Remember When: Lower Burrell man's diary documented destruction during Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Before the 1940s, Lower Burrell was primarily a farming community. The Leslie family was one of the earliest to settle there.

Many of the streets in Lower Burrell bear the first names of their family members and several of their farmhouses still exist. One of them is located where Edgecliff Road joins Leechburg Road, across from Glen’s Custard. This house was built in the late 1840s and was home to George Robert Leslie, better known as G.R. Leslie.

The house eventually was acquired by the Widmer Family, descendants of the Leslies. They operated a nursery on the property for years. Among the items they found inside the house after purchasing it was a diary of G.R. Leslie that covered the years 1875 to 1878.

Following the economic panic of 1873, the United States experienced a period known as the Long Depression. During that time, in 1877, the railroads colluded with one another to cut their workers’ pay by 10%, which resulted in unrest and rioting across the country. It was known as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

Pittsburgh was among the hardest hit cities in the country during the riots, with 61 deaths and 124 injuries.

The Union Depot and 38 other buildings were burned. A whopping 120 locomotives and 1,200 railcars were destroyed, and 2 square miles of the city was burned.

Federal troops were called in on July 28 with cannons and Gatling guns to restore peace and reestablish rail traffic.

G.R. Leslie’s diary contains firsthand observations of the railway strike in Pittsburgh. Since he possessed a large farm, Leslie regularly took stock to market by walking them down to Parnassus and boarding a train to Pittsburgh.

After 1874, the railroad had a special train, called the Market Train, for farmers to transport their stock and produce to and from Pittsburgh and beyond.

Leslie’s diary entries captured the scene of some of the riots that occurred in Pittsburgh during the strike:

• Sunday, July 22: “Smoke in (the) direction of the city all day, something burning that should not be.”

• Monday, July 23: “Started in morning (on the Market Train) with six cows and fifty lambs and sheep. Got news on the way that stock yards is burnt and all R.R. Property from Seventh Ave to 38 St. Some advise to turn back other(s) say go ahead. And we went ahead.”

• Tuesday, July 24: “Up early and first thing was to cast our eyes towards E. Liberty to see smoke of stock yards which was said to surely burned last night. Had our breakfast and started for Pitts(burgh) into East Liberty at ten O’clock. Sold our lambs at strong prices in short time. Found no business doing in yards, pens all full of cattle.”

• Wednesday, July 25: “Sold out in good time. Up to 43rd St. to get milk but none can be shipped now and no trains running. Started up through the ruins of the great fire where there was 35 cars 150 locomotives. A great many of the cars were loaded and all the buildings from seventh Ave to 28 St and several buildings on Fountain St. and Washington Street and bridge over Washington (were burnt). The walls of express office is still standing. Grain in the elevator is burning all that remains of train depot and hotel is part of its brick walls. Both round houses (are) full of engines some tumbled on their sides. At (the) upper round house (there) is an engine coupled to six more (engines). (They) tried to run them out from the fire but of course (it) would not be done (blocked) by strikers. It looks like a plain covered with car wheels and what remains of a car after a fire. The carloads of grain, bacon etc. is still burning. … At 28 Street here was where the trouble began here is an engine with bullet holes through the boiler.

Tin lamp on side of track looks as though a six-pound cannon (ball) had gone through it. … It is a desolate looking place. Where (it) was not safe to walk on one of the dozen tracks (it) is now quiet (you) never hear a whistle or bell ring. Every open track (is) full of people anxious to see the sights. I walked up to (the) 40th Street bridge crossed and come up to Brackenridge on (the) train.“ (Some trains were still operating on the North side of the Allegheny River.)