Castle Shannon

Book excerpt: Every day, trolley cars--or streetcars to native Pittsburghers--transport citizens back and forth between the city's suburban South Hills and downtown. Almost everyone who has taken one of these bumpy rides either passed through or stopped in Castle Shannon. There are a number of familiar landmarks along Route 88, such as the underpass of Killarney Drive, an auto dealership, Linden Grove dance hall, and the business section of Willow Avenue. The area originally called Castle Shanahan by David Strawbridge, a prominent farmer and one of the town's earliest settlers, was dominated by farmland and heavy timber. In the late 1800s, the coal mines began attracting waves of immigrants to the town, and Castle Shannon soon thrived as a center for coal mining. Rail transportation also helped define Castle Shannon's historic boundaries through the mid-20th century. Longtime residents of Castle Shannon take pride in their community, as can be seen in the images enclosed in this book.