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Jeannette
A Great Town in
Westmoreland County, PA
by
Karen Fetter
In the center of
Westmoreland County lies the City of Jeannette.
Made famous as the “Glass City,” at one time
Jeannette produced more glass in more forms than
any other city in the United States. Today
Jeannette has a rich history, as well as key
industrial and healthcare employers, such as the
Elliot Company and Mercy Jeannette Hospital.
Glass City History ;
Jeannette Resources ;
Jeannette
Today
History of
the Glass City
With a current population of around 10,000,
Jeannette lies near the center of
Westmoreland County between Routes 30 and
22. It is approximately 25 miles east of
Pittsburgh and four miles east of the Irwin
interchange on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Jeannette began in the spring of 1888, when
several local farms were purchased for the
development of the Chambers and McKee Glass
Works. Long rows of brick houses were built
in order to provide homes for glass plant
workers. Jeannette, named after the wife of
H. Sellers McKee, was ideally positioned for
the early glass industry. Its resources in
coal and natural gas, location along early
railroads, and proximity to Pittsburgh all
provided the impetus for quick growth. The
first glass blown was on May 20, 1889. In
time there would be seven great glass
factories and a rubber plant, including the
largest tableware glass factory in the
world. Soon Jeannette took on another
nickname “The American Workshop.” |
Jeannette was incorporated into a borough on
June 7, 1889. Then on January 1, 1938
Jeannette became a third class city with
Attorney John M. O’Connell as the first
mayor |
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One key historical
factory was the American-Saint Gobain’s
Industries, Inc. plant, which helped
establish the commerce that would support
the growing city of Jeannette. Originally
founded as the Chambers and McKee Glass
Works, the first owners of the plant, J. A.
Chambers and H. Sellers McKee named
Jeannette’s Main Street after their
financial backer, Richard W. Clay.
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The factory was designed to be a hand-cylinder
operation. A glob of molten glass was collected
in the end of a metal tube and skilled blowers
worked it into a large globe. The semi-molten
globe was held downward and swung slowly while
the blowing continued. The resulting cylinder
was split in half and flattened to make
windowpanes.
In 1889, the American Window Glass Company was
incorporated in Pennsylvania and consolidated a
number of smaller manufacturers, including the
Chambers and McKee facilities. In 1903, American
Window became the first company to produce sheet
glass using a device known as the Lubbers
cylinder machine. This process and the machine
were named after its inventor, John H. Lubbers.
In time, developments were made to minimize
distortion of waviness and to eliminate the
greenish cast of glass, which affected its
transparency and light transmission. The entire
glass industry adopted these methods. In 1958
American Window Glass was merged with Blue Ridge
Glass to form American Saint Gobain Corporation,
the only United States producer of all three
types of flat glass, plate, sheet, and
patterned-rolled. In 1970 the company was
renamed ASG Industries, Inc.
Sports History
One important piece of Jeannette’s history is
being a part of the first professional football
game in the United States. Teams from Jeannette
and Latrobe played in August of 1895. People
watched as, for the first time, paid players
took to the field. Originally Latrobe was to
meet Johnstown in competition, but the Johnstown
team cancelled at the last minute. Latrobe
advertised that they would pay another team
$50.00 to participate in the planned game, and
Jeannette agreed.
Oakford Park
Oakford Park is a part of Jeannette history,
though is not exactly within city boundaries. At
the turn of the century, Oakford Park was
developed as a recreation and amusement park. It
included a merry-go-round, roller coaster, and a
dam that was constructed to create a lake for
boating. Unfortunately, in 1903 the dam broke
and destroyed the property. However, the park
survived. The lake was restored and extensive
restoration took place to include pavilions for
family reunions and picnics. Later there was a
skating rink and theatre. The famous Three
Stooges had their start at Oakford Park. The
park began its decline during the rise of the
automobile, when roadways improved and out of
area travel increased. After several years of
inactivity, a part of the park was sold and
remainder restored to a swimming pool and picnic
area.
