RiverQuestion of the Month

for December 2008

Compiled by Jennifer Robertson, M.Ed.

RiverQuest Education Specialist

 

Question:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was founded on November 25, 1758.   In 2008, we celebrate the city's 250th birthday.

How did Pittsburgh get its unusually-spelled name?

 

Answer:

General John Forbes, the leader of the British forces during the French and Indian war, was the first to refer to the land where our fair city stands as Pittsburgh. He coined the name in November of 1758 after the French abandoned Fort Duquesne and the British took control of the land near the confluence of the rivers. The “Pitt” in Pittsburgh was to honor Great Britain’s Secretary of State, William Pitt, the Elder. Pitt went on to become Earl of Chatham and then Britain’s Prime Minister from 1766-1768. General Forbes’ Scottish heritage is apparent with his use of “burgh”. In Scotland, “burgh” was a variation of borough and pronounced the same way.

Controversy has surrounded the spelling of “Pittsburgh” during its 250 years of existence. The city’s original charter had the current spelling, but in the late 1800’s the United States Board of Geographic Names recommended the standardization of American place names. The board decreed that names pronounced ‘berg’ should be spelled ‘burg,’ and therefore the “h” was officially dropped. However, the re-named United States Geographic Board reinstated the “h” in 1911 after lobbying by local citizens with the assistance of Senator George T. Oliver.

 

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