JEANNETTE
A Great Town In Westmoreland County
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. OConnell as the first mayor.
One key historical factory was the American-Saint
Gobains 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 Jeannettes Main Street after their financial
backer, Richard W. Clay.
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 Jeannettes 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 Resources
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 JAHSs 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
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
12:00 Noon to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The library is closed on Sunday.
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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 veterans 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.
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, childrens health, womens health,
rehab, and many more. For more information about the
facility visit www.jdmh.org.
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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.
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.
Delallos 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 - Delallos 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. Delallos
Italian Marketplace is located on Route 30 in Jeannette. You
can also shop online at
www.delallo.com.
Elliott Company
The Elliott Company is Jeannettes 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. Elliots 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.
Jeannette, Westmoreland County, PA
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