A fact from Great Fire of Pittsburgh appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 5 December 2011 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845 destroyed a third of the city, including a bank that was thought to be fireproof?
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Latest comment: 10 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion
One important effect of the fire which still remains to be documented on this page lies in the phrase "rich and poor alike." Early Pittsburgh was concentrated within a remarkably small space. The city was thus more egalitarian than its peers. After 1845 we developed areas for wealthier citizens beyond the city center, leaving the poor to places which were dangerous and produced sickness. Although the borders of these areas have changed (for example, see Rat Hollow at the edge of Greenfield, or the decline of Hazelwood), the pattern has remained in effect to this day. (Later addition: Of course, it coincides with the new influx of immigrants from different places than the British Isles.) Pittsburgh Poet (talk) 15:56, 9 February 2014 (UTC)Reply
