Washington, DC – September 22, 2008 – U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) presented Jim Rohr, Chairman of the Pittsburgh 250 Commission, and David Kahley, Director of the Progress Fund, with copies of legislation approved by Congress to commemorate Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary.

“I am proud to join with my House colleagues today in honoring the rich history of achievement and innovation of the Pittsburgh region. From the Great Allegheny Passage Trail to the revitalized Point State Park and the renewed recognition of the Forbes Trail across our great Commonwealth, it is clear that we have a strong public-private partnership that is both honoring our heritage and building for our future,” Congressman Doyle said.

The Senate passed its version of this legislation, S.Res. 452, on February 13.  The House of Representatives is expected to pass its version, H.Res. 1000, tomorrow.  The bills note the important role that Pittsburgh has played in our nation’s history and the many contributions that the citizens of Pittsburgh have made to our nation.  The bills also laud the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.

Congressman Doyle’s remarks follow:

Good afternoon. 

I’m pleased to be joined here today by the members of southwestern Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation and a number of local civic leaders to announce the passage in the U.S. House and Senate of legislation commemorating Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary.

Earlier this year, Senator Specter and I introduced legislation to mark the 250th anniversary of the occupation and naming of Pittsburgh by British and American troops during the Seven Years’ War – the real first world war – which we here in the United States usually refer to as the French and Indian War.
 
From a trading post in the wilderness, Pittsburgh became a gateway to the frontier as our young nation expanded westward.  As the nation grew, Pittsburgh became a center of manufacturing and commerce.  During the Civil War, Pittsburgh became the arsenal of freedom – a role which it repeated in World War I and World War II.  During the Gilded Age, Pittsburgh produced the steel that was needed to build railways and factories and bridges and ships and skyscrapers.  And, as one might expect, Pittsburgh’s key role in the nation’s economy also made it a major battleground in the battle for the rights of working men and women.

My family came to Pittsburgh over a hundred years ago to work in the mills.  My grandfather was a steelworker in the Carrie Furnace.  My father worked in the Edgar Thompson steel mill.  I worked at the Jones & Laughlin mill in the South Side a couple of summers when I was working my way through college.

Pittsburgh is full of people who came to our city – and our country – to work hard and prosper.  The region is still known for its work ethic and its commitment to family, church, and community.

Manufacturing is still an important part of the region’s economy, but with the decline of the steel industry, education, health care, and finance have now come to dominate our region’s economic life.  The region’s achievements in these fields are impressive as well.  Researchers in Pittsburgh have invented the polio vaccine, for example, and made breakthroughs in the fields of computers, robotics, and organ transplantation, among others.  Today, Pittsburgh is a global leader in materials science, regenerative medicine, nanotechnology, robotics, and software design.  New technology developed and being developed in Pittsburgh is revolutionizing American life.  In a word, Pittsburgh still has a substantial and disproportionate impact on our nation and the world. 

But in contrast to the past, when Pittsburgh’s environment was so noxious that in 1868 writer James Parton referred to it as “Hell with the lid off,” Pittsburgh today has such a high quality of life that it’s the only city in the country to be named America’s Most Livable City not once but twice.  Today, visitors can enjoy the view of the city from Mount Washington through clear blue skies, and boaters and kayakers travel the Three Rivers.  We have something for everyone – from major league sports teams like the Steelers, the Pirates and the Penguins to the graphic arts, world class museums, a vibrant music scene, and great live theater.  We’ve got fantastic food, diverse cultural heritage, historic architecture, and unique, colorful neighborhoods.  And in recent years, we’ve built an amazing network of beautiful trails that provide a remarkable recreational opportunity to residents and visitors alike.  With completion of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, a 132-mile hiking and biking trail will connect Pittsburgh with Cumberland Maryland, where it meets the C&O Canal trail from Washington, DC.  I think that’s a wonderful way to commemorate that march through the wilderness 250 years ago that culminated in the creation of the City of Pittsburgh.

