Volume 2 Issue 2 July 1998
Page 2
About John G. HARTMANN
By Jim Hartman
On Tuesday June 30, 1998, I decided to make the quest for our great grandfather. My first stop was at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center located at 1212 Smallman St (downtown) Pittsburgh, PA. I joined as a member of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania the beginning of this year so admittance is free to the History Center if you are a member. I've heard about what the center had and I just had to go there and see for myself. I can tell you that time runs, jumps, skips and marches on at this place. You can see canoes, moccasins, wampum belts, George Washington, Fort Pitt butter urns, Heinz pickles, oil lamps, Andrew Carnegie, tennis shoes, Mr. Rogers, roller blades…300 years packed into one building!
Although there are a lot of exhibits and much to see, I took the elevator right to the sixth floor of this converted whare house in the "Strip" district of Pittsburgh. The sixth floor houses the Library and Archives of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Here you can find just about anything about the last 200 years of Pittsburgh. I talked to one of the reference assistants and they suggested that I start by looking up John Hartman in the
CITY DIRECTORIES. They gave me two books one for the year 1906 and the other for the year 1907/1908. These books are amazing because who would've thought to have something this this back then. Telephones were still in their infancy (I noticed a few phone numbers - not like today 555-1212 but contact Glassport operator #8504). They had city directories back to 1850. These directories listed everyone and where they lived and what occupation they had. The 1906 directory had John Hartman listed there (plain as day) - 906Continued Page 2
Catherine Hartman and Joseph Little celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on June 20th 1998. Originally married on June 19, 1948 they have survived the trials and tribulations of the last 50 years in raising a fine family.
Holy Mass of Renewal of Wedding Vows was celebrated at St. Mary Magdalene, Amity St in Homestead on Saturday June 20, 1998 at 1:30 p.m.
Afterwards, the couple was escorted to a "surprise" reception party at Poli's Restaurant in Squirrel Hill. The party was planned by the couple's children, sons Paul and Timothy, daughters Susan and Jill. In attendance at the party were the grandchildren of Catherine and Joseph Little, brothers George and Lawrence Hartman, nephews and nieces, relations and friends of Little Families.