February 21, 1919 February 21, 2019

Copyright © 2019                               John F. Oyler 

February 21, 2019

February 21, 1919

I am a big fan of “This Day in History”, so I decided to try my hand on it and see what was going on in Bridgeville and the Pittsburgh area exactly one century ago. A quick look at available newspaper archives confirmed my suspicions that this would be an excellent subject for a column. 

This particular date in history was fourteen and a half weeks after the Armistice that ended World War I; the news was dominated by the efforts of the Allies to come to agreement on a peace treaty that would insure that the recent hostilities would indeed be remembered as “The War to end all Wars”. Unfortunately the overpowering temptation to punish Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, plus massive isolation sentiment in the United States, led to the ill-fated Versailles Treaty and laid the seeds for World War II.

One century ago the Pittsburg Pressadvertised itself as the newspaper with the largest circulation in the city. I was surprised that the paper spelled Pittsburgh without an “h”; the h-less spelling had been officially terminated in 1911; for some reason the Press remained obstinate till well into the 1920s.

The major headline on the front page of the Press one hundred years ago today was “Plotted to Slay Both Wilson and Clemenceau”. Three days earlier French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau had been shot by a would-be assassin. This paper reported that Clemenceau was recovering nicely and would return to the peace conference in a few days. The headline referred to a plot that the French had uncovered which included plans to assassinate President Woodrow Wilson.

In the mean-time Wilson was on board the U. S. S. George Washington on his way home for two weeks on a mission to muster support for his plans for the League of Nations. An article reporting on his voyage mentioned the fact that Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt was sending a fleet of warships to escort the George Washington to Boston. Bad news for Wilson was an article reporting that Senator Borah was gathering support for a national referendum to permit the voters to oppose a pact “mortgaging the future destinies of this nation”. 

Other war-related articles covered a variety of topics. The cruiser St. Louis had arrived in New York bringing 1338 troops, many of them from the Keystone State, home. According to another article, it would be necessary to keep 450,000 American troops in the field until “Germany settles finally”. Two articles discuss the ongoing conflict in Russia where the Cossacks appeared to be besting the Bolsheviks while at the same time the Bolsheviks were pushing back the Allies near Archangel.

The Pittsburg Pressfor Friday, February 21, 1919 consisted of forty pages and could be purchased for two cents. At least three fourths of the space was occupied by advertisements, almost entirely by retail stores. Kaufmann’s, Horne’s, Rosenbaum’s, and Boggs and Buhl had full page ads; the rest was supplied by smaller specialty stores and food purveyors. Donahoe’s advertised their own brand of margarine at thirty cents a pound, as well as pork loin for thirty cents a pound.

I was surprised to note that the weather report (Rain with a high of thirty-four degrees) was accompanied by a detailed report of conditions on the Lincoln Highway. “Pittsburgh: Condition far, Laughlintown: snow and sleet condition bad, Bedford: two inches of snow”, etc.

The only mention of Bridgeville in this particular paper was a legal notice reporting that all persons indebted to or having claims on the estate of the late Maria Ostermaier should contact the Executrices, Maria and Amelia Ostermaier, R. D. No. 1, Bridgeville, Pa.

Bridgeville did show up in six other Pennsylvania newspaper archives on that date, including three articles in the Canonsburg Daily Notes. A farm (probably McKown) was advertised for rent. One hundred and forty acres on a macadam road half a mile from Bridgeville. I was surprised to see the description include “bath room hot and cold water”; I wonder how many farm houses had replaced outhouses with indoor plumbing by 1919. “Inquire Lloyd McKown, Bridgeville” if you are interested.

The Daily Notes also reported the passing of a young (29) lady, Mrs. Ella Carlisle Fife, just four months after her wedding to Arthur E. Fife. A member of Bethany Presbyterian Church, she was the daughter of Bridgeville residents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Carlisle. She was a victim of the horrendous 1919 Flu Epidemic.

The same paper credited the Carnegie Signal-Itemwith the information that “All the holders of liquor licenses in Carnegie, Bridgeville, and surrounding boros and townships have re-applied”, this despite the fact that the Eighteenth Amendment had already been ratified, ushering in “Prohibition”. Apparently they expected to reap a bonanza in the remainder of 1919. An article a day later in the Pittsburg Pressidentified Angelo Pepe, 112 Washington Avenue and Benjamin F. Stedeford, 522 Washington Avenue as Bridgeville’s two applicants. Morris Goodman had a license for the Upper St. Clair Hotel in Beadling.

The government was still issuing casualty lists from the recently terminated war. The Pottsville Republican and Herald reported one which included George C. Roston, Bridgeville, as “slightly wounded”. The same information was reported by the Lebanon Evening Reportand the Harrisburg Evening News. Also in this category was John Lapienski according to latter newspaper.

A few days earlier the Allentown Morning Call published a casualty list with Carl L. Gastberg, Bridgeville identified as wounded”. The Pottsville Republican and Herald 

included Corporal Samuel B. Reed on a “slightly wounded” list a few days later. The ReadingTimesreported Private Henry G. Golbach and Corporal Eugene P. Drake, both of Bridgeville, in the same category. On a positive note the Pittsburg Pressreported that Murray W. Ayers, Bridgeville, had been honorably discharged from his military service.

One hundred years ago Bridgeville’s development was still on the upswing, eighteen years after its formal incorporation. The business district along Washington Avenue was booming. Baldwin Street was the center of new construction and entrepreneurship. The 1919 high school graduating class boasted thirteen Seniors; it was only a year ago that the school system had added a twelfth grade.

Business was good at the C. P. Mayer Brick Company, although Mr. Mayer’s attention had turned to aviation and the new airfield he was building nearby. Universal Steel was booming. So were the Flannery Bolt Company and the Vanadium Corporation. The Flannery brothers had shifted their interest to the production of radium at the Standard Chemical Company in Canonsburg. General Electric was in the process of acquiring the J. B. Higbee Glass Company plant.

The doughboys who survived World War I were beginning to trickle back home. Next year would begin the Roaring Twenties and a chance for a return to peace and prosperity.