This vintage postcard shows downtown Pittsburgh By Night in 1931. It shows a very interesting view of Pittsburgh at night across the Monongahela river from the summit on the south shore of Pittsburgh’s river, “The Mon”.
The bridge is the Wabash Bridge (a railroad bridge) built in 1902 – 1904. The superstructure was removed in 1948 leaving only the piers. The Wabash Bridge collapsed (19-Oct-1903) before it was placed in service. Construction was completed in 1904. The City Council passed an ordinance (04-Feb-1904) allowing the Wabash to enter the city and the first train operated out of the Pittsburgh as a special excursion to the World’s Fair in St. Louis (04-July-1904). The Terminal and office building opened in 1905, but by 1908 the company was bankrupt.
This vintage postcard view of Pittsburgh in 1931 shows the buildings in downtown under moonlight in very interesting colors. The downtown buildings change over the years, so this is a great snapshot of a point in time in Pittsburgh.