P-G: Mt. Lebanon woman provides a look at medicine in the 1800s

More than a century after his death, Cyrus Schreiner's life as a doctor is being shared, thanks to a Mt. Lebanon resident with an interest in the history of medicine.

Lorelei Stein has thoroughly studied the ledgers, papers and tools of the trade preserved by Dr. Schreiner's descendants after he died in 1900.

She compiled her findings in a paper about the practice of medicine in the 19th century that she is presenting for medical groups and will discuss at the May meeting of the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/a-newsmaker-you-should-know-mt-lebanon-woman-provides-a-look-at-medicine-in-the-1800s-682104 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

WTAE: Mt. Lebanon: Then and Now

WTAE did a wonderful segment on Mt. Lebanon on Wednesday as part of their "Then and Now" series. Margaret Jackson, a municipal employee and former president of the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon was interviewed and did a fantastic job sharing the history of our municipality.

Watch the video:

• www.wtae.com/news/Mt-Lebanon-Then-and-Now/-/9681432/15597280/-/68tw7n/-/index.html (WTAE)

P-G: Mt. Lebanon marks 100 years

Will A. Siegfried Jr.'s grandfather didn't waste any time as one of Mt. Lebanon's founding leaders in 1912.

According to records from the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon, Willis H. Siegfried, four other commissioners and a solicitor worked hard to upgrade the then-township. They hired a road supervisor, an engineer and laborers, created a board of health, approved construction of electric poles, commissioned a sewer study and levied their first tax at 3 mills -- all in the first month.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/pg/12026/1206041-55-0.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trib: Reception kicks off Mt. Lebanon centennial

For residents in the north end of Mt. Lebanon, odds are that the land beneath their feet once was part of a farm owned by Fred Abbott's ancestors.

The farm took up 22 acres near the present-day intersection of Beverly and McFarland roads, settled by the Abbotts in the mid-1800s when the area was part of Scott. Once sold, it became the Colonial Heights subdivision in the late 1920s, when the opening of the Liberty Tunnel brought development to the South Hills suburbs.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_779433.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Trib: Mt. Lebanon's rich history depicted in new photo book

The Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon is hoping a new book will help raise the organization's profile and bolster interest in the municipality's rich history.

The society's Member Appreciation Day to be held on Saturday highlights the new book of Mt. Lebanon historical photos, which was released last week by Arcadia Publishing, with a portion of the profits supporting the society's programs and operations, said President M.A. Jackson.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_760351.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

The Almanac: ML group to host tours of churches

The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon will host another walking tour of two historic churches at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12.

Society docents will lead "Saints & Stained Glass" tours inside St. Bernard and Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian churches on Washington Road. The tour, which will take about 90-minutes, covers the history of both churches with a primary focus on the stained glass windows. Tour-goers should meet in the parking lot of the Presbyterian church.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-03-2011-ML-walking-tours (The Almanac)

P-G: Coloring book celebrates Mt. Lebanon's history

A year and a half ago, members of the board of the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon started kicking around an idea: to design a coloring book that featured the municipality's landmarks and history.

Dick Price, 79, a retired Pittsburgh Public Schools English teacher, volunteered to lead the project, and sent letters to as many Mt. Lebanon-based artists, architects and art teachers as he could find, asking if they could draw an image to go along with the captions about Mt. Lebanon.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/pg/11111/1140737-55.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Lebo History: 50th Anniversary Plate

My friends and family know that I love to go to garage sales, flea markets, etc. Two weeks ago, I went to an estate sale on Edward Avenue and picked up this 48 year old plate. As you can see, it was made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mount Lebanon Township (now the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon) with artwork of each church in town around the plate.

What I really found interesting was the writing on the back of the plate which talks about the history of our town. It is as follows:

"Mt. Lebanon Township came into existence February 1912 when the Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County decreed the division of the Township of Scott and created the Township of Mt. Lebanon.

The name, Mt. Lebanon, originated from the two cedar trees of Lebanon brought back from the Holy Land in 1950 by Rev. Joseph Clokey. These were planted in the middle of his farm which bordered Bower Hill and Washington Rds.

In 1912 Mt. Lebanon had a real estate valuation of three and a quarter millions; a population of 1,705; one school house; seventy-five street lights; one fire hydrant; no paved streets; no fire department; no police force.

Today -- fifty years later -- the real estate valuation is $230,000,000. The Township boasts a population of 36,000; a fire department with five pieces of modern fire fighting equipment, ten full-time firemen and thirty-two volunteers; 78 miles of paved streets and 40-member Police department.

Fourteen beautiful churches are the centers of the community's religious life. St. Winifred Roman Catholic Church has just begun construction. Recognized nationally for its outstanding work, the Mt. Lebanon public school system with a pupil population of 7,700 has one high school, two junior high schools and six elementary schools.

Mt. Lebanon residents are justly proud of their well-landscaped suburban homes; their active clubs; unique music and lecture societies; swim groups and athletic organizations which have gained state and national recognition.

