The Pittsburgh Writer Y’all, I cannot believe that I’ve made it to the end of this challenge. Never have I been this disciplined with anything online before, and I must say I am very proud of this achievement.
I didn’t know how it was going to go, and I know that not all the posts reflected my best work. But that, I suppose, is also part of the challenge. With some days I took the easy way out, but those were balanced by posts I hope were as fun for you to read as they were to put together. So for today’s next-to-last contribution to the 2022 Blogtober Challenge, here is a Round Up, a review if you will, of this year’s posts.
Day 1 – Participation Announcement
Blogtober is why I haven’t posted much this past September. That, and time really got away from me. Things are moving right along with work, overtime, and my pending surgery later this month. Thankfully, I’ll have a good week off work to recover from the procedure and blog blog blog 24/7!…
Day 2 – All Things Lititz
Lititz is one of those quintessential, Hallmark Channel-esque small towns here in Pennsylvania that I have always wanted to visit. Closer to my grandmother’s hometown of York, it is a good four-hour drive from where I am from. It’s less than two hours from one of Pennsylvania’s most historical places, Philadelphia, and a good three-hour drive from Washington, DC…
Day 3 – The Earliest Boom Towns of Pennsylvania
On this third day of Blogtober, let’s explore some of the earliest oil boom towns of Pennsylvania. When oil was struck and successfully processed for the first time in 1859, a “rush” comparable to that of the California Gold Rush began here in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Known as “black gold,” this industry proved to be a huge catalyst for settlement in some rather unlikely areas….
Day 4 – My Four Favorite Autumnal Things
I used to have issues with being a September baby. Why? Because it felt as though every year we had to plan my day around football. As a result, for some time I grew to really hate the sport. No harsh feelings exist for it now – I mean heck, I’m nearly 40. No way could I hold a grudge like that my entire life…
Day 5 – All About Pennsylvania Oil
Unless you’re a historian who knows Pennsylvania history, or a geologist who knows what shaped the Allegheny Mountains, or a professor of industry at some local Pittsburgh college, then you may not know that coal wasn’t always the first big industry in Pennsylvania. While it may be the longest and most combustible (see what I did there), prospectors struck oil and have been successfully processing it here since 1859…
Day 6 – My Six Favorite Fall Videos
Call this a cop-out post if you like, but I am always on the hunt for YouTube videos with awesome fall vibes. Not just vibes, but ideas on how to decorate, celebrate the season and just, well, get cozy on a Friday night. So on this 6th day of October, let’s celebrate the Autumnal season with six fall themed YouTube videos for you to enjoy…
Day 7 – My Most Popular Blog Posts of All Time
With almost 200 blog posts under my belt – we’re a mere ten away from reaching that goal – there are many things I’ve learned about a venture such as this. 1: you’re not going to find instant success; things like blogging takes time. 2: what you want to write versus what’s actually popular is a very tricky combination to navigate…
Day 8 – A Place Called Darlington, PA
With a population barely reaching past 500 individuals throughout its existence, I think we can safely say that Darlington is a true “small town.” This post, in fact, was tricky to write due to a lack of history that places like Centralia, Franklin and Johnstown have in abundance…
Day 9 – All About Ellwood City
Within the dual borders of Lawrence and Beaver Counties sits Ellwood City. This small town, thirty miles North of Pittsburgh, saw the rise and fall of several large industries Pennsylvania industries. Situated on the banks of the Connoquenessing Creek, it was founded in 1892 by Henry W. Hartman, (I had to blink twice upon reading that piece of information because my grandpa was also a Henry Hartman), and the famed Pennsylvania Railroad even had a route by it in the 1870s….
Day 10 – Ten Recipes Perfect For Fall
Comfort food. I think that’s what most of us look forward to when the sun slips below the horizon earlier in the evening, and the days grow colder. In the weeks before the official first day of Fall, my YouTube home page is suddenly filled with recipe ideas and I couldn’t be happier. While I may not ever choose to make half (or three-quarters) of these recommendations, I do typically save a lot of them to revisit later in the year. So for today’s Blogtober post, here are ten recipes that I think are perfect for the fall season…
Day 11 – Three Defunct Pennsylvania Railroads
I don’t really know why I chose to discuss these railroads for today’s Blogtober post, but here we are down the rabbit hole of research once again. Through research for another Blogtober idea, I stumbled upon a giant Wikipedia list of defunct Pennsylvania railroads and I just couldn’t help myself…
Day 12 – Three Fascinating Railroad Sites in Pennsylvania
When one lives in a state with a very long history, it’s often difficult to choose what to research. Do I go the easy way out? Discuss things that are popular or that everybody already knows? Or do I go off the beaten path and dig up what may not be known? I think today’s Blogtober topics is a combination of the two…
Day 13 – The Homestead Strike of 1892. Here’s What Happened
For the longest time I kept my interest in the Homestead Strike of 1892 secret. Why? Because I didn’t want to run the risk of giving away any part of the book I was working on at the time. Now it’s five years later and that work-in-progress has been shelved for a very long time. It was a combination of “it could happen” and actual history, with some very familiar names related to Pittsburgh – indeed all of Pennsylvanian – history…
Day 14 – YouTube Revisited
All right, my readers. I think it’s time to take a break from all the history with a fun blog post today. My last three took a LOT of research time, and I think my over-read brain needs a little bit of a break. So I hope you’ll indulge me with today’s blog post…
