt Way" is given in parentheses,[7] apparently indicating that it had been closed. It is listed in a 1953 street guide and appears in the accompanying map, in both places under the erroneous name "Hemlock Ave."[8][9]

See also

References

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 3.0 3.1 "An ordinance changing the names of streets." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1868. Passed Aug. 31, 1868. In The Municipal Record: Containing the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh: 1868, Pittsburgh Daily Commercial, Pittsburgh (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1868_20200904_2014). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Gazette, Sept. 2, 1868, p. 5 (Newspapers.com 86347563), Sept. 3, p. 3 (Newspapers.com 86347623), and Sept. 4, p. 3 (Newspapers.com 86347714). [view source]ordinance-1868-name-changes
  4. Mark A. Connelly. "Collins Township–Lawrenceville Borough–Liberty Township–Oakland Township–Peebles Township–Pitt Township to Pittsburgh City 1868 Merger." Local Geohistory Project. https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/collins-township-lawrenceville-borough-liberty-township-oakland-township-peebles-township-pitt-township-to-pittsburgh-city-1868-merger/. [view source]lgeo-east-end-annexation
  5. "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 715. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 342. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the Years 1909–1910, appendix, pp. 312–328, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 19, 1910, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86611990, 86612022), Apr. 20, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612278, 86612297), and Apr. 21, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612601, 86612625). [view source]ordinance-1910-715
  6. "An ordinance vacating Hemlock alley, from Forty-eighth street to Fiftieth street, upon the payment of certain money to the City Treasurer." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 180. Passed June 27, 1910; approved July 18, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 644. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the Years 1910–1911, appendix, p. 99, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1911 (Google Books 0X0zAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223840; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1910). [view source]ordinance-1910-180
  7. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1, plate 38. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1923. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1923-volume-1-plat-book-pittsburgh; included in the 1923 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1923-vol-1
  8. Alexander Gross. The Complete Street Guide to Pittsburgh and 16 Nearby Suburbs: With large map of Pittsburgh and suburbs; streets, house numbers, transportation lines, places of interest, churches, etc., etc. Geographia Map Co. Inc., New York, 1953. DonsList.net PghStreets1953M. [view source]gross
  9. Alexander Gross. Pittsburgh and Vicinity: Featuring transit lines and house numbers. Geographia Map Co. Inc., New York, 1953. Published with Alexander Gross, The Complete Street Guide to Pittsburgh and 16 Nearby Suburbs: With large map of Pittsburgh and suburbs; streets, house numbers, transportation lines, places of interest, churches, etc., etc., Geographia Map Co. Inc., New York, 1953 (DonsList.net PghStreets1953M). A slightly different version entitled The Premier Map of Pittsburgh and Vicinity is reproduced in Sam Stephenson, ed., Dream Street: W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Project, pp. 22–23, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 2023, ISBN 978-0-226-82483-3 (LCCN 2022055151). [view source]gross-map