LETTERS

LETTERI

DEAR BROTHER,

April 25th, 1821.

AFTER leaving your hospitable mansion, in which, for many years, I had enjoyed the most uninterrupted tranquillity and repose, on a journey to the Western World, it was your request that, from time to time, as occasion might offer, I would lay before you, a brief sketch of my peregrinations in this new and interesting part of our country. I presume your curiosity has, in a considerable degree, been excited by the great number of scribblers and land speculators, who are swarming our Eastern States, and, in very high and eloquent strains, for lucre's sake, representing it as a land flowing with milk and honey. However this may be with you, one fact, I think, will be taken for granted, that the Western country does possess advantages and disadvantages, over every other portion of the globe, as you will find satisfactorily exhibited in the sequel of the subsequent pages.

[6] I have now arrived at Pittsburgh, a pleasant and flourishing town, where the Alleghany from the north and the Monongahela from the east, unite and form the beautiful river Ohio, one of the handsomest streams of water in the known world, as allowed by all travellers, both European and American. Pittsburgh stands on the point of land formed by the junction of these two rivers, and is very eligibly situated in a commercial point of view, and bids fair to become the emporium of almost the whole western world. It carries

on a very considerable trade with Philadelphia, Baltimore and New-Orleans; and likewise some little with New-York, by way of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, the lakes, &c. In this place, there is scarcely any mechanical art but what is carried on to the greatest perfection. Ship building was, until lately, but owing to the great labor and hazard of getting them down the river, it is not so much attended to now as formerly.' Boat building is, however, carried on to a very considerable extent at Pittsburgh; very few of the boats, built here, ever return up the river again so far as this place; and there is of course, a constant demand for new ones. Movers from every part of the eastern sea-board, generally take this place in their way to the west. Emigrants from all the New-England States, and from many other adjacent States, are constantly [7] arriving here, and stand in need of boats, of various sizes, to transport their goods and their families. A great many foreign emigrants arrive, particularly those of them who are mechanics, from New-York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, to Pittsburgh; and, from the latter place, some of them pass on to the manufacturing establishments further west. But the most considerable manufactories of this place, are those in Ironworks, which are carried on in all their various branches and to a great extent. Furnaces and forges are numerous, and the production of them supply a large portion of the western country with the very useful and necessary articles of Ironmongry. This place may, with propriety, be called the Birmingham of America. Here we may see the surprising progress that our country is making in every branch of mechanism, both as it respects invention and workmanship. Indeed the body politic of this country are in a most

1 For the first use of the name Pittsburg, consult Post's Journals in our volume i, p. 281, note 107. A good description of the city twenty years before Ogden's visit, and of the early ship-building activity, may be found in F. A. Michaux's Travels, in our volume iii, pp. 156-161.— Ed.

healthful state, and we are rapidly approaching to a vigorous and glorious manhood. In our progress however, we have to guard against two evils- an inordinate attachment to money, and too little regard for sound morals and solid learning. But if the one is kept within proper bounds, and the other is supported and encouraged throughout the nation, we must become a happy, virtuous and prosperous people. [8] As many have conceived this place to be in the State of Ohio, I would advertise you that it is within the limits of Pennsylvania; and at the head of the navigation of the Ohio river. The town, viewed from the confluence of the two rivers, presents rather a disagreeable and unfavourable appearance; but from other situations, it wears quite a different aspect. Its scite is low and very level; and during the rise of the rivers, the waters flow for a considerable distance into the streets. The town is large; the greater part of its buildings are of brick, and of a large size. The streets cross each other at right angles, but are very disagreeable, on account of their being so narrow. Owing to almost the exclusive use of coal, the town presents rather an unpleasant and smoky appearance; and even the complexions of the people are affected by this cause.

The business of Pittsburgh is great, and it is generally believed to be increasing.- This town is engaged in trade with the whole western world, and may be considered the metropolis of this vast extent of country. It procures its foreign goods, in a great measure, from Philadelphia and Baltimore; which goods are brought in wagons across the Alleghany mountains. The distance from these places, to Pittsburgh, is about three hundred and fifty miles; and the price of carrying goods thither is from [9] four to six dollars for one hundred weight. Owing to the expense of getting foreign goods to this place, they are necessarily very high. In this town, is a Fort which constitutes a link in that great

chain of Forts, which extend from Cincinnati to the Lakes, and even beyond them. Fort Pitt occupies the scite of the old Fort Du Quesne; but even the former is now in ruins. There is another fort about two miles up the Alleghany; and here some soldiers are stationed: its situation is very retired and pleasant, but as no attention is taken to preserve it from decay, it is very rapidly deteriorating.' Opposite to Pittsburgh, on the Alleghany, is a considerable village, and preparations are making to erect a bridge across this part of the river.' There is likewise a considerable number of buildings on the opposite side of the Monongahela. Back of these buildings there are ridges of very high hills, which contain inexhaustible coal mines; and, in fact, it exists in abundance in ten or twelve of [10] the surrounding counties. The strata of coal is about six inches thick, and appears unlimited in its duration through the mountain. The usual price of this article, at Pittsburgh, is from 4 to 6 cents per bushel.

On the back part of Pittsburgh is a rise of ground, called Grant's Hill. Here the curious traveller, who wishes to

5

This Fort was built by M. de la Jonquier, in 1754, at the command of the Marquis du Quesne, Governor of Canada. General Forbes, who took it November 25, 1758, built a new Fort, which he called "Fort Pitt;" in honor of the Earl of Chatham; adjacent to the former, but higher up the Monongahela.- Harris' Tour.

The same author remarks, that the scite of this Fort was included in one of the manors of the Penn family, and was sold by the proprietors, and is now laid out in house lots, as a part of the town of Pittsburgh, which was built in the year 1765. - OGDEN.

Comment by Ed. Consult our volume iii, p. 342, for the source of this statement. 8 Apparently Fort Fayette, for which see our volume iii, pp. 32 (note 12), 345. Also Cuming's Tour, in our volume iv, pp. 244, 245. Ogden has overestimated its distance from the town.- ED.

For the founding of Allegheny City, see Flint's Letters, in our volume ix, p. 84, note 37. A bridge was built across Allegheny River as early as 1819; see Neville B. Craig, History of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, 1851), p. 288.— Ed.

'For the origin of this name, see Harris's Journal, in our volume iii, p. 169, note 30.- ED.