Pittsburg was established on May 20, 1876. Coal mining was booming during the town’s early years, and Pittsburg’s origins started because of the industry.
The Pittsburg-Weir coal field covered Crawford and Cherokee counties. During its operation, it produced over 200 million tons of coal. Pittsburg started as a coal camp.
People relocated to Southeast Kansas to work and settled there.
The Miners Hall Museum in Franklin, Kansas, tells the story of the area's miners.
The museum has an exhibit that celebrates Pittsburg’s 150th anniversary. Phyllis Bitner is the chairman of the museum’s Foundation Board
“They were encouraging immigrants to come over. There were advertisements sent over there and telling them about coming to the United States,” Bitner said.
However, those who went into the mines to work faced brutal working environments. Today’s workplace regulations just didn’t exist back then. Miners died from preventable accidents and work-related injuries.
“All day being on your hands and knees, and the dirty, and the fumes, and the carbine lights, the darkness,” Bitner said.
As the mining continued, so did Pittsburg’s population and diversity. There were 53 languages spoken throughout the town at one point. The languages ranged from Italian to Swedish, and the town’s ethnic diversity has made a lasting blend of cultures and traditions.
Sarah Runyon is the president of the Celebrate Pittsburg Committee. She said these harsh conditions helped create Pittsburg’s resilient spirit that remains today.
“A lot of hardship. A lot of struggle,” said Runyon, “but a lot of grit and determination.”
The Celebrate Pittsburg Committee was formed in early 2024 in preparation for Pittsburg’s sesquincentennial. The committee organized and planned the yearlong celebration that started earlier this year. Runyon said organizers drew inspiration from past celebrations, like the centennial.
“We were inspired by a string of events that happened 50 years ago when we celebrated our centennial and wanted to recreate that this year,” said Runyon.
For Pittsburg’s centennial, there were a variety of events ranging from block parties to a beard and mustache contest. A choir was formed to celebrate the town’s founding.
People like Janeil Bryan played a major role in creating the Centennial Choir. She served as the president of the group. Bryan remembers an event that showcased the different cultures in Pittsburg.
“We had ethnic food fairs that were really successful out at the armory,” Bryan said, “and people who wanted to could come in and bring their heritage dishes.” One Pittsburg resident is pulling from past celebrations for the 150th anniversary.
Chuckie Hessong is releasing a cookbook called The Tables That Built Us, which will feature recipes from Pittsburg. Because of Pittsburg’s diverse heritage, several cultures are represented in the book. She is the creator of the blog Laughing Rooster Eats.
Pittsburg residents voted on which dishes should be featured in the book. Some of the recipes have been in families for generations.
“Having the opportunity to sit at tables with people who are as old as 91 who are sharing their family history or their history and the things that they are really proud of, that was super fulfilling,” Bryan said.
Andra Stefanoni, Bryan’s daughter, wrote the foreword of the cookbook. Stefanoni is part of a small group of people who did the initial planning of the centennial celebrations. The group did things to engage the community, like create a website and social media accounts, hold events for public input, and make instructions for organizations to hold their own event. Stefanoni was young during Pittsburg’s centennial. She remembers the celebrations and the volunteers who made them possible. She could see the impact on Pittsburg.
“I could see positive benefits, and so it didn’t take much convincing at all when I got to be an adult, particularly when I had my own children, to emulate that,” Stefanoni said.
Runyon echoed Stefanoni’s sentiment. She and other celebration organizers hope to make lasting impacts with Pittsburg’s sesquicentennial celebrations.
“We are able to make our mark on everyone in the community,” said Runyon, “and that they will look back on this year and remember and take away things that maybe they’ll keep for the rest of their life.”
Celebratory events will continue through the end of the year. One upcoming event celebrates the founding of Zion Lutheran Church, which was built just a few months after Pittsburg’s establishment. This will be on July 19th at 10:30 a.m. Another event celebrates farmers in the Pittsburg area. The Farm to Fork Festival will be held at the dRink Yard on July 27th at 6 p.m.
The 150th anniversary exhibit at Miners Hall museum can be seen now through September 26. A copy of the celebratory cookbook can be preordered at laughingroostereats.com. Cookbook orders will ship in November. To learn more about upcoming Pittsburg 150 events, visit pittsburg150.com.
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