McKees Rocks Part 3 The Bridge and The Bottoms

This final McKees Rocks installment takes us back to see some of the buildings that had to be removed when the McKees Rocks Bridge was built. It includes some historical background to the Pressed Steel Car Strike of 1909 and the ferry accident that spurred the building of the bridge which opened on August 19, 1931.

[@jamespcrown128]

My mom was a six year old on Gardner St in 1929. I grew up down the Bottoms in 1950s/60s. As you drove down each street, I was calling out family names and businesses from the day. Appreciate your efforts.

[@h2bizzle]

Great documentary! Born & raised near the McKees Rocks area & didn’t know all of this.

[@jeffreykeenan1789]

Superb example of how films of this nature should be made. Excellent! The "Then and Now" transitions are so well done.

[@richardcampbell2261]

This was a very special video. I was enamored with the photos of the old photos. There were a few that I saw with my friend who got them from a friend who borrowed them from the McKees Rocks Gazette. Like I said I love old historical photos and want to see all of your videos. All The Best. Rich Campbell. I saw quite a few of the photographs from the McKees Rocks Historical Society's Facebook site. I went through all of them. There was another photo that I saw in the Carnegie Library site that is from the Munson Avenue street & George Alley, looking toward Pittsburgh.

[@judy3423]

Really enjoyed this film...it was a beautiful reminder of our growing up years in McKees Rocks. Walked many times across this bridge to and from Riverview Park and then up to Mt. Calvary Cemetary area. Great to see the bottoms before and after as well. Great Job!!!

[@ewf1415]

Great video - between the way that you spliced the "then and now" and the detail that you gave us made this a must watch for anyone who ever lived in the Rocks. I left there in '08. While there, I walked that bridge six days a week after getting off work at 2 A.M. As you cross on foot, from 65, you could see the passing barges through the holes in the sidewalk. The only time that I was ever stopped was by a cop who wanted to know what I was doing out there so late.

[@DarrenDarren-bs2gh]

Grew up in Presston, next to the river. What a childhood. There is not a day that goes by that I dont think about it! Thank you for the video my friend!

[@edwardliberatore3116]

Great job of fading in and out showing the past and the present. Having grown up in McKees Rocks I was enthralled by the video.

[@stickytourbus]

My childhood stomping grounds. And the Terrace. I’m glad I escaped. But oh the memories, a wild life. Thanks Tim. 👍

[@Al_Dente-d1p]

Tim is lucky he made it out of there alive, actually! With all of those turnarounds and double-backs.

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

@@Al_Dente-d1p I got a few long looks when I drove by folks with my hand holding the camera out through the sunroof! 😉

[@popscola2574]

Hell yeahhh. One of my favorite channels and one of my favorite places in pittsburgh. Im saving this video for dinner.

[@thatadventureguy7908]

Wow, I live in Presston and my Grandfather grew up here. I learned a lot about her that I didn't know and got to see the area as my grandfather did! Thank you so much for putting this together, it was really well done!

[@fludzone1]

Another great video, Tim. I always look forward to them.

[@clarenceborgmeyer4376]

I lived in Sheraden and have many memories of riding my bike to the center of the bridge just to throw stones into the river. My Grandfather work at the Duquesne Brewery just a little down river. I wish that would have shone up. Thanks for all the work you put in.

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

Hi Clarence! That Duquesne Brewery is in McKees Rocks Part 2 - Island Ave. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5zOe6qcfMicaa8 You should also check out Part 1 about Chartiers Ave.

[@Billy-with-Fish]

so happy your still making these i look forward to every one of them !!!

[@4CX40000GM]

Wonderful! Keep them coming!

[@user-tf2ru7oz6w]

you should do some videos on Bigelow Boulevard ,the Armstrong Tunnels and the Liberty Bridge and Tubes. I heard the tunnels were built before the bridge. They would be great stories to tell with lots of illustrations. It's great to see the old pictures before the work was done.

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

Those will get done someday. They're all in the pipeline. Too may pics and too little time. 8>)

[@captains_collectibles]

Tim I have a 1989 Pittsburgh Press insert magazine witha story of the rox. At 28:06 that park is on the cover of the magazine. 33 years prior!

[@billd.4701]

Would be nice to see a video of Presston (Schoenville) and the 1909 strike.

[@georgemakes4355]

Very good. Thank you.

[@joeolejar]

I grew up in Stowe Township near Mancini's and bicycled from there across the McKees Rocks bridge and back with a friend just to kill time.

[@backpocketfarm]

Tim,thanks. I grew up on Phoenix Street, with a few years before that on Helen right after I was born.nDaf worked the mills back in Nichols. Any idea what happened to the homes that were once there? 325 Phoenix was our number.

[@stickytourbus]

Tim, I have tried many times to find photographs of the Terrace to no avail. All I can find is the fancy new project that took its place. Can you point me in the right direction? Visited a few years ago and drove my wife through Hays Manor. She wasn’t ready for that, especially since I stopped and chatted with a few residents! Hey! We’re Pittsburghers, we’re friendly! Thank you again for the rides. 👍

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

Hey STB! There "might" be something if you search the newspaper archives. I know I found an article a while back describing the plans to build the Terrace (no pics yet, of course). There's also a chance some things might be found at historicpittsburgh.org but it's a time sucker even if you filter things out and use quotes around multiple search words. You might also try asking on the McKees Rocks Historical Society Facebook page(s). (There are two - one public one that allows for general conversations as well as history and one that only allows historical stuff.)

[@stickytourbus]

@@TimeTravelWithTim Thanks Tim. 👍 Yinz make good videos ‘n at! 😁👍

[@ThursdayisGood]

Great video Tim. Nice seeing what it was like when my grandparents were growing up. Ever think of doing a video on Ohio river boulevard ?

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

Thank you. I mention in the video that ORB is somewhere in the future. I have pictures of it being built but only have so much time. It'll come! 8>)

[@john-ic9vj]

Our engineering firm was working with a developer on redeveloping the large industrial site just south of Preston in the bottoms. We were discussing with penndot about McKees rocks Bridge and 65 intersection. They said they were working with the SPC about POTENTIALLY converting that into a 2-lane roundabout. I had no idea until now it already was one! Any idea when that was changed and why? And great video as always 👍

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

I think I heard before when they removed the circle but I went to the newspaper archive to find out for sure. (I should have done that for the video!) After rooting through a number of articles about accidents there I found this one from September 1956 archives.post-gazette.com/clip/112453564/mckees-rocks-bridge-circle/ And this one from November of the same year: archives.post-gazette.com/clip/112454103/mckees-rocks-bridge-circle-contract-to-r/

[@4057hofft]

Let's see something on old rt88

[@TimeTravelWithTim]

I'd love to, TJ. But most - almost all, in fact - of the pictures I have are of Allegheny Count projects.

[@Al_Dente-d1p]

Nice, Tim!! Thanks for the content dude.

[@Al_Dente-d1p]

14:41 you can still see the old streetcar tracks.