Becks Run is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in North Cen ...

. As an

urban stream An urban stream is a formerly natural waterway that flows through a heavily populated area. Urban streams are often polluted by urban runoff and combined sewer outflows. Water scarcity makes flow management in the rehabilitation of urban stream ...

, it is heavily polluted, receiving

combined sewer A combined sewer is a type of gravity sewer with a system of pipes, tunnels, pump stations etc. to transport sewage and urban runoff together to a sewage treatment plant or disposal site. This means that during rain events, the sewage gets dilute ...

outflow from

Carrick (Pittsburgh) Carrick is a south neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is served by two zip codes, 15210 and 15227, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 4 (South Neighborhoods) with a ...

and

Mount Oliver, Pennsylvania Mount Oliver is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a largely residential area situated atop a crest about west of the Monongahela River. The borough is surrounded entirely by the city of Pittsburgh, having resis ...

. There is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

on a tributary, just downstream from a slate dump, near the intersection of Wagner Avenue and Mountain Avenue. There were coal mines along the stream, including Becks Run #2, owned by the estate of

James H. Hays James Harden Hays (September 3, 1800 – March 30, 1876) was a pioneer of bituminous coal mining in Western Pennsylvania. Biography James H. Hays was born in Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on September 3, 1800. His first mine ...

, served by an

incline Incline, inclined, inclining, or inclination may refer to: *Grade (slope), the tilt, steepness, or angle from horizontal of a topographic feature (hillside, meadow, etc.) or constructed element (road, railway, field, etc.) *Slope, the tilt, steepn ...

and the

H.B. Hays and Brothers Coal Railroad The H.B. Hays and Brothers Coal Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad opened in 1878 to carry coal from the Hays family mines along Becks Run and Streets Run in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Both branches included an incline, and both are visib ...

. Other mines at various times were operated by the

Birmingham Coal Company The Birmingham Coal Company was a coal mining company in the Pittsburgh Coalfield area. It operated mines along Becks Run, as well as other mines south of the Monongahela River, such as the Bausman Mine and the American Mine. It is named for Bi ...

, H.G. Burghman, Jones & Laughlin, and the

Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company The Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company was a railroad and coal transportation company, founded in 1899 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was formed by merging more than 80 independent coal mines and river transportation businesses, b ...

.Virtual Museum of Coal Mining in Western Pennsylvania
/ref> It is the namesake of the Pittsburgh and Beck's Run Railroad (1877-1880), which ran from the

Smithfield Street Bridge The Smithfield Street Bridge is a lenticular truss bridge crossing the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The bridge was designed by Gustav Lindenthal, the engineer who later designed the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. The S ...

to the Jones and Laughlin Iron Works, and was absorbed by the

P&LE Railroad The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio in the H ...

. A former town, located where Becks Run enters the Monongahela, was also named Becks Run.

References

External links

* 1877 engraving of the mouth of Becks Ru

* Pittsburgh metropolitan area Rivers of Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Monongahela River Rivers of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny Plateau {{Pennsylvania-river-stub

See also

References

External links