Memory’S Milestones

Seventy years in one American city. A lifetime of change, captured by an eyewitness who never looked away. In Memory’s Milestones, Percy Frazer Smith gathers his reminiscences of a busy life in Pittsburgh into an intimate historical autobiography memoir. Moving from boyhood impressions to the reflections of an older man, he traces how 19th century Pittsburgh and its people were reshaped by industry, enterprise and civic ambition, while holding fast to the textures of everyday life in Pennsylvania: streets and riverbanks, workplaces and homes, friendships and faith. Pittsburgh comes vividly to life.More than local colour, these pages form classic American life writing from early 20th century America, seen through the prism of one city. Smith records the rise of industrial era Pittsburgh, the rhythms of business and community, and the satisfactions and setbacks of citizens who lived through prosperity, uncertainty and change. For the casual reader it is a warmly human personal reminiscences book; for family researchers, local historians and genealogists, a rich resource for family historians and a vivid entry point into any Pittsburgh history collection or study of gilded age memoirs.Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike and an inspired gift for history buffs and admirers of Pittsburgh local history.