O'Brien Way
| O'Brien Way | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Central Business District |
| Origin of name | Joseph O'Brien |
| O'Brien's Alley (until 1914) | |
| Origin of name | Joseph O'Brien |
O'Brien Way was a very narrow alley downtown, just six feet wide, running from Duquesne Way (today Fort Duquesne Boulevard) to French Street just east of Ninth Street.[1] It does not exist today.
It appears, unlabeled, in R. E. McGowin's 1852 map.[2] It is mentioned as O'Brien's Alley in a newspaper article from 1858.[3] The 1872 Hopkins atlas shows that Joseph O'Brien owned property on both sides of the alley.[4]
The possessive 's in alley names fell out of favor in the late 19th century, and in 1914 a city ordinance changed all alleys in Pittsburgh to ways,[5] at which point this alley became O'Brien Way.
In 1950, J. M. McClelland, president and treasurer of the Logan-Gregg Hardware Company, asked City Council to accept O'Brien Way as a public street so that it could be kept in good repair. This was referred to the Committee on Public Works; it is unclear if anything was ever done.[6]
See also
- Obregon Street in Lower Lawrenceville, originally named O'Brien Street
References
- ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1, plate 4. 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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "City Councils." Pittsburgh Morning Post, Sept. 28, 1858, [p. 3]. Newspapers.com 88171485. [view source] city-councils-1858-09-28
- ↑ Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, pp. 22–23. 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
- ↑ "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
- ↑ Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh: For the Year 1950, p. 225. City Printing Company, Pittsburgh. Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1950. This book has several parts: index to proceedings, pp. 3–169; proceedings, pp. 1–612; index to appendix, pp. 1–95; and appendix (containing ordinances and resolutions), pp. 1–618. [view source] municipal-record-1950
