MILLVALE HISTORY THE EARLY YEARS   Prior to 1800, the land on which Millvale now sits was hunted and fished by the Seneca tribe. During that time, the area that would one day be Millvale was the start of the Venango trail, which trekked to Erie. Simon Girty the namesake for Girty’s Run Creek was a prominent figure in the development of Millvale. Born in 1741 Girty was captured by the Seneca tribe, after he watched his father tortured and killed. Girty was raised as a Native American; he was released shortly after the treaty of Pontiac was signed. Girty had difficulty adjusting to life outside the tribe. He settled along the creek that would bear his name and lived there until the outbreak of the American Revolution. During the revolution, Girty first sided with the Colonials but then turned sides and fought for the British. Girtys involvement in the revolution is shrouded in controversy with rumors of his involvement in torturing and killing Colonial soldiers alongside the British and Seneca’s. At the end of the revolution, Girty moved to Canada where he died in 1818. The next person to settle near Millvale was John Sample. Sample a revolutionary war veteran settled in the valley after the revolutionary war taking advantage of land compensation for serving as a soldier in the Continental army. Sample’s fourth son Thomas, was born in the valley in 1791 and believed to be only the second white child born west of the Allegheny river at the time. A stone house built by a son of James Sample still stands on Evergreen road today. In 1844, Allegheny city purchased 164 acres from the Sample estate and placed a Poor Farm on the site. The Poor Farm was used for 23 years; today some buildings still exist including buildings on Butler and Lincoln. With the poor farm established in central Millvale, industry began to develop near the Allegheny River and along the banks of Girty’s run. In 1847 Thomas Stewart established a forge at the mouth of Girty’s Run which developed into a rolling mill. Stewart and company built housing for workers on what are now Jefferson and Maryland Streets and along Stanton Avenue, some of the houses stand today. In 1853, Stewart sold the mill to Kloman and Kloman, which shortly after the sale became Kloman and Phipps. Kloman and Henry Phipps sold the mill ten years later and the mill became Graff, Bennett and company. Henry Phipps after selling the mill would go on to collaborate with Andrew Carnegie and found Carnegie Steel. Andrew Carnegie worked for Phipps as a bookkeeper at the Kloman – Phipps mill, Phipps is widely remembered in Pittsburgh for his gift of the Conservatory and Botanical gardens located in Schenley Park. When Graff, Bennett and Company purchased the mill in 1863, it was located in Old Duquesne Borough; the main highway from Pittsburgh was Butler Plank road a toll road that would become East Ohio Street. At the time, coalmines were located on Beckert’s Hill now Bekert Street, the coal was of poor quality and the mines closed by 1888. At the time of the mill purchase in 1863, a canal ran along the river, and lumber and gardening businesses were prevalent near the canal. In 1857, the Pennsylvania railroad purchased the right of way from the Pennsylvania Canal system ending the canal era in western Pennsylvania and beginning the railroad era. Houses sprung up as the railroad industry matured, leading to the first public school being built in 1859 by what is now the 40th Street Bridge. The area surrounding the railroad grew quickly leading the Pennsylvania Railroad to operate Bennett Station a stop on the rail line named after Bennett a partner in the Graff, Bennett mill. The first post office was then established in 1863 as the Bennett Post Office. FOUNDING By Act of Assembly, on February 13, 1868 Millvale Borough was incorporated, the borough was created from parts of Shaler Township, and Duquesne Borough. Prior to incorporation, in 1867 the Allegheny Poor Farm was sold and moved, the farm was laid out into streets and divided into lots paving the way for the Millvale incorporation. Mr. M.B. Lyon named Millvale; the name was derived from industry - Mill and location – Valley. Mr. Lyon was a schoolteacher and largely responsible for Millvale being awarded borough status. In 1870, the population of Millvale was 668; Millvale grew quickly with the end of the Civil War. The Ewalt Covered Bridge connected Millvale with Lawrenceville and a narrow gauge railroad ran through Millvale, the narrow gauge railroad eventually became part of Pittsburgh’s famous trolley system. Millvale’s expeditious growth can be appreciated when taking into account three schools were