BUT TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A
MUCH, MUCH EARLIER LAUNCH FROM
PITTSBURGH.
IN THIS WEEK'S PITTSBURGH
HISTORY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A
LAUNCH THAT WAS 200 YEARS AGO.
IT IS BACK IN THE NEWS TODAY.
HEINZE HISTORY IS HERE TODAY.
WHO KNEW THAT MORE THAN 200
YEARS AGO THAT PITTSBURGH WAS
THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST.
PEOPLE THINK OF ST. LOUIS AS
THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST BECAUSE
THEY HAVE THAT BIG ARCH THERE.
BUT 200 YEARS AGO, MERIWETHER
LEWIS BEGAN HIS EXPLORATION OF
THE ENTIRE CONTINENT BY
LAUNCHING HIS BOAT ABOUT RIGHT
WHERE THE CONVENTION IS TODAY.
HE LAUNCHED BOAT WITH HIS DOG
SEE MEN AND 11 MEN AND THEY
SHOVED OFF AND THEY WENT THREE
MILES THE FIRST DAY.
IT WAS AUGUST 31st, 1803.
AND LEWIS WAS WORRIED ABOUT
GETTING OFF BECAUSE IN AUGUST
THE WATER LEVELS OF THE RIVER
STARTS TO DROP.
AND SANDBARS START SHOWING.
HE SHOVED OFF AND WENT THREE
MILES TO BRUNO'S EYE LAND THAT
IS WHERE DR. BRUNO LIVED.
HE CAME HERE WITH LAFAYETTE
DURING THE REVOLUTION AND HE
SET UP A FARM ON THAT ISLAND,
THE FIRST ISLAND ON THE OHIO
RIVER.
LEWIS GOT HIS MEN OFF AND HE
FOUND THE MAYOR AND ALL THE
DIGNITARIRYS OF PITTSBURGH
WAITING FOR THEM BECAUSE THIS
EXPEDITION WAS THE MOON SHOOT
OF ITS ERA.
ALL THE TAXPAYERS WANT NO KNOW
WHAT DID IT OUR MONEY BUY?
SEW SHOWS HIS AIR RIFLE.
HE'S GOT A MIRACULOUS AIR
RIFLE.
HE PITS THE BULLS EYE.
IT IS MAIZING.
AND A LOCAL MAN BY THE NAME OF
BLAZE SAID LET ME TRY THAT AND
HE YANKED IT OUT OF HIS HAND
AND IT WENT OFF AND IT HIT A
WOMAN IN THE HEAD.
SHE WAS 40 YARDS AWAY.
FEATHEREDFEATHERS GO FLYING
FROM HER HAT.
A FLIES DIRECT -- APPLIES
DIRECT PRESSURE TO HER HEAD.
SHE'S NOT DEAD.
THEY SAID BOYS, LET'S GET
OUT OF HERE.
THEY GET STUCK ON SANDBAR.
ALL THE PEOPLE ARE ON SHORE.
HE HAD TO UNLOAD THE BOAT AND
PUT IN CANOES AND RELOAD IT.
IT HAPPENS THREE TIMES BEFORE
THEY GET TO MCKEES ROCKS.
THAT IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION.
I'M SURPRISED THAT THEY
CONTINUED AFTER THAT.
YOU GO TO THE FIRST PAGE,
DAY ONE, PUT THE MEN TO BED AT
8:00 P.M., EXHAUSTED.
HE GAVE THEM EACH A HIT OF
WHISKY.
WHY PITTSBURGH TO BEGIN
WITH?
PITTSBURGH WAS THE CITY OF
2400 PEOPLE.
THEY WERE BUILDING BOATS HERE.
WE COULD BUILD THE KEY BOAT
THAT LEWIS NEEDED TO GO DOWN
THE OHIO, UP THE MISSISSIPPI
AND UP THE MISSOURI RIVER.
THIS WAS THE LOGICAL JUMPING
OFF POINT FOR ALL EXPEDITIONS
TO THE WEST.
AND NOW THEY ARE CONSIDERING,
MAYBE WE SAW ADD PITTSBURGH TO
THE LEWIS TRAIL.
OF COURSE.
YOU WANT TO RECOGNIZE THIS
HAPPENED HERE.
WE PUT UP A MARK NEAR WHAT
WE CALL LEWIS AND CLARK PARK ON
THE CORNER OF THE CONVENTION
CENTER.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE BLUE AND
GOLD STATES HISTORIC MARKERS.
YOU CAN GO TODAY AND FIND THE
EXACT SPOT WHERE THE LEWIS AND
CLARK EXPEDITION BEGAN.
WHAT IS REALLY FUNNY, TODAY, OR
THIS MONTH, IS THE 50th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE GATEWAY ARCH
MUCH IN ST. LOUIS.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE GATEWAY
ARCH MUCH WAS BUILT?
I DO BECAUSE YOU SENT ME
NOTES.
THE PEOPLE OF ST. LOUIS
WANTED A MONUMENT TO SHOW THAT
THEY ARE THE GATEWAY TO THE
WEST.
SO THEY HAD TO COME TO
PITTSBURGH AND HAVE PITTSBURGH
ENGINEERS DESIGN THE GATEWAY
ARCH MUCH.
AND ON NEVILLE ISLAND, THE PITT
DE MOINES COMPANY PREFABRICATED
IT AND BROUGHT THE PANELS OUT
TO ST. LOUIS.
AND PITTSBURGH ENGINEERS
ERECTED THE GATEWAY ARCH.
IF ONLY IT WOULD HAVE
STOPPED ON NEVILLE ISLAND, WON
THE THAT BE COINCIDENCE.
WOULDN'T THINK?
I THINK THE FIRST NIGHT WAS
WITHIN $500 YARDS OF NEVILLE
ISLAND.
THANK YOU, ANDY.
I ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING WHEN
YOU COME IN.
KEEP WATCHING FOR MORE
