North Braddock is a borough in

Allegheny County Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia C ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States. North Braddock was organized from a part of Braddock Township in 1897. The borough prides itself in being the "Birth Place of Steel" as the home of

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...

's Edgar Thomson Steel Works that opened in 1875. North Braddock is a suburb east of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

with a 15-minute travel time to the city. The borough is located in the valley along 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-c ...

, and is made up of three jurisdictional voting wards. The 2010 census had the borough population at 4,857, a great decline from the 1930 population of 16,782. The decline is due largely to the diminishing steel industry in the region.

History

Origins

In 1742 a Scottish trader named John Fraser from eastern Pennsylvania acquired land at the location of the current Edgar Thomson Steel Works from

Queen Aliquippa Queen Alliquippa or Queen Aliquippa (died December 23, 1754) was a leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century. Biography Little is known about Queen Aliquippa's early life. Her date of birth has been ...

and the

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

people. Fraser settled his family on the location, and in 1753 Christopher Gist and

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

met with Fraser while delivering messages from Governor Robert Dinwiddie of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

commanders At Fort LeBoeuf, in present-day Waterford, PA. Dinwiddie demanded the French commanders withdraw from western Pennsylvania. Fearing that a conflict was on the horizon, Fraser returned to Philadelphia in 1754. In 1755 General

Edward Braddock Major-General Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europ ...

and British troops left Virginia and used Fraser as the guide with General Washington as the aide on the expedition. The objective of the expedition was to expel the French at

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed a ...

. It was on July 9, 1755, when the British troops arrived at Frazier's cabin to be met with gunfire from the French troops. During the battle Braddock was wounded, dying on July 13, 1755, in nearby Uniontown. The area where Braddock was shot became known as

Braddock's Field Braddock's Field is a historic battlefield on the banks of the Monongahela River, at Braddock, Pennsylvania, near the junction of Turtle Creek, about nine miles southeast of the "Forks of the Ohio" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here, in 1755, wa ...

. Historical markers identify the site on present-day Jones Avenue across from Benjamin Fairless School. Braddock's Battlefield History Center commemorates this battle.

Whiskey Rebellion

During the late 18th-century farming was prevalent in the North Braddock area with the nearby

used for trade.

Whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...

became a very profitable product to trade, with much being sent to the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

area. In 1794 a whiskey tax was created, drawing in protest over 8,000 settlers from

western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...

to the North Braddock area, as part of the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

. The angry settlers would not disperse easily, and President Washington led an army to suppress the rebellion.

Wallace Mansion

The British commander of Fort Pitt, Captain Edmondstone, had signed a grant of of land from King George of Great Britain to Peter Rowletter. Once the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

was over, Rowletter sold the land to Pittsburgh judge George Wallace, who bought around of land, including part of Braddock's Field, on March 4, 1791. Here Wallace built a mansion as his summer home. Later the Marquis de La Fayette visited the country as the Guest of the Nation, and while doing so he stopped by Judge Wallace's mansion on May 28, 1825. After Wallace's death the home was left to his nephew who lost the property to a sheriff sale. The Wallace mansion would be used as a boarding school called the Edgeworth Ladies Seminary during the 1830s.

Coal and steel

In 1835 the first

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

opened between the hills near Sixth Street. During the 19th century the railroad industry was expanding across the country.

, with the increasing demands in steel for the railroad, began to build his first

steel mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-fini ...

in 1872, named for

John Edgar Thomson John Edgar Thomson (February 10, 1808 – May 27, 1874) was an American civil engineer and industrialist. An entrepreneur best known for his leadership of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) from 1852 until his death in 1874, Thomson made it the large ...

, the president of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. By 1873 the demand for steel for the railroad had decreased, and the construction of the mill was halted. Good news came though when Carnegie secured a $2 million loan and finished the steel mill to roll its first steel under the supervision of superintendent William R. Jones. The mill would go on to expand, and in 1880 the first

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheri ...

was used at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works.

Incorporation

During 1897,

East Pittsburgh East Pittsburgh is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, about southeast of the confluence of the Monongahela and the Allegheny rivers at Pittsburgh. The population in 1900 stood at 2,883, and in 1910, at 5,615. As of the 2020 census, ...

tried to annex the land around the mill of North Braddock, known as Bessemer, that was part of Braddock Township. Residents of Shady Park village (3rd ward) and of Wolftown (1st ward) came together to hold meetings on stopping East Pittsburgh from annexing the land near the mill known as Braddock's Field. William Yost serving as North Braddock's attorney petitioned the Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County that Shady Park and Wolftown would join as one town, also incorporating Braddock's Field. During the meetings 317 of 510 property owners signed an agreement helping Judge Kennedy make his ruling to form a new town. On Monday, April 26, 1897, North Braddock was incorporated as a borough. Judge Kennedy of the Quarter Sessions Court of Allegheny County made the ruling and ordered the decree for the new borough. The first election of officials was to be held on May 18, 1897. The winners of the election included the burgess Henry Anderson, councilmen Joseph Wallace, John Walberg, John Maxwell, WJ Vance, Thomas Clark, J Grant Anderson, Fred Edwards, tax collector John Hutzen, and school directors Jones, Johnson, Scott, Colmey, Crossey, and Anderson. North Braddock celebrated its borough centennial with a festival of events in June 1997. North Braddock Centennial

Geography

North Braddock is located at (40.405025, -79.856500). It occupies a slope of terrain between Braddock, which touches the

, and

, which occupies the highest ground. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.75%, is water.

Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods

North Braddock has five land borders, including Braddock Hills to the north, Chalfant to the northeast, Wilkins Township to the east,

to the east and southeast, and Braddock to the southwest and west. Across the

to the south, North Braddock runs adjacent with Kennywood Park in West Mifflin.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 6,410 people, 2,631 households, and 1,681 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 4,155.5 people per square mile (1,607.1/km²). There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of 2,106.9 per square mile (814.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 61.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 35.30%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.17% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.59% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population. There were 2,631 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06. In the borough the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $24,335, and the median income for a family was $30,473. Males had a median income of $30,960 versus $22,281 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $14,076. About 18.0% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 40.4% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

North Braddock has a borough government. The borough has nine elected council members and a mayor who serve four-year terms. The borough manager conducts daily business and operates with the budget passed by council. Ordinances and building codes are enforced by the appointed code official. The borough solicitor provides legal consultation for legal issues. An engineering firm is contracted to provide consultation for infrastructure issues. The elected tax collector serves a four-year term. North Braddock is a member of the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments.

Public safety

*North Braddock VFD - Fire and rescue services are provided by the North Braddock VFD. The department is staffed by all volunteers. All personnel are certified through the Allegheny County Fire Academy. Two fire stations are used on Wolfe Avenue and Bell Avenue. The fire service has four trucks consisting of an Engine, Rescue, Service, & Squad. The fire service is dispatched by Allegheny County 911. *North Braddock Police - The police chief leads the daily operations of the police department. The department protects and serves the borough 24 hours a day. The department utilizes numerous equipped vehicles for patrol. The police are dispatched by Allegheny County 911. *Priority One EMS - Priority One EMS located on Baldridge Avenue provides emergency ambulance services staffed by certified EMT and Paramedic personnel. Priority One also serves Braddock, East Pittsburgh, and Rankin.

Schools

North Braddock School District

North Braddock once operated its own North Braddock School District to provide public education for the residents. The district had a number of school buildings throughout the borough. The schools used included, Original North Braddock High School (Bell Avenue), North Braddock Scott High School (Bell Avenue), Hartman Junior High School (Wolfe Avenue), Bell Avenue School (Bell Avenue), Brinton Avenue School (Brinton Avenue), McClure School (Electric Avenue), Jones Avenue Junior High School (Jones Avenue), Shady Park School (Lobinger Avenue), and Ben Fairless School (Jones Avenue).

General Braddock Area School District

The North Braddock School District merged into the General Braddock Area District with Braddock & Rankin in the 1970s.

Woodland Hills School District

General Braddock Area School District was merged under court orders into the

Woodland Hills School District Woodland Hills School District is a public school district located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, serving twelve municipalities in the Pittsburgh area; Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest ...

in 1981 with 12 other nearby communities. Woodland Hills educates students from 12 communities with elected board members representing the residents. The Woodland Hills Administration Building is located in the former Fairless Elementary School on Jones Avenue in North Braddock.

Sports championships

North Braddock Scott High School won championships in football, basketball, & baseball. General Braddock Area High School won a state basketball championship in 1973. Football Titles *1933 WPIAL Class A Champions - Gardner Point System Champion *1934 WPIAL Class A Champions - North Braddock Scott 6 - Ambridge 0 *1935 WPIAL Class AA Champions - Gardner Point System Champion *1937 WPIAL Class AA Champions - Gardner Point System Champion Basketball Titles *1931 WPIAL Class AAA Champions - Scott 36 - Duquesne 11 *1931 PIAA Class AAA Champions - Scott 28 - Lower Merion 15 *1943 WPIAL Class AAA Champions - Scott 34 - Ford City 29 *1973 PIAA Class AAA Champions - General Braddock 63 - Reading 62 (General Braddock High School After Merger) Baseball Titles *1929 WPIAL Champions *1930 WPIAL Champions

Notable people

Steve Breaston Steven William Breaston (born August 20, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. Breaston also played for the K ...

- NFL wide receiver, star player for the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and Woodland Hills High School. *

Wes Lyons Wes Lyons (born September 12, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at West Virginia. Lyons graduated from Woodland Hills High School and is one of the many successful players from Woodland Hills to reach t ...

- NFL tight end/wide receiver, star player at

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...

and Woodland Hills High School. Also an author of his first book, "The Pursuit With Patience". *

Coley McDonough Coleman Regis "Coley" McDonough (October 10, 1915July 5, 1965) was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals. Formative years A nat ...

- NFL quarterback for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

and

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...

. Star player for the North Carolina State University and North Braddock Scott High School. Coley was tragically killed in the line of duty as a Pittsburgh police officer after his football career. * Elmer Merkovsky - NFL player for the

, star player at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

, and North Braddock Scott High School. *

Lousaka Polite Lousaka Romon Polite (born September 14, 1981) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at ...

- NFL fullback, who was a star player at the

, and Woodland Hills High School. * Fran Rogel - NFL fullback for the

and star player at

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

and North Braddock Scott High School. *

Benjamin L. Rosenbloom Benjamin Louis Rosenbloom (June 3, 1880 – March 22, 1965) was a Jewish member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia. Born in Braddock, Pennsylvania to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Rosenbloom attended the public schools ...

- North Braddock High School and

graduate who practiced law and became a US Representative for West Virginia. * Jim Zockoll - Founder and chairman of The Zockoll Group Ltd. in the United Kingdom, raised in the town outside of Pittsburgh with his brother Fred.

References

External links

North Braddock BoroughNorth Braddock VFDCounty Borough ProfileWoodland Hills School District
* {{authority control Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh metropolitan area Populated places established in 1897 Pennsylvania populated places on the Monongahela River