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Monessen
A Great Town in
Westmoreland County, PA
by
Karen Fetter
When people hear about
the town of Monessen they immediately begin to
think about the “famous” people that once lived
there. Its reputation, especially with sports,
is one that is hard to miss. But what really
made Monessen a booming town in the early 1900s
was the steel industry.
Monessen History ;
Monessen Resources ;
Monessen
Activities & Events
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Monessen is located
along the Monongahela River in the southern
part of Westmoreland County. Its location is
prime for traveling into Pittsburgh, but yet
it still has a small town feel. This town
was once a flourishing area due to the steel
industry. Along with the impact of steel,
local historians admit Monessen’s reputation
was once built around gambling and
prostitution. Today, Monessen maintains a
friendly small town culture with downtown
shops, an active Chamber of Commerce, and a
Historical Society. |
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The community name
combines the first syllable of Monongahela
with the name of “Essen,” an well known iron
town in Germany. Its current population is
between 8,500 and 9,000. Learning about
Monessen’s history and its connection to its
people is an interesting adventure. People
may just have to visit Monessen to see
exactly what the area is “known for.”
History of
Monessen
Let’s begin by taking
a look at Monessen’s overall history. A
local historian and author Cassandra Vivian
is one person that has studied Monessen and
its history. According to Vivian, Monessen
was founded in 1898 by industrialists who
decided the area was perfect for business
because of the nice bend in the river.
Eastside Land Company bought the land and
laid it out. Four mills started running
immediately – tin, steel, chain, and fence.
These mills filled the work positions by
importing immigrants from various European
countries. After just two years there were
10,000 people living in Monessen. The city
was divided into groups depending on the
ethnic origin such as Italian, Slovak,
African American, Ukranian, etc. All
together there were 27 different
nationalities. Each area had its own church,
grocery store, and club. Here, immigrants
enjoyed the highest per capital income
anywhere in the United States.
Business continued to grow into the 1930s
when the population peaked at about 23,000.
Monessen was also known for gambling and
prostitution, but those troubled days ended
shortly after World War II. In addition,
Monessen started to decline because the
steel and other industries were leaving. For
more information on the history of Monessen,
read Cassandra Vivian’s book, “Monessen:
a Typical Steel Country Town.” The book
can be purchased online or at the Monessen
Historical Society’s Heritage Museum.
Many famous people have hailed from Monessen
in various walks of life. The list includes
athletes Joe Heath, Michael Moorer, actress
Frances McDormand, Major General Jessica
Wright, and local celebrity Albert Lexie.
Let take a look at each of these individuals
to see how they made it to the top. |
Joe Heath
Joe Heath was a 1976 Monessen High School
graduate. He was a tremendous athlete while in
high school. Joe was a three-year starter in
football and basketball and also starred in
track and field. Because of his reputation he
was a highly recruited football player. Heath
went to the University of Pittsburgh, where he
played from 1976-79. He played on Pitt's 1976
national championship team and served as captain
of the 1979 team, which went 11-1 and finished
seventh in the nation.
From there Heath was drafted in the sixth round
by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1980 and played one
season there. In 1982, he played for the Toronto
Argonauts in the Canadian Football League and
twice played in the Grey Cup - the CFL's version
of the Super Bowl. Then in the 1982 championship
contest, Heath received the Rothman's Trophy,
which is awarded to the best defensive player of
the game. While playing in the CFL, Heath was
one of the highest-paid defensive backs in the
league. Heath's pro football career included NFL
playing time with the Philadelphia Eagles and
New York Jets. He also played with British
Columbia in the CFL, with Pittsburgh and Houston
in the United States Football League and with
Pittsburgh's short-lived franchise in the Arena
Football League. Heath served as an assistant
football coach at Monessen in 1990.
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Michael Moorer
Next on the list is boxer Michael Moorer. Moorer
grew up in Monessen, but for most of his career
he trained under Emanuel Steward in Detroit.
Moorer has been a world champion in the light
heavyweight and heavyweight divisions of boxing.
He debuted on March 4, 1988, knocking out Adrian
Riggs in the first round. He spent the year
winning at a fast and steady pace with an
ambitious schedule. Before the end of the year,
he was undefeated all by early round knockouts
and was getting ready to fight for the world
Light-Heavyweight title for the first time. He
won it with a five round knockout of Ramzi
Hassan.