Day 15 – Ten Facts About Pennsylvania
Lists. They’re popular blog post devices, and today I’m most definitely implementing that tool. Why? Because it felt like the opportune time to do a little research on my own State. The problem with this is I feel like there’s the same information out there. Everywhere. Everyone regurgitates those facts over and over and over again…
Day 16 – A History of Riverview Park
Not many long-time Pittsburghers have high opinions of Brighton Heights. If you travel towards the city via the Ohio River Boulevard, it’s actually the first Pittsburgh neighborhood you’ll come across. Its high crime rate, steadily on the rise since the 1990s, is often the first thing folks think of when they hear its name. On the Pittsburgh Council, Brighton Heights is part of District One, and it sits directly across the river from McKees Rocks…
Day 17 – After 200 Blog Posts, Here’s What I’ve Learned
Never did I ever think that I would reach this milestone, yet here we are. From “AnotherHartmanAuthor” to “Chocolate & Paper” and finally to “The Pittsburgh Writer,” there are a few things I’ve learned about blogging. Today’s Blogtober is all about this website’s brief history…
Day 18 – All About Knox, PA
The thing that’s ironic about today’s blog post is as I am putting it together, my family is driving across state to see the place my maternal grandmother grew up. Why did I not go with them? A prior commitment a.k.a. the dermatologist took priority. So while my parents, sister’s family and aunt visiting from South Dakota brave today’s rain, I am nice and warm here at home with my candles and pajamas merely writing about today’s Blogtober topic: Knox, Pennsylvania…
Day 19 – My No Buy Challenge Revisited
A few years ago there was a rise in folks looking to be more money minded to participate in a financial experiment of sorts called a No Buy Challenge. While some took this to an extreme level, others did a more casual version. Take a look at some of these videos…
Day 20 – My Upcoming October Reads
Ah books. One of the original foundational concepts for this website. I’ve gotten away from reading a little bit these last few months, and that’s mostly due to my crazy schedule for work. However, I’m having surgery done this month and at some point during my recovery period I’m going to need something to do…
Day 21 – 21 Facts About Pittsburgh
Every Pittsburgher knows that the polio vaccine was developed here, the Big Mac invented right down the road, and the Giant Rubber Duck paid us a visit in 2013. But I’m going to skip over those well known facts and dive right into some hopefully lesser known pieces of information for you to enjoy….
Day 22 – An Annual Family Tradition
My mom likes to joke that I could’ve been named “Isabel” or “Estelle.” As annoyed as I am sometimes with the name they settled on thirty-seven years ago, I am glad they didn’t go with “Estelle.” For a time I was nearly “Lynn” as well, but I would’ve accepted “Isabel” before any of them. Alas, with Leigh I am stuck, and I shall be called “Leah” instead of “Lee” forevermore. I digress…
Day 23 – Pittsburgh in Print
With a history as long and storied as Pittsburgh, it is of no surprise to me that many books have been written about its people and its events. Many of these titles I have actually read before, like Out Of This Furnace and Meet You In Hell. I am always on the hunt for new literature about my hometown, and this post was a fun one to put together. Here are 22 books about, or set, Pittsburgh…
Day 24 – Why Pittsburgh Has Picklesburgh
I have come to discover that there are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who absolutely love pickles and will add them to any meal they can, and the ones that hate the food – no matter the item pickled – and will stay away from them as often as they are able. However, there is a third group: the ones who are unsure about pickles in general…
Day 25 – A Brief History of George Westinghouse
I have come to discover that there are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who absolutely love pickles and will add them to any meal they can, and the ones that hate the food – no matter the item pickled – and will stay away from them as often as they are able. However, there is a third group: the ones who are unsure about pickles in general…
Day 26 – A Brief Look at Pittsburgh’s Baseball Fields
Baseball. Many a Pirate fan will tell you they love to hate on it, and hate to love it. It’s a strange history we’ve got with the sport, and quite a storied one at at that. From our team’s first owners to its current one, we’ve seen many bad calls and equally awesome plays…
Day 27 – It’s An eReader Showdown – Kindle vs Libby
Change. Not everybody likes it, including myself, but sometimes it’s really quite necessary. And that’s how I felt about my reading rut around this time last year. Not only was I getting frustrated with the titles I was choosing (ie poor writing), but I got tired of being touted the same kinds of books over and over again by my then Kindle account…
Day 28 – Here Are My 28 Favorite Quotes About Reading and Books
Everyone has their favorite authors, quotes about reading, and those quotes they think are just too corny and hokey to share. Let’s face it: having a character who loves books more than anything in the world is, well, as cliche a character trait can get. Still, we love to see it. It’s a weird world we all choose to live in, isn’t it? Today’s Blogtober will highlight twenty-eight of my favorite quotes about reading and books…
Day 29 – A Brief History of KDKA
Since its first broadcast on the second of November, 1920, KDKA has become synonymous with Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh synonymous with KDKA. Now today’s Blogtober post is about KDKA AM, not the television station. We’re talking old school analog radio, folks. The kind that uses transistors, receptors and other -ors…
Day 30 – Blogtober Round Up
Guess what? You’re reading it!
Day 31 – What Blogtober Taught Me About Blogging
Keep an eye out for it tomorrow!