Made for A. G. Trimble Co, 3006 Jenkins Arcade, Pittsburgh 22 Penna."

NOTE: I have donated the plate to the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon.

Blast From The Past On Washington Road

M.A. Jackson started a little detective work after she discovered some boxes in the basement of the Mt. Lebanon library, that contained old photographs of Washington Road.

The black-and-white pictures show buildings and stores along the municipality's main drag. Some of those pictured are still there -- the municipal building, for example. But others, such as the Clearview Garage, are gone.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/09288/1005534-55.stm

Important Updates from Commish Dan Miller

Commissioner Dan Miller has blanketed his website with important news and information about what's happening right now in Mt. Lebanon:

A review of the status of RAD funding cuts for the Mt. Lebanon Library

Pushing an initiative regarding the condition of "private streets" in Mt. Lebanon

The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department needs new recruits and citizens to help find them

Community notes (the coming ULTRA Party, the Denis Theater film series, LeboALERT, the Veterans Committee, and an answer to a question that I wouldn't think to ask about staffing snow plows)

Questions and answers about the new "speed humps" on Mapleton and Altoona

Question and answer about "paper streets" or unimproved rights of way in Mt. Lebanon, with a very helpful and informative map of those "paper streets." I take it that this is an authoritative map maintained by the Municipality. (Unfortunately and understandably, it does not indicate either the legal ownership or the beneficial ownership of the rights of way. But it does confirm that they are indeed rights of way and that the Municipality regards them as such, which partly answers a question that has come up on this blog before in connection with private efforts to block access to them.)

An update about the Mt. Lebanon Historical Society

A summary of Mt. Lebanon Fire Department standards for "cover," meaning response times and special risk factors in different zones of Mt. Lebanon.

History Center Welcomes Visitors

The Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon re-formed about 11 years ago to interpret and preserve the history of Mt. Lebanon which extends more than six square miles.

Derived from Cedar of Lebanon trees brought to Bower Hill Road by the Rev. Joseph Clokey around 1850, the name Mt. Lebanon became official when a post office, serving less than 100 people, opened in 1855.

After years of meeting in the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, the historical society recently opened its history center at 200 Lebanon Avenue in Mt. Lebanon. "What We Wore" is the theme of this first exhibit featuring donated or loaned clothing dating back to 1890.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/06-10-Roamin-S--Hills-2-pix-2-info-boxes

History Center To 'Dress For Success' In Center Debut

The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon will realize a milestone when it opens a door to the past on Friday. The 140-member organization christens its new History Center in the former Dr. Clarence McMillan house on Lebanon Avenue with an exhibit titled "What We Wore."

"It is just the perfect space for us right now," said M.A. Jackson, the society's president. "We have a reception area, the second room will be a display area and the back room is for our files and our research."

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_627997.html

History Center Digs Deep Into The Closet

The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon will celebrate its eleventh anniversary -- and the town's roots --with the opening of a new History Center in the downtown.

The grand opening is set for 6 p.m. June 5, during one of Mt. Lebanon's popular First Friday programs. Located in the lower level of the parking authority building at 200 Lebanon Ave., the center has three rooms and is equipped with a computer for visitor research. Mt. Lebanon library and the municipal building are within walking distance.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/09127/968113-55.stm

Mt. Lebanon Volunteers Embrace Task

In mid-1998, a group of residents hoped that Mt. Lebanon would one day have a full-fledged historical center where anyone could go and learn about the municipality's past. The dream shared by those few people is now mere months from reality.

Boxes upon boxes of ephemera, vintage clothing, yearbooks and even items rescued from the Denis Theater on Washington Road have moved from historical society members' closets, basements and attics to a new home at 200 Lebanon Avenue.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/01-14-ML-historical-society-B-w-pic

Society Close To Having An Area History Center

Mt. Lebanon is close to having a new headquarters for its historical society. The group has successfully negotiated a sublease in a building owned by the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority (MLPA). All that's left, is for the MLPA to sign off on the agreement and the historical society can move in, said president Margaret Jackson.

The historical society has agreed to sublease several rooms at 794 Washington Road. Space in the building is also leased by South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG).

Jackson said the historical society was also able to attain a $5,000 state grant with the help of Rep. Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon).

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/03-12-ML-historical-society-B

Caring For An Older Home: Research & Renovation

The Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon will be holding their next meeting at 7:30 PM, Wednesday, November 7 at Mt. Lebanon Library. The program is "Caring For An Older Home: Research & Renovation/" it will be presented by Lori Humphreys, historical society trustee and Tara Merenda, program director for the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh's RenPlan Program.

Mt. Lebanon Historical Society Hopes To Get A Home

A Mt. Lebanon historical group wants to move its collection of artifacts from homes and rented storage space to its first permanent home.

The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon, organized in 1998, hopes to sublease the basement of a building owned by the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority and recently asked the municipality for help paying for the plan.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_516799.html