Traffic lights

On November 29, 1910, the first US patent for inventing the traffic lights system was issued to Ernest Sirrine.

The photograph below, courtesy of Historic Pittsburgh Image Collections, shows one of the early traffic lights.

Read Full Post »

F. “Salty” Hart

F. "Salty" Hart

F. “Salty” Hart
Courtesy of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
More info at Opening History

F. “Salty” Hart was an assistant roller for Lyon, Shorb & Company, also known as the Sligo Iron Works of Pittsburgh. He is seen here posing in his work clothes. The assistant roller was involved in the production of “muck bars,” or iron that has already been rolled but is still in an unfinished state. He was most likely part of a rolling crew with the “roller” as the boss positioned at the front of the rolls. The “roller” would occasionally help out his workers, as these jobs were extremely demanding and performed in intense heat. In addition, he must be able to manage his crew effectively; a mistake of only one-sixteenth of an inch in his draught may mean a broken roll. The assistant roller supported the roller in performing these duties. Rollers were often most in demand and among the best paid workers in the mill. The Sligo Iron Works was located on the south side of the Monongahela River opposite Pittsburgh’s Market Street. In 1826 the Sligo mill employed 30 men and produced bar, boiler, nail and sheet iron valued at $99,000 per year. In 1879 the company employed 250 men and possessed 25 puddling furnaces, 10 heating furnaces, eight steam engines with 14 boilers in four separate batteries, and three steam hammers. The mill at this time was known for manufacturing flanged boiler heads and flue holes using specially designed machinery.

Read Full Post »