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History of the Borough of Sharpsburg |
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The Borough of Sharpsburg is a quiet, spirited community
located along the Allegheny River just over 5 miles outside of Downtown
Pittsburgh. Sharpsburg has a rich history dating back to the 1700s when
the Seneca Indians settled into the area. One Seneca in particular,
Guyasuta, has a special connection to the community. |
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Guyasuta was a strong warrior and skilled hunter. He was
chosen by George Washington to be a hunter guide with his party in
1753. When the two met again in Ohio 17 years later, General Washington
greeted him with warmth and affection. In 1758, Guyasuta was involved
in a bitter battle at Grant’s Hill, where the Allegheny County Courthouse
stands today. In the early 1760s, Guyasuta sought after peace with the
British Army. Guyasuta’ s peace efforts
culminated into a peace treaty in which the government received a tract of
land in what is now Western Pennsylvania. James O’Hara, who had
purchased a portion of the river land, donated a small portion of it, where
Sharpsburg is today, to Guyasuta. |
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In
1826, a man named James Sharp rode into this area and became enchanted by the
beauty of the territory. He purchased 200 acres of the land and built a
log cabin for his wife, envisioning it as the beginning of a town that would
be rich in the values Sharp felt were important to the quality of life in a
community. Opening the land to settlers, Sharp became invested in the
town, building a school and church while continuing to donate his land for
the growing needs of the community. On December 14, 1841, the borough
applied for incorporation, and received its charter March 14, 1842.
Sharpsburg was born! |
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Since its incorporation, Sharpsburg became an industrial town, manufacturing iron, brick and glass while goods were transported through the canal that bisected the borough, along with the Allegheny River. When railroads became the preferred mode of transportation for that time, Sharpsburg continued to thrive as thousands came for the plethora of job opportunities
available. |
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One of
the most well-known industries that had its beginnings in Sharpsburg was the
H.J. Heinz Company. The Heinz glass works in Sharpsburg once
manufactured all of the glassware for Heinz products. In 1904, Heinz
began crating and bottling his first horseradish in the kitchen of his
Sharpsburg residence. This house is the place where it all began.
Shortly thereafter, the house became Heinz’s first factory. Although he
moved his company down the Allegheny along the North Shore of Pittsburgh, he
was very gracious to the people of Sharpsburg until his passing, donating
gifts to the community that was their family home for many years. One
of these included the life-sized statue of Guyasuta that was installed at the
intersection of Main and North Canal Streets. |
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Not
even less than a century ago, Sharpsburg was divided into two sections
because of a railroad track that went through the location where Kennedy Park
currently sits. There were two fire departments, one on each side of
the tracks. There were two schools on each side of the track as well, one “up
street” and one “down street.” Once the railroad tracks weren’t used
anymore, the railcars sat vacant on the tracks. The Junior Chamber of
Commerce in Sharpsburg went to the railroad company as well as the Heinz
family to try and change something about this. The Heinz family said
they would help build a park if it was used for recreation purposes
only. The park was built around the time when President John F. Kennedy
was assassinated, and that is why the area was named Kennedy Park. |
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Today,
Sharpsburg continues to boast pride of its industrial past while looking
forward to the opportunities of economic growth within the business district,
and its residents enjoy being a part of this unique riverfront community. |
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