MONESSEN
A Great Town In Westmoreland County
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
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 Monessens 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.
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
Lets begin by taking a look at Monessens 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.
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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.
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 years 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)
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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.
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 familys 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 hospitals
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!
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.
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 specific dates as the events draw nearer,
visit
www.monessenpa.org or call the Chamber of Commerce at (724) 684-3200.
Cultural Heritage Festival September
Founders Day September
Haunted Pumpkin Patch - October
Salute to the Military Dinner November
Christmas Parade the first Saturday after Thanksgiving
Monessen, Westmoreland County, PA
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