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Statistical Abstract of McKeesport: 1953 Population
Newspapers "News": Published every evening except Sunday by the Daily News Publishing Co., McKeesport. Circulation, 33,629 (September 1951 Audit Bureau of Circulations statement). "Pennsylvania Beverage News": Published monthly for the beverage trade by the Pennsylvania Beverage News. Radio WEDO: 810 kc, 1,000 watts (daytime) WMCK: 1,360 kc, 1,000 watts WMCK-FM: 104.9 Mc, 500 watts Library Carnegie Free Library. Number of volumes, 1952, 43, 584; Circulation, 126,275; Income, $30,000; Spent for books, $6,237. Recreation McKeesport has a well-developed municipal year-round recreation program, administered by the Recreation Director and Recreation Board and operated in 1952 on a budget of $20,500 with cooperation from the City Council, School Board, civic groups and churches. Principal features of the program include: Playgrounds: The city's 10 playgrounds in 1952 were staffed by a supervisor and 25 instructors and attended by approximately 3,000 children. School yards: Ten school yards provide a program of games for children and outdoor showing of movies for both children and adults. Recreation centers: Seven indoor recreation centers, using facilities loaned by the school board and housing authority, are operated three evenings a week. The program consists of active games, dancing, singing, drawing, hobbies and crafts. More than 2,000 children from 6 to 18 were registered in 1952. Indoor movies for adults and children are a regular feature. Sports facilities: 8 softball fields, 4 baseball fields, 4 tennis courts, 5 basketball courts, 2 swimming pools. Community recreation park: Renziehausen Park offers tennis courts, a dance pavilion, baseball and softball fields, pavilions for other activities, a lake for fishing and ice skating, and other facilities for the use of both children and adults. Day camps accommodate from 50 to 100 children daily for a summer program of arts and crafts, active and passive games, dancing, singing and storytelling. Teen-age dances: This twice-a-week feature of the year-round program has been in operation 10 years. During the summer, dances are held in Renziehausen Park; during the winter, in the auditorium of the Carnegie Free Library. More than 19,500 attended in 1952. Other programs: Bowling at the YMCA alleys for grade school and teen-age youth, roller skating at two arenas, swimming at the YMCA and Rainbow Gardens pools, and dancing at the clubhouse of the McKeesport Eagles are other activities conducted under sponsorship of the municipal recreation program. The service, civic, and Boys clubs of McKeesport in 1952 greatly expanded the opportunities for McKeesport youth to play organized baseball. In addition, a tryout camp sponsored by the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club and the Daily News gave more than 350 boys a chance at professional status. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Penn Transit Company made it possible for more than 500 boys to see big league games in 1952. Bank Assets First National Bank: $41,401,326 Hospital McKeesport Hospital (1950): Beds, 275; average census, 245*; bassinets, 50; births, 2,994; admissions, 8,995. Housing Dwelling units: 15,039 Transportation Railroads Pennsylvania Railroad: Follows the west bank of the Monongahela River with the Dravosburg station nearest McKeesport. One train runs each way daily between Pittsburgh and Brownsville. Baltimore & Ohio: On the Pittsburgh-to-Washington run, most through trains stop at McKeesport. Commuter service is provided between Versailles and Pittsburgh via McKeesport and Braddock. Pittsburgh & Lake Erie: Freight service only on the Pittsburgh-to-Brownsville and Pittsburgh-to-Connellsville lines, which join at McKeesport. McKeesport Connecting Railroad: Switching and terminal service. Bus and Trolley Bus and trolley service are available within the city of McKeesport. The Pittsburgh Railways Company operates streetcars every 30 minutes from Atlantic Avenue and John Street (Tenth Ward) to Evans Street and Bailey Avenue. There is no service between 1:05 and 5:02 a.m. Penn Transit Company operates buses over four routes at base service intervals ranging from 15 to 30 minutes and peak service intervals of from 7(1/2) to 15 minutes, depending on the route. Transportation to neighboring communities is available as follows: Clairton Hill: Noble J. Dick Lines bus service at 30-minute intervals. Continental Can Co.: Mon Valley Bus Company service via Mifflin Park and the County Airport. Hourly service 7:15 to 10:10 a.m., and 2:15 to 5:15 p.m. The return run leaves Continental Can Co. hourly from 7:40 a.m. to 9:40 a.m., and from 2:40 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. East Pittsburgh: McKeesport Transit Company bus service at 6:30, 6:50 and 7:25 a.m., half-hourly from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; hourly until 10:30 p.m.; at specified times thereafter until 12:45 a.m. Elizabeth: Noble J. Dick Lines bus service via Glassport hourly from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and more frequently at peak periods. Glassport: Pittsburgh Railways Company streetcar service at 15-minute intervals during the day, 20-minute intervals in the evening, and approximately hourly intervals from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. For bus service, see Elizabeth. Irwin: Penn Transit Company bus service approximately hourly from 6:15 a.m. to midnight as far as Rainbow Gardens. Four morning, four afternoon, and three evening trips continue to Johnston's Greenhouse. One noon and one early evening trip go as far as Irwin. Monongahela: Mon Valley Bus Service via Dravosburg, Clairton and Elizabeth at intervals of approximately one hour from 6 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., and from 7 p.m. to 11:50 p.m.; less frequently at intervening periods. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Railways Company express bus service leaving Pittsburgh at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and leaving McKeesport at 10:05 a.m. and 7 p.m. The 9 a.m. trip leaving Pittsburgh and the 7 p.m. trip leaving McKeesport stop at the County Airport. The company also operates streetcar service via Dravosburg, Interboro Avenue, Mifflin Road, Glenwood Bridge, and Second Avenue. Cars operate at 15-minute intervals throughout the day with more frequent service at peak periods and hourly service between 1:35 a.m. and 5:35 a.m. Sutersville: Penn Transit Company bus service via Versailles, Avondale, Greenock and Buena Vista hourly from 6:30 a.m. until 11:40 p.m. Wilmerding: Pittsburgh Railways Company bus service at 20-minute intervals between 5:23 a.m. and 7:03 p.m.; 30-minute service thereafter until 11:33 p.m.; and irregularly until 2:35 a.m. Highways Pa. 148: Skirts the banks of the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers, at the confluence of which McKeesport lies. The route then bears north to join the Lincoln Highway at East McKeesport. Pa. 837: On the left bank of the Monongahela River, may be reached from McKeesport via West Fifth Avenue and the Dravosburg Bridge or via Bowman Avenue and the bridge to Duquesne. Waterways Goods can be shipped to all points on the Ohio-Mississippi River system. Public Utilities Electricity: Duquesne Light Company Telephones (Duquesne-McKeesport): 1939 —12,152; 1946 — 20,271; 1953 — 38,162. Water: McKeesport Municipal Bureau of Water supplies the city of McKeesport and the nearby boroughs of Port Vue, Liberty, Versailles, White Oak and Eden Park. The population served is estimated at 70,000. Sources of supply are the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers. Three filtered water distribution reservoirs have a total capacity of 7,725,000 gallons. Plant capacity is 10,000,000 gallons a day. Trade, 1948 Allegheny County: $1,437,000,000 Education McKeesport Public Schools, 1951-52 Elementary students, 4,191 Catholic Schools, 1950 Holy Trinity (1-8), 274 Taxes, 1951 Assessed valuation: $66,984,000 |