Notes:Quarry Street (Strip District)

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How far east did Quarry Street run? Two main possibilities: the line between the Fifth and Ninth Wards (between Locust and Carson [19th and 20th] Streets), or a point between Adams and Mechanic (15th and 16th) streets. In the latter case, there was another street called Perry Street that ran from the eastern end of Quarry to the ward line.

  • 1860-05-29 Pittsburgh Post (Newspapers.com 88177782) refers to "Mechanics' street between Liberty and Perry streets" and "Harrison street, from Liberty to Perry."
  • Source:Ordinance-1861-prr-liberty refers to "all that portion of Quarry street from the point of intersection with Elm street eastwardly to the line between the Fifth and Ninth wards aforesaid."
  • Source:Hopkins-1872 shows "Perry Street" between (a point between 15th and 16th Streets) and (a point between 17th and 18th Streets). This is the only map I have found that labels Perry Street.
  • 1859-04-11, Daily Post, Newspapers.com 88173014: "REMOVING THE TRACK OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD FROM LIBERTY STREET. ¶ . . . ¶ Mr. Thomson applied to the committee, and sought their assistance to ascertain at what price all the property lying between Liberty street and Quarry street, (under the hill south of Liberty,) and the canal and outer depot, could be obtained; he declared the Company was willing to purchase the whole property as it stands, provided they could buy at what the Company considers a reasonable price. Through that property, a good portion of which is now quite covered with buildings, they propose to lay their tracks, and on either side erect fences such as will secure them from inflicting injury upon person or property."
  • 1860-05-29, Pittsburgh Post, Newspapers.com 88177782: "The Committee to whom was referred the matter of the removal of the Pennsylvania Railroad track from Liberty street reported an ordinance providing that Elm, Walnut and Adams' streets, between Liberty and Quarry, and Mechanics' street between Liberty and Perry streets, be vacated, provided the Company as a consideration, open Quarry into Washington street, and grade and pave, at their own cost, all the unpaved portion of Quarry street, between Harrison and Washington, factory street, from Liberty to Quarry and Harrison street, from Liberty to Perry; and provided also that the Company pay the city for the width occupied on Liberty street by Elm, Walnut, Adams and Mechanics' streets, (forty feet each,) at the same rate per foot front on Liberty street as that at which adjacent property may be purchased by them. The ordinance was discussed at length and referred back to the Committee for remodeling, with instructions to report at next meeting."
  • 1861-12-12: Source:Ordinance-1861-prr-liberty vacated "all that portion of Quarry street from the point of intersection with Elm street eastwardly to the line between the Fifth and Ninth wards aforesaid."
  • 1862-12-12, Source:Removal-of-railroad: "It is stated that Wm. J. Howard, Esq., sent here by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. to make settlement with parties owning property along the proposed new line of the Pennsylvania Railroad on Quarry street, has nearly completed his work.—Forty-two persons, owning $178,000 worth of property, have accepted the terms proposed by the company; if the rest, but a few, do not settle amicably, the usual application will be made to court and the price fixed by viewers. The work of tearing down buildings on Liberty street will commence next week so that the track can be laid from the outer depot to the canal basin at as early a day as practicable."
  • 1863-09-24, Pittsburgh Commercial (Newspapers.com 85433855) and Pittsburgh Gazette (Newspapers.com 85543580): Description of new passenger depot at Liberty and Elm Streets; construction underway.
  • 1865-03-29, Pittsburgh Commercial, Newspapers.com 85130388: "THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY vs. George Freeman and others." Legal notice pertaining to a suit to appoint viewers to determine damages for appropriation of "all that certain lot of ground situated in the Fifth Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, bounded and described as follows, to wit: Beginning on the southeast corner of Elm and Liberty streets, thence along said Liberty street eastwardly fifty feet, thence southwardly and parallel with Elm street one hundred feet to Quarry street, thence westwardly along Quarry street fifty feet to said Elm street, thence northwardly along said Elm street one hundred feet to Liberty street to the place of beginning."
    • Also 1865-03-31, Pittsburgh Commercial, Newspapers.com 85130414.
  • 1865-04-22, Pittsburgh Gazette, Newspapers.com 85194349: "Being Torn Down.—A block of wooden buildings on Quarry Street, opposite the new Central Depot, are being torn down by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Some thirty dwellings and stables have been pulled down, and the ground is being cleared away for the erection of shops and the laying of tracks. Some few buildings will be left standing temporarily, in which employees of the road reside; but eventually the thoroughfare now known as Quarry street, will be obliterated, and the ground a network of railroad tracks."
    • Reprinted verbatim in the Pittsburgh Daily Post, 1865-04-24 (Newspapers.com 86473373).
  • 1875-06-28: Source:Municipal-record-1875
    • Select Council, p. 107: "Mr. Braun, the following: ¶ Resolved, That the City Controllor [sic] be and he is hereby instructed to demand payment from the Pennsylvania Railroad, or Pennsylvania Company for that certain piece of property lying between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the manor line, formerly laid out and known as Quarry street, and occupied and covered by the aforesaid company's tracks for their use and benefit. ¶ Which was read and passed."
    • Common Council, p. 115: "A Resolution directing the City Controller to demand payment of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, for lot of ground between Pennsylvania Railroad and the Manor line, Ninth ward. ¶ In S. C. June 28th passed. ¶ In which action C. C. concurred."
  • 1875-07-15
    • Pittsburgh Gazette (Newspapers.com 86342659): "A resolution was adopted at the last meeting of Councils directing the Controller to demand pay from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for city property now in its possession, which abutted on what was Quarry street, and also for the ground which was formerly the site of the old basin. John H. Hampton, Esq., Solicitor of the company, was inquiring into the matter, and states that Quarry street and the property abutting thereon, named in the resolution, were vacated for the use of the railroad company by City Councils, upon condition that all the property lying between Liberty street and the hill, between Washington street and the outer depot, should be purchased by the company. The terms were complied with, and the company hold that the city has no claim against them."
    • Pittsburgh Commercial (Newspapers.com 85131400): "Denies the Obligation. ¶ Councils having passed a resolution instructing the Controller to make a demand upon the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for compensation for city property abutting on Quarry street, at the time of its vacation, Mr. John H. Hampton, Solicitor of the company, makes answer that, by the terms of the ordinance by which the company agreed to remove its tracks from Liberty street, between Washington street and the outer depot, the property abutting on Quarry street, as well as the street itself, was surrendered to the company, on condition that the private property be purchased between Liberty and Quarry streets, the tracks placed thereon, and Liberty street repaved at the expense of the company. These conditions were complied with, years ago, and the company owes city nothing on that score."