As you might imagine, the people of Pittsburgh are looking forward to celebrating their city’s 250th anniversary.  We’ve organized a year-long celebration named “Pittsburgh 250” to celebrate this milestone and plan for our region’s future. 

I’m pleased to be joined here today by Mayor Ravenstahl, our Congressional delegation, and a number of civic leaders from the 14 counties that make up southwestern Pennsylvania to present them with copies of the legislation Congress has passed to mark Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday.  I can only hope I look that good on my 250th birthday! 

So now, without further ado, I’d like to ask my colleagues to join me in presenting Mayor Ravenstahl and our distinguished guests with this copy of H.Res. 1000, legislation commemorating the 250th anniversary of the naming of Pittsburgh, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives early this morning. 

The text of H.Res. 1000 follows:

110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1000
To commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Naming of Pittsburgh as the culmination of the Forbes Campaign across Pennsylvania and the significance this event played in the making of America, in the settlement of the Continent, and in spreading the ideals of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 26, 2008
Mr. DOYLE (for himself, Mr. ALTMIRE, and Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
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RESOLUTION
To commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Naming of Pittsburgh as the culmination of the Forbes Campaign across Pennsylvania and the significance this event played in the making of America, in the settlement of the Continent, and in spreading the ideals of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
Whereas the Forks of the Ohio at today's Pittsburgh should forever be remembered as the place where an army of British and Colonial soldiers took control of Fort Duquesne from the French, a turning point in the French and Indian War, the first world war;
Whereas the British victory in the French and Indian War sowed the seeds of Colonial discontent with British rule, beginning the chain of events that led to the American Revolution;
Whereas the British Army under the leadership of General John Forbes built the first road across the Allegheny Mountains, thus securing the Gateway to the West for British and later American settlement;
Whereas General Forbes and Colonel George Washington named the location Pittsburgh, in honor of William Pitt the Elder;
Whereas Fort Pitt provided a safe haven for peoples from around the world to follow in Forbes' and Washington's footsteps to travel to Pittsburgh to settle the continent and to pioneer advancements in industry, science, technology, education, the environment and the arts;
Whereas Pittsburgh went on to become the Crucible of the Industrial Revolution, producing glass, steel, and aluminum that have a place in every American skyline; and perfecting the technologies that made it possible for alternating current to illuminate the Nation;
Whereas the people of the Pittsburgh region pioneered modern philanthropy, implemented the first smoke control regulation, developed the polio vaccine, and conquered rejection of transplanted organs, improving countless lives worldwide;
Whereas Pittsburgh is today a global leader in such emerging fields as materials science, regenerative medicine, nanotechnology, electro-optics, robotics, data storage, computer science, and commercial nuclear power;
Whereas Pittsburgh is home to more than 100 multi-billion dollar global corporations that improve the lives of people around the world;
Whereas Pittsburgh provides a high quality of life to its residents, offering unparalleled arts and cultural opportunities for a place of its size;
Whereas Pittsburgh has been named America's Most Livable City, the only place in America to earn that honor twice;
Whereas Pittsburgh is commemorating its naming and its impact on the world with Pittsburgh 250, a year-long celebration involving communities in 14 Pennsylvania counties, parts of seven states and the District of Columbia;
Whereas Pittsburgh 250 has connected Washington, DC to Pittsburgh by supporting the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, the longest hiking and biking trail east of the Mississippi and the most accessible great trail experience in the world, providing an important new outdoor recreational asset to the people of the Mid-Atlantic United States; and
Whereas Pittsburgh has accomplished all of these things with an unparalleled history of public and private partnership: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the 250th anniversary of the Naming of Pittsburgh, known as a significant event in American history;
(2) recognizes that Pittsburgh 250 is organizing the commemoration on behalf of 14 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania;
(3) encourages participation for all Americans to learn how the Forbes Campaign, the opening of the Gateway to the West, the Industrialization of America, and the environmental transformation of Pittsburgh helped to make America; and
(4) commends the contributions of those who have followed trails to Pittsburgh for 250 years to shape the world we live in and the Nation we have become.

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