Homestead, PA

Homestead, which is on the other side of the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh, was a thriving center of industry in the late 19th and early 20th century. A major steel producer, the municipality was site of the famous 1892 labor conflict between steelworkers and Pinkerton agents. Collapsing in the 1970s and 1980s when the steel industry sought cheaper working conditions, Homestead began to recover in the early 21st century due to the construction of a large shopping center by the waterfront where the mills used to be. The main commercial drive of Homestead (8th Avenue) has not recovered, though, despite claims that the development would spur growth in the region.

People who were born here

• Bill Armour, manager
• Curt Leskanic, pitcher
• Cum Posey, manager; Hall of Fame
• John Rice, umpire
• Toots Shultz, pitcher

People who died here

• Lefty Williams, Negro Leagues pitcher
• Thomas Zachariah, umpire

Teams that have played here

• Homestead Steel Workers, Ohio-Pennsylvania League (1905)
• Homestead Grays, Negro Leagues (1912-1928)
• Homestead Grays, American Negro League (1929)
• Homestead Grays, Negro Leagues (1930-1933)
• Homestead Grays, Negro National League (1934-1948), based in Washington, DC 1940-1948
• Homestead Grays, Negro American Association (1949-1950), based in Washington, DC

Educational institutions located here

• Homestead (PA) High School

Further reading

• Brad Snyder. Beyond the Shadow of the Senators: The Untold Story of the Homestead Grays and the Integration of Baseball, McGraw-Hill, 2004.