built in less than twenty years, Millvale’s first Borough school was built in 1874 and stood until 1948, the second school was built in 1885 and another in 1893. As the turn of the century approached, Millvale continued to experience great growth, three Breweries called Millvale home, The Bavarian, Hoehl’s and American, the Bennett Star now the Green Sheet began publishing in the 1800’s, an Opera house was built and the borough featured Schwartz’s grocery store, a candy store, liquor store and Masonic lodge. In 1893, Millvale added a Third ward, which was annexed from Shaler Township. TURN OF THE CENTURY By 1900 the Graff, Bennett Mill had burned to the ground and the property sold to the Pittsburgh Railway trolley system for a car barn. Many of Millvale’s own went back to Europe to fight in the war to end all wars, as many-left Millvale continued to develop. In fact, Millvale was the first Borough to own its’ own water and electric company. The Lippert Saw Works and Vero Sand, Gravel and Coal were prominent businesses in the borough and County. Millvale now featured eight hotels, four nickelodeons, and an architect, 4 attorneys, 6 bakers, 8 barbers, 3 blacksmiths, 28 grocers and Sirlin Auto the boroughs first auto garage. Millvale developed and continued to grow into the 1920’s. The 40th Street Bridge was dedicated in 1924 and the Lincoln Pharmacy opened its doors for the first time in 1926.  DEPRESSION TO WAR Millvale weathered the great depression and took advantage of government initiated W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration), to fortify Girty’s Run Creek. Millvale was now a self-sustaining town where you could buy anything. Businesses still in operation today were established during this era including Daniels’s Electric, Esther’s Hobby Shop, Haser Trucking, Grant Bar, Jerry Kitmans Fine Furniture, The Lincoln Pharmacy, and Vecenie’s Beer Distributor. Many of Millvale’s churches were built prior to or during this era as well. When World War II began, Millvale is manufacturing businesses and residents assisted with the war effort and many of Millvale’s men and woman served the United States proudly during the war PROSPERITY TO DECLINE Millvale like many communities boomed after the war. Many of Millvale’s civil services including Police and Fire expanded through this era. As time went by Millvale grew into a tight knit community, neighbors and businesses all knew each other in this small model community. The good times ended slowly, flooding was a problem on two fronts the river and Girty’s Run. Millvale’s first ward was carved up to make way for Route 28 and the energy crisis hit America in the mid seventies beginning the loss of manufacturing businesses in the United States. Western Pennsylvania was hard hit with the heavy decline of the steel industry; although Millvale did not have a steel mill, the town felt the affects of the loss. Businesses and residents began to leave the County and Millvale alike. Two bright spots during the turbulent times were the Millvale Centennial in 1968 and the bi-centennial of the United States in 1976. Millvale made major street improvements in the 80’s but ultimately the community was stagnant, decline in businesses and residents were evident but the community remained tight knit and most importantly a community, people were proud of Millvale and being from Millvale. INTO THE NEXT CENTURY Development came to the Millvale riverfront, the same river that had devastated the community in the early part of the last century. Securing Federal and State Grants the Millvale riverfront park was created, featuring a pavilion, bike trail, boat launch and skate-park the park gave residents access back to the river. The Allegheny River was one of the prime reasons that Millvale was founded, with the development of the riverfront, as a recreational area the river will help to redefine Millvale. Millvale’s business district maintained as the century turned, in fact compared to other similar communities in Allegheny County Millvale was moving forward and showing signs of growth not regression.  In the fall of 2004, Millvale was flooded when Girty’s Run overflowed its banks once again. The devastating flood destroyed infrastructure, businesses and residential homes. Millvale and its residents survived and continue to move their community forward. Today Millvale is growing and improving because of the resilience of the community.           Simon Girty  SAMPLE HOUSE POORHOUSE MILLVALE MAP BAUERLINE BREWERY VANKA MURAL ORIGINAL ROUTE 28 3 RIVERS ROWING  ALLEGHENY RIVER    BAIT SHOP  DOWNTOWN FROM MILLVALE  ESTHERS HOBBY SHOP  REDSTAR IRONWORKS