Ogle Way

From Pittsburgh Streets
(Redirected from Plum Alley)
Ogle Way
Neighborhood Central Business District
Fate Vacated in 2005
Plum Alley (until 1868)
Oak Alley (1868–1910)
Ogle Alley (1910–1914)

This former alley ran from Grant Street to Liberty Avenue north of Seventh Avenue. It was laid out as Plum Alley in 1784 in George Woods' original plan of Pittsburgh.[1]

In 1868, Plum Alley was renamed Oak Alley.[2]

In 1910, three years after the annexation of Allegheny into the City of Pittsburgh, over 900 streets were renamed in order to fix duplicates. There was another Oak Alley on the North Side (today Offley Way), so the Oak Alley downtown was renamed Ogle Alley.[3]

Ogle Alley became Ogle Way in 1914 when a city ordinance changed all alleys in Pittsburgh to ways.[4]

Beginning in the 1950s, newspaper columnists regularly remarked on the name Ogle Way and connected it to the act of staring, initially in relation to the Nixon Theater beside which the alley ran[5][6][7][8] and later with regard to the pornographic theaters and strip clubs along Liberty Avenue nearby.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

Ogle Way was vacated in 2005.[15]

See also

  • Oak Alley, for other alleys that have had that name

References

  1. George Woods. A Draught of the Town Plat of Pittsburgh, Surveyed for John Penn, Jr., and John Penn, by George Woods, May 31st 1784. 1784. Reproduced as "Original plan of Pittsburgh" in plate 19 of Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872 (Historic Pittsburgh 1872p019). [view source]woods-plat
  2. "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
  3. "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
  4. "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
  5. Charles F. Danver. Pittsburghesque. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 10, 1954, Daily Magazine, [p. 1]. Newspapers.com 87718919. [view source]danver-1954
  6. Charles F. Danver. Pittsburghesque. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Apr. 14, 1956, Daily Magazine, [p. 1]. Newspapers.com 90813949. [view source]danver-1956
  7. Charles F. Danver. Pittsburghesque. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mar. 2, 1963, Daily Magazine, [p. 1]. Newspapers.com 89531724. [view source]danver-1963-03-02
  8. Deborah Deasy. "A city street by any name spells history: The corners of time." Pittsburgh Press, Jan. 22, 1982, [p. A-16]. Newspapers.com 146681316. [view source]deasy
  9. Joe Browne. Our Towne. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mar. 29, 1979, p. 17. Newspapers.com 88340408. [view source]browne-1979-03-29
  10. Joe Browne. Our Towne. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Feb. 6, 1980, p. 38. Newspapers.com 88935378. [view source]browne-1980-02-06
  11. Joe Browne. "Penguin goalie scores a hit with young fan." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Feb. 2, 1981, p. 24. Newspapers.com 88793293. [view source]browne-goalie
  12. Joe Browne. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 6, 1985, p. 18. Newspapers.com 88667081. [view source]browne-1985-11-06
  13. Jim Davidson. "Standin' on the corner." Take Ten. Pittsburgh Press, Apr. 6, 1986, Sunday Magazine, pp. 9, 11. Newspapers.com 146339606, 146339782. [view source]davidson
  14. Brian O'Neill. "City street signs put filmmaker on highway to humor." Pittsburgh Press, Feb. 9, 1990, p. B1. Newspapers.com 143396426. [view source]oneill-street-signs
  15. "Resolution vacating Ogle Way between Liberty Avenue and William Penn Place in the 2nd Ward, 6th Council District, of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city resolution, 2005, no. 578. Passed Sept. 20, 2005; approved Sept. 30, 2005. https://pittsburgh.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=639549&GUID=7F465A74-70DE-4A6B-A7B2-0F3D7E731D10. [view source]resolution-2005-578