Dallas Playground, Homewood West

Dallas Park, Homewood West: 708 N. Dallas Avenue

Playgrounds are such a big part of modern-day Pittsburgh that it’s easy to forget they’re a relatively recent invention. In 1896, the Civic Club of Allegheny County joined forces with education and social welfare groups to create the first playgrounds, all adjacent to schools, in the City. Reports from those early years indicate that while children in middle-class areas often took to physical activities on playgrounds with little urging, children in working-class and immigrant neighborhoods adjacent to mills often seemed not to know “how to play.” Some adults were skeptical and claimed the children were surely using the playground while adults “were not looking.” But it’s not beyond belief that some children, born into poverty and with household responsibilities starting by age 5 or 6, wouldn’t immediately understand what teachers expected of them.

I think about these children from 130 years ago, and the language barriers, hunger, and fatigue many of them faced. Their street-smart distrust of the unfamiliar might be viewed as ignorance (or worse) by adults unfamiliar with the harsh realities of their lives. I don’t doubt that some children never took to playing, either by their own choice or because of their families’ demands. But we know many more grabbed onto the idea and never let go.

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City Steps of Pittsburgh: A History & Guide explores the history of the steps and the neighborhoods in which they were built. It also includes 13 guided walks and 20+ locations worth visiting—all with detailed descriptions, directions, and resources for creating your own urban hiking adventure. All areas of Pittsburgh are represented: north, south, east, and west. The book is available through all online shops (including our publisher) and local and independent bookstores.