Power Library - Pennsylvania's Electronic Library Pennsylvania's Electronic Library PA's
Electronic
Library

American Marketplace chronicles the development of the industrial expansion of the United States following the Civil War, and the parallel emergence of the consumer products reflecting more the prosperity that came with 19th and 20th Century manufacturing.  The 669 titles reflect many well-known companies in industries such as agriculture,shipping, the railroads, and the early automotive and aviation trades.  Along with the manufacturer’s catalogs are period consumer products as illustrated in mail-order, retail and merchandise catalogs. less

Complementing the original Iron & Steel Collection, the Iron & Steel Photographic Collection features individual images of places and personalities intrinsic to Pittsburgh's development as the more world's leading producer of iron and steel.  Photos include Titans of Industry such as Charles Schwab and Andrew Carnegie as well as mill workers, trainmen, secretaries, and Iron Puddlers. The collection also includes mill fronts, railroads and the factory floor. less

Pittsburgh’s heritage is strongly rooted in iron, steel, mining and related industries. The Pittsburgh Iron & Steel Heritage Collection is a digital compilation of books, journals, more photographs, trade catalogs, and related literature. Through this collection, we strive to preserve the culture, heritage and knowledge of our region's industrial past, while enhancing the public's understanding of what made Pittsburgh the "Workshop of the World." less

The Builder is an architectural publication that was published in Pittsburgh from 1901 to 1919. Its subtitle is: "Devoted to Architecture". The Builder is a highly more unique resource that provides an in-depth look at the design and construction of residential and commercial spaces in Pittsburgh during the era that Pittsburgh's industrial, commercial and civic life thrived. The contents in the Builder includes both the artistic & architectural overview of individual buildings and neighborhood developments, as well as the artisan and skilled trade resources used by designers, architects and builders during this period. ​Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh gratefully acknowledges the loan of several volumes of The Builder for this project by the University of Notre Dame. less

This collection contains primary resources about Carnegie's bequests along with supporting explanatory text, that teachers will be able to use a part of their curriculum.

This collection contains items relating to the iron, coal, and steel industry in Johnstown.

Funded by a grant from the Willary Foundation, this collection contains letters, books, paintings, photographs, and other artifacts from the era when the Lackawanna Valley emerged more from its agrarian beginnings to become an industrial center that powered the torn nation's war effort. Contributing agencies include the Scranton Public Library, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Steamtown National Historic Site, and the Anthracite Heritage Museum. This collection relates to Scranton's early history and its importance in politics and history of the United States. less

This handwritten historic collection contains over 2,800 pages of entries documenting the operations necessary to produce iron and iron products. It holds seven Isaac Meason Union more Furnace Ledgers covering the years 1801-1822, with the years 1803-1808, and 1818-1820 missing. In addition, there is a Union Forge Time and Team Ledger for 1809-1811, an original index book, and ledgers for the Union Grist Mill and the Mount Vernon, Centre, Mount Braddock, Dunbar, Warren, and Pallofax Durance operations. These records are unique, unpublished primary documents of the iron furnace industry. Isaac Meason built Union Furnace, the first successful iron furnace west of the Alleghenies in 1791, also operating a foundry and grist mill in connection with the furnace. The associated forge provided iron sugar and salt kettles, Dutch ovens, and other wares that were shipped by local keelboats for Lousiana. These ware were purchased by both western Pennsylvania businesses and families, and by settlers traveling west down the Ohio River. The furnace and forge passed through several hands until the company failed in 1922. Meason also sponsored the first suspension bridge in Pennsylvania, and financed and collaborated with Thomas Lewis on the rolling mill producing bar iron in 1817. At his death, Isaac Meason owned interests in the Mount Vernon Forge, Maria Forge, Union Forge, Union Furnace, Grist Mill, and the Middletown Iron Works. The Meason ledges provide a broad history of the iron industry in Western Pennsylvania. This collection is dedicated to the memory of Joan Peake a long-time genealogist and volunteer at the Uniontown Public Library. Her dedication to this project, along with Linda Jennings and Mary Patterson, helped make it possible. less

An archive of papers examining historical flood control and new proposals under construction during the 1930's and 40's.

An archive of over 300 digital images from the library's Historic Warren Photograph Collection.

Provides a detailed navigational study of the river during the era of early rafting and lumbering.