Then Moorer decided to move into the world
Heavyweight championship in 1991. He did this
within a year’s time and knocked out Bert
Cooper, making Moorer only the second man to go
directly from holding a world light heavyweight
title to holding a heavyweight title. That
night, he also became the first left-handed
boxer in history to become a world heavyweight
champion. Moorer had won by a knockout in each
of his first 26 fights, making him appear in the
exclusive list of boxers who have won at least
20 fights in a row by knockout. Others on this
list include George Foreman, Wilfredo Gomez,
John Mugabi, and Aaron Pryor.
Frances McDormand
Sports is not the
only area in which Monessen natives thrive.
Actress Frances McDormand has won an Academy
Award and has had several other nominations.
McDormand was born in Chicago in 1957.
However, she was adopted by Vernan and
Noreen McDormand, who raised her in
Monessen. She graduated from Bethany College
in 1979 with a B.A. in Theater. She then
went on to Yale where she earned her MFA in
1982. McDormand's success and natural talent
have made her recognized by many in her
field. She has been nominated for an Academy
award four times - for Mississippi Burning
(1988), Fargo (1996) (for which she won the
Best Actress award), Almost Famous (2000),
and North Country (2005) |
Major General Jessica L. Wright
We should take our hats
off and salute Major General Jessica L. Wright.
Wright was named the 50th Adjutant General and
commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard
Feb. 3, 2004 and sworn in by Governor Edward G.
Rendell March 5, 2004. She is responsible for
command, control, and supervision of all Air and
Army National Guard units allocated to the state
of Pennsylvania, six state-owned veterans'
homes, Scotland School for Veterans' Children
and programs for Pennsylvania's 1.3 million
veterans. Wright has worked hard for this
achievement and continues to work hard for her
country.
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Albert Lexie
Monessen’s own Albert Lexie is a local shoe
shiner who has donated over $100,000 to
Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund. The Free
Care fund allows children to receive medical
care regardless of their family’s ability to
pay. Albert’s story is amazing and inspiring
to all of us. His work and generosity have
changed the lives of many families at
Children’s Hospital. From someone who only
makes about $10,000 a year, his work is a
true inspiration.
Albert has been shining shoes at Children’s
Hospital of Pittsburgh since 1982. Every
Tuesday and Thursday each week, Albert gets
on a bus and leaves his home at 5:50 a.m. to
arrive at Children’s at 7:25 a.m. to begin
shining shoes. His equipment is a shoeshine
box that he made when he was 15 in a high
school shop class. His business is steady
and his tips are generous. He charges only
$3, but it seems to be enough for him.
Through the years, he has given all of his
tips to the Free Care Fund. Now to many of
us we would think that would come to enough
money for vacation or for that special home
improvement project. But Lexie had enough
willpower to continue to save his tips that
have accumulated to over $100,000!
Albert has appeared on a television talk
show and an anonymous donor pledged the
money to put him over his goal of $100,000.
As a result he was honored by the hospital’s
administration, staff, and friends,
receiving a commemorative plaque.
In 2001, Albert received an Association of
Fundraising Professionals Outstanding
Philanthropist Award from the organization's
Western Pennsylvania Chapter. In 1997, he
received a Jefferson Medal for Outstanding
Citizen. What a true inspiration to us all!
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Monessen Resources
Greater Monessen Historical Society
The
Greater Monessen Historical Society was
founded in 1995 to protect and preserve the
strong ethnic diversity and rich industrial
heritage. Membership is open to all. Visit
the Historical Society and its Heritage
Museum on Donner Avenue in Monessen for the
latest exhibits on the history and heritage
of the area. |
Monessen Chamber of Commerce
A driving force in
Monessen is the active
Chamber of
Commerce led by Charles (Chuck) Assenat. The
Monessen Chamber of Commerce is a partnership
among downtown businesses, political, and
community leaders, and area merchants and
downtown property owners who care about the
future of Monessen and want to insure the future
vitality of the downtown area.
The Monessen Chamber of Commerce offers a wide
array of events and services that will help the
development of the community. Some of the
activities include: the Cultural Heritage
Festival, Salute to the Military dinner,
Founders Day, and the Christmas Parade.
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Monessen Activities and Events
Monessen has a variety of events for the public
to participate in throughout the year. Work is
still being done on the Chamber of Commerce’s
website, but people can still look up events and
add to the community calendar by visiting
www.monessenpa.org.
Below are activities and events for September
through December. For more specific dates as the
events draw nearer, visit
www.monessenpa.org or call the Chamber
of Commerce at (724) 684-3200.
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Cultural Heritage
Festival – September 8, 9, and 10
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Founders Day –
September
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Haunted Pumpkin Patch
- October
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Salute to the
Military Dinner – November 18, 2006
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Christmas Parade –
the first Saturday after Thanksgiving
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Monessen, Westmoreland County, PA
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