Tube City Almanac

October 12, 2008

An Apology to Port Vue

Category: General Nonsense, History || By


It has come to my attention that some residents of Port Vue were offended by recent remarks published in the Almanac in relation to the founding of Liberty Borough.

The remarks were supposed to be funny and I thought they were obviously tongue-in-cheek, but apparently some people didn't find them funny, or took them seriously. (A few people were especially offended by the word "ptui," which was an obscure inside joke.)

I didn't mean any disrespect, and I certainly didn't mean to impugn or malign anyone from Port Vue or the borough itself. I sincerely apologize.

Some of my best friends (and family members) are from Port Vue, and I went to school for six years in Port Vue. (It's not true that I spent all six of those years in the second grade.)

To make amends, I have now scanned in the entire 1976 history of Port Vue that was written by the late Rudolph Antoncic Sr., former mayor and burgess.

You can download it as a PDF; it's about 8 MB.

I hope everyone in Port Vue will accept this as my attempt to make amends, and I especially hope that they won't tell my grandma what I did.

Anyway, remember that in these challenging economic and political times, it's important for us to band together and fight our common enemy. Namely, Lincoln Borough.

. . .

(Tomorrow in the Almanac: An apology to Lincoln Borough)






Your Comments are Welcome!

HAHAHA Some people have no sense of humor. What a shame, I blame it on the lack of education! Damn South Allemegheny! On a side not myself and my family being from Port Vue and having alot of history in that town did not find your article offensive, but rather funny! Don’t let the man get you down!
Jeff Tomovcsik - October 13, 2008



Sorry, I hit the wrong key and sent an incomplete message. Jason, you can’t just go off without explaining what that photo is about. What’s the industriy in the foreground? And what is the Penny Coal Railroad. Is it that long trestle seen across the river? Inquiring minds want to know.
ebtnut - October 14, 2008



I don’t really have any information, ebtnut

The Penny Mine was a 19th century coal-mining operation in Port Vue that opened circa 1884 and probably petered out before 1900.

I think the truss bridge that crosses the river is the old 13th Avenue Bridge, which was torn down after the 15th Avenue Bridge was built in 1908.

The “Penny Coal Railroad” is likely that steep trestle coming down the hill to the river.

I can’t even guess what the industry in the foreground is.
Webmaster - October 14, 2008



That “industry” in the foreground is the original McKeesport Waterworks, later it became the McKeesport Ice Co. Also,you’re right about both the bridge and the coal trestle.
John Barna - October 16, 2008



Very cool article. Spent some summers in Port Vue with my aunt and uncle in the 70’s. We used to go riding through town on a bicycle built for two. My uncle is even in a picture in the PDF as a Councilman and later became the mayor. I believe he either is or recently was the mayor of Port Vue again. I haven’t thought about those days in quite a long time.
Scott - October 16, 2008



I was born in 1919 in Boston PA and would love to hear from people in that area. I ended upin CA but still call PA my home
elizabeth {walter] batchelor (URL) - October 20, 2008



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