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Best Local Trivia About Pittsburgh

Are you knowledgeable about Pittsburgh? With the French and Indian War, the steel industry, corporate empires, inventions, education and notorious crime, Pittsburgh is an interesting city filled with a rich history. When the French and Indian War ended, France and England fought over the land, which established the history of the names Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt. During the 19th century, Pittsburgh was the Gateway to the West as the area was leading in manufacturing and industrialization. The area hit a boom with the steel manufacturing industry in the 20th century as Pittsburgh supplied millions of tons of steel for World War II. Building on that, here is some best local trivia about Pittsburgh.

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Gateway Clipper
350 W. Station Square Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 355-7980
www.gatewayclipper.com

On May 17, 1958, the Gateway Clipper Fleet had its maiden sightseeing voyage. The cruise sailed from the Monongahela Wharf along the three rivers with the local YMCA as the first passengers. The Gateway Clipper was established by ALCOSAN treasurer John E. Connelly for sightseeing cruises to showcase the pollution cleanup efforts of the river and make the three rivers an attractive feature. Some of the names of the boats in fleets over the years are Majestic, Duchess, Countess, Empress, Princess, Good Ship Lollipop, Gateway Clipper and Gateway Clipper II.

Related: Best Mother's Day Events In Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Credit: Diane Straka)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
34 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 263-1450
www.post-gazette.com

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, or simply PG, has had many names throughout the years while serving Pittsburgh. The names involved with the newspaper include Pittsburgh Gazette, The Gazette Times, The Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Gazette and Manufacturing and Mercantile Advertiser. As the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains published by John Scull and Joseph Hall in 1786, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has a rich history. The newspaper printed the Constitution of the United States in 1787 as a public service.

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Point State Park
601 Commonwealth Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 471-0235
www.pointstatepark.com

Point State Park is a 36-acre park located where the three rivers meet downtown with the landmark Fountain at the Point. The source for the storm water that spouts from the landmark fountain is known as the Wisconsin Glacier Flow. Geologists discovered the Wisconsin Glacier Flow, which is known as the underground river that lies 54-feet below ground level. The Wisconsin Ice Sheet covered much of northern U.S. during the Ice Age, and this is attributed to the creation of the underground river.

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Fifth Avenue Place (Credit: Diane Straka)

Fifth Avenue Place
120 5th Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 765-1477
www.fifthavenueplacepa.com

To greet the cast and crew of "The Dark Knight Rises" upon their arrival in Pittsburgh in July of 2011, the Batman bat signal illuminated the front of this building. Fifth Avenue Place is commonly referred to as Highmark Place since the company Highmark is the major tenant and has branding on the penthouse. The pyramidal roof is the unique architectural design feature. It is 124-feet tall and consists of four individual prisms clad in granite where a 178-foot-tall mast sits atop. The rooftop penthouse holds the technical aspects of the building warehousing mechanical controls, cooling towers and elevator machines.

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Regional Enterprise Tower (Credit: Diane Straka)

Regional Enterprise Tower
425 6th Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 391-5590
www.pmcpropertygroup.com

The 410-foot-tall Regional Enterprise Tower was the first skyscraper in downtown Pittsburgh with an all-aluminum design exterior. Formerly known as the ALCOA building, it finished construction in 1953 to headquarter the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA). The original building was designed with aluminum on the facade, ceilings, wirings and water pipes as Alcoa wanted to display pride in its material. With a unique heating and cooling system, the building floor area increased since no mechanical systems were in the outer walls.

Diane Straka is a freelance writer whose work can be found on http://www.examiner.com/finance-in-pittsburgh/diane-straka

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