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George Washington visits
On his visit to the Point (currently Point State Park), he described it as "extremely well situated for a Fort; as it has the absolute Command of both Rivers. The Land at the Point is 20 or 25 Feet above the common Surface of the Water; and a considerable Bottom of flat, well timbered Land all around it very convenient for Building." Today, he is immortalized with a statue at the Pittsburgh International Airport. -
Fort Duquesne completed
Initiated a little more than a year before, the French beat the British to building a fort at the point where the three rivers meet. -
British take contol of the Point
Led by General Forbes, the British take control of what remains of Fort Duquesne. They begin building a new fort on the site several months later. -
Pittsburgh formally named
Named by General Forbes after William Pitt, the English prime minister. Forbes sent him a letter a few months later saying that he had "used the freedom of giving your name to Fort Duquesne, as - - - it was in some measure the being activated by your spirits that now makes us Masters of the place." -
First coal mining
Coal Hill, now Mount Washington, was the first site of coal mining in Pennsylvania. -
Fort Pitt completed
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Battle of Bushy Run
In the previous months, the local Indians, lead by the Ottawa tribe leader Pontiac, had sieged Fort Pitt and forced any surrounding residents to take refuge in the fort. On this day, Colonel Bouquet, a Swiss ally of the British, defeated the Indians and regained control of Fort Pitt. -
Treaty of Fort Pitt
The first formal written treaty between the Native Americans and the United States was signed at Fort Pitt at the Point. -
First newspaper published
The Pittsburgh Gazette, the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains, started to be published weekly. -
University of Pittsburgh is founded
Based in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the University is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year. -
Allegheny County created
Formed from parts of Westmoreland and Washington Counties, Pittsburgh was named the Allegheny County seat. -
Whiskey Rebellion starts
Farmers who used their leftover corn and grain to make whiskey began protesting a new tax aimed at them. -
Pittsburgh incorporated as borough
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Pittsburgh population: 1,300
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Sale of Fort Pitt material
Fort Pitt was abandoned years earlier and the remaining building material was advertised as for sale. -
First courthouse completed
The two-story brick building was located in what is now Market Square.