Jeannette Area Historical Society
The Jeannette Area
Historical Society is located within the
Jeannette Library at South Sixth Street &
Magee Avenue. The purpose of the JAHS is to
"Preserve the past and the present for the
future." The JAHS’s intent is to collect any
memorabilia, photographs, articles,
materials or items pertaining to the city of
Jeannette and the surrounding area,
including but not restricted to Grapeville,
West Jeannette, Lincoln Heights, Penn, Penn
Township, and Hempfield Township. With this
information JAHS protects, preserves,
categorizes, and indexes all gathered
materials and information. This knowledge is
shared with the general public or those in
the need to know. The JAHS is always
welcoming new members. Contact President
John Howard at 724-787-9070 for more
information, or email him at
howgraph@aol.com |
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Jeannette Library
Jeannette Library is
located at South Sixth Street & Magee Avenue.
Historically, the first mention of a local
library occurred in 1906, but it was not until
October of 1959 that the Jeannette Public
Library Association officially began operation.
The library received its first major renovation
in 1963 and its present day collection includes
adult and juvenile fiction, non-fiction, books
on tape, video and cassette tapes, magazines, an
inter-library loan Program, and large print
books. Computer services include Internet
capable computers, Microsoft Office, and resume
writing programs. Library Hours are Monday -
Friday 11:00a.m. - 7:00p.m. and Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The library is closed on
Sunday.
Return to Top of Page
American Legion Post 344
The American Legion
Jeannette Post 344 began at a meeting on
September 12, 1919 in the high school
auditorium. People gathered who were interested
in a veteran’s organization. About a month later
the post received official recognition from the
American Legion and was assigned the number 344.
The first regularly elected officers included B.
F. Jenkins, Commander; Albert Kelley, Vice
Commander; Ben Schaefer, Secretary; Ira Mull,
Treasurer; and J. Young, Chaplain. Post 344 has
contributed highly to the Jeannette community
and to veterans and their families. Among the
many programs to which Post 344 contributes are:
Americanism, Child Welfare, Rehabilitation,
Public Relations, Memorial Services, and
Community services. The American Legion leads
parades, sponsors awards and certificates, and
fosters citizenship and patriotism in the
community. It also works hard on several fund
raising campaigns.
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Mercy Jeannette Hospital
The one time
Jeannette District Memorial Hospital is
now known as Mercy Jeannette Hospital, a
part of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health
System. The hospital is located at 600
Jefferson Avenue. Members of the
community and the Sisters of Charity of
Seton Hill established Mercy Jeannette
Hospital in 1959. Services include
treatment for heart, cancer, trauma and
burn, children’s health, women’s health,
rehab, and many more. For more
information about the facility visit
www.jdmh.org. |
Jeannette
Today
Today the city is known
for its many parades and activities throughout
the year. Jeannette has annual Halloween and
Christmas parades, as well as a popular Easter
Egg Hunt. All holidays, especially Memorial Day
and Labor Day, are celebrated with a parade.
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Jeannette Community Days, a combined
effort of the Fourth of July committee
and the Community Days committee, is
among the biggest events of the year.
Jeannette Community Days is scheduled
for July 27, 28, and 29, in 2006. The
event takes place in the parking lot on
Magee Avenue. Festivities include rides,
games, food, bands, bingo, a parade, and
fireworks. |
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Delallo’s Italian Marketplace
In 1954, George
E. DeLallo and his wife Madeleine
purchased property on Route 30 in
Jeannette to establish a retail and
wholesale Italian grocery store -
Delallo’s Italian Marketplace. It was
here they developed and sold authentic
Italian items bearing the DeLallo name.
The business proved an outstanding
success, and now DeLallo products are
proudly distributed throughout the
country. The store features items such
as Olive Oil, Pasta, Vinegars and
Tomatoes. What started as a humble
business in a two-car garage is now the
largest importer of olives in the United
States. Delallo’s Italian Marketplace is
located on Route 30 in Jeannette. You
can also shop online at
www.delallo.com.
Elliott Company
The Elliott
Company is Jeannette’s current largest
employer. Elliot began in 1914 and
occupies 110 acres in northern
Jeannette. The company provides jobs for
more than 2,700 employees. Elliott
production facilities began with
fabrication of tube cleaning equipment.
In time, the company began to
manufacture condensers, deaerating
heaters, and steam jet ejectors, along
with a means of supplying vacuum for
condensers. Elliot’s capabilities
continued to expand over the years, and
today the Elliott Company provides
quality products to users around the
world. For more information, please
visit
www.elliott-turbo.com/new.
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Jeannette, Westmoreland County, PA
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