Incorporation of the Borough



    Early in December of 1889, a petition was presented to the Quarter Sessions Court of Allegheny County praying for the incorporation of the Village of Wilmerding as a Borough.

    The signers of this petition who described themselves as being a majority of the freeholders residing within the bounds of the proposed Borough were: The East Pittsburgh Improvement Company, W. L. Stewart, J. W. Undercoffer, Laura Hohmyer, Charles Kuehl, John S. Edgar, Dr. J. H. McLaughlin, Joseph Redfern, T. B. Thompson, Mrs. Ellen McGinley and Eliza Grierson.

    On December 7, 1889, a supplemental petition was filed, signed by additional freeholders of property within the bounds of the proposed Borough, but not resident therein, who asked leave to join in the prayer of the original petition filed. Among the signers of this supplemental petition and who shortly thereafter became residents of Wilmerding, were: William Adams, Michael Weidt, J. C. Boyle, W. B. Brush, Anton Frank, Thomas P. Hillman, George D. Allshouse, Charles Trautman and Con Beh.

    The petitions were referred to a grand jury which approved the same and on March 8, 1890, the Court entered a decree incorporating the Village of Wilmerding into a Borough, under the corporate title of "Borough of Wilmerding," fixing the boundaries thereof to include all of the tract known as the Osborne Farