Haunted Pittsburgh

by Timothy Murray, Michelle Smith

Founded amidst the bloodshed of the French and Indian War, Pittsburgh is haunted by the ghosts of its gritty and sometimes violent past.
Many believe American industrialist Henry Clay Frick still inhabits Clayton, one of the last surviving homes on Millionaires' Row. The spirit of Kate Soffel lingers at the Allegheny County Jail, where she helped plot the escape of the Biddle brothers and fell in love in the process. The Duquesne Incline in 1877 employed teens disguised as ghosts to boost business. However, an authentic sinister entity is said to haunt the nearby Monongahela Incline without compensation. Join the Haunted Pittsburgh team as it explores ghostly encounters in the Steel City.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2016

Reviews

[Kristen Peppercorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

More than half of these stories weren't even ghost stories. Most of the stories were just about old crime. There were a couple good ones though.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It is really interesting to read about places I've been that are supposedly haunted. I've visited many of the locations mentioned in this book as a Pittsburgh native, and if I haven't been to them in person I know where they are. I can say that some of these places are actually kind of creepy, either because they are old and dark or maybe there is something more super natural at work, who knows. It was a fun read. I appreciated the humerous stories about famous Pittsburghers and famous people who've visited my home city and their paranormal experiences.

This reads more like a history book. The authors just lay out whatever facts and stories they could find. If the nature of the story was comical the story ends up being funny, otherwise most of the stories about the places and people are fairly short and dry. There are plenty of pictures both of the current day locations and of the buildings when their said spooky inhabitants were alive. Each story is short so you can get through it quickly. If you are looking for a fun history lesson about Pittsburgh, from local authors (which is actually why I picked it up), I recommend it. I also understand they run the Haunted Pittsburgh tours in the fall and I hear they are great as well.

[Elise Ravenclaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up after a trip to Pittsburgh. It is entertaining if you are into history, crime and ghosts. I would have liked the stories to be more detailed and longer, but at least there were many.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

There wasn't much in the way of substance to most of the "hauntings," but there were a few interesting portions.

[Kaya]

It’s always fun to read about the places you pass everyday, and because of that I had a good time reading this book. However, I wouldn’t use this book as a primary source for anything academic as there are quite literally not enough sources cited. In fact, the sources that are cited are not even in-text citations, but rather just listed in a simple bibliography at the back of the book. Anyways, it’s not a bad stepping stone for hearing about the legends (or simply just dark happenstances) of western Pennsylvania, but again, I would double check all information before citing it as fact

[Laura M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very well written but very interesting stories about local sites.

[Chuck]

I am a long-time lover of ghost stories and Pittsburgh, PA. This fantastic little collection of supernatural sightings surrounding "Steel City" is quite enjoyable. Some of the stories could have had a little more detail. However, the bibliography provided in the back of the book will suffice to quench whatever thirst for more otherworldly thrills this reader experienced. All in all, this is a delightful read for any evening; especially ones requiring snuggling up on a couch with a cup of tea and a blanket under which to hide when the howling winds outside assist to conjure 'things that go BUMP in the night.' *grin*

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories about Pittsburgh's ghost stories....has lots of historical references.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Levy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was just okay as far as stories go. Most of them weren’t written well.

Let’s talk about the actual book though. My book was falling apart before I even made it half way through the book. Pages were literally falling out. I am super gentle with books so this is very disappointing that the quality of the binding is so bad. Do not waste your money.

[Kjell Warner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't believe in ghosts, I find the "evidence" anecdotal and inconsistent. The authors keep switching pronouns in the same paragraph, and are shockingly pro Andrew Carnegie and Henry Frick, which is abominable. This feels like a coffee table baby book. Glad I finished it. Frank Lloyd Wright is in it and he's hilarious.

[Kristen Kellick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy, silly fluff. The early chapters are rather light on details of who and when events reportedly took place. As you get further in, more details are included. Interesting Pittsburgh history either way, even without the ghost stories.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw a presentation by Haunted Pittsburgh recently, so I decided to read the book. No, not all of the stories are about hauntings, but I still enjoyed them, probably because I live in Pittsburgh. I like the idea of learning history through ghost stories!

[Juliana · Rating 1 out of 5]

So so

Not only do the authors stray far afield of Pittsburgh at times, some of the stories aren't even ghost stories.

[Rhina M. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to visit Pittsburgh two years ago and loved it! Such rich history and I actually recognized some of the places. Some of the stories were spooky and eerie.

[Dani Jameson · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was one creepy story in Bellevue.

[Jennifer Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read. It was interesting to see so many places that I’ve been included. I do wish the stories were more in-depth or more substantiated.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, great mix of verifiable events/history and folklore stories. Old and modern.

[Joseph Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories, but more importantly, the history of Pittsburgh was very educational. I enjoyed the book and stories.

[Amy Torcaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this and finding out some of the most haunted places in Pittsburgh. I would recommend this to all Pittsburgh history fans