ITINERARY DESCRIPTION:
This tour gets to the heart of the steel town story, getting to know the people, places and historic events that once made Pittsburgh the epicenter of steel production. Immigrants and migrants were drawn to the region as industry rose, bringing a rich collection of cultures and traditions with them as they forged new lives. Visits to the Carrie Blast Furnaces, The Bost Building, and Pump House root this tour in the Pittsburgh experience, and a special immigrant-inspired lunch elicits the smells and flavors of Grandma’s kitchen.
The Tour includes: the Story of Steel presentation at the Bost Building, a Battle of Homestead presentation at the Pump House and a story about the immigrant / migrant food culture at the Pump House—paired with an immigrant-inspired lunch, along with a two-hour Industrial Tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Tour Schedule/Additional Details: 9:00 AM Group arrives at The Bost Building National Historic Landmark (623 E. 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120). The Bost Building was the former headquarters of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers who were locked out of Homestead Steel Works and were involved in the 1892 Battle of Homestead. The former Columbia Hotel was also the location for the reporters covering the 1892 Lockout & Strike. It’s now the visitor center and steel heritage museum for Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. 10:00 AM Motorcoach departs for the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark (Carrie Furnace Blvd., Swissvale, PA 15218) with your Rivers of Steel step-on tour guide on board. 10:30 AM Arrive at the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark. Your walking tour of this integral remaining piece of the legendary Homestead Steel Works, will explore the drama of the iron-making process – from the movement of raw materials to the tapping of the furnaces producing fiery molten iron – and includes the story of the site’s technology, workers and culture. Through installation art and an exploration of how nature reclaimed the location after the mill was shuttered, visitors will learn how artists made creative use of a storied space that became painful reminder of times gone by to some, and a creative muse to others after the collapse of the steel industry. 12:00 PM Motorcoach departs for the historic Pump House (880 E Waterfront Dr., Munhall, PA 15120) Homestead with your Rivers of Steel step-on tour guide on board. 12:30 PM Arrive at the Pump House for a delicious ethnic-inspired catered lunch, including a beverage and dessert. After lunch, your Rivers of Steel step-on tour guide will interpret the history of the Pump House, the site where the 1892 Battle of Homestead conflict broke into a bloody battle between mill management and laborers and their supporters. The incident was one of the most significant events in United States labor history. The Pump House was also a key piece of equipment in U.S. Steel’s Homestead Works plant until 1987, removing millions of gallons of water a day from the Monongahela River to cool the mill operations. The Homestead Works made the steel for 6 landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chicago Sears Tower, and the Golden Gate Bridge. 2:00 PM Motorcoach departs to drop off your Rivers of Steel step-on tour guide at The Bost Building (623 E. 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120), approximately a 5-minute drive. Your guide will say farewell as you continue to explore Pittsburgh on your own. Flat, closed-toe walking shoes are required for all participants on this tour, in addition to a signed waiver. This walking tour is outdoors and rain or shine; participants should dress for the weather. |
Event Details:
If you have any questions regarding registration or payment, contact Christy Kirsch at ckirsch@pittsburghaiha.org. |
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