Steel valley drive

Yesterday, on February 4th, we took a driving tour through the Steel Valley to get out of the house. Bob’s Maps has a suggested driving tour to check out some local steel-related plants. So, that’s what we did. It was a cool day, just above freezing, with lightly blowing wet snow. With this mild “winter” we weren’t sure what to make of the white stuff (ha).

First, we drove near the Waterfront shopping district, in Homestead and Munhall, at a parking lot of the former Pump House (dating from the 1890s).

Janie at the Homestead Pump HouseWe had a nice view of the abandoned Carrie Furnace across the Monongahela River.

Carrie Furnance across the MonThere was also various steel equipment on the grounds. I bet molten steel once poured out of this (with the Carrie Furnace in the background).

Old Steel equipment with the Carrie Furnace in the backgroundFrom there we drove a little south and up a bluff into a residential area for a view of the J. Edgar Thomson Works, across the Mon River. It was hard to make the plant out, with the cloudy weather and all the smoke being produced. But we knew the facility was there…and weren’t a fan of having a house with this kind of view.

Overlooking Edgar Thomson Works, from a residential neighborhoodNext, we continued south on Rt 837, along the Mon River, to the blue collar town of Clairton, home of the Clairton Works. This is the largest manufacturer of coke in the US (not the beverage…a necessary part of steel). From up on a ridge in the upper residential area, we could see the plant through the snowy weather.

On a ridge above the Clairton Coke WorksBack down the hill, we drove by the plant entrance on the way south out of town.

Entrance to the Clairton Coke Works“Zero” apparently doesn’t refer to more than 1.5 years ago.

From there, we drove home by taking a different route through the South Hills. It was a nice excursion, allowing us to explore another part of this region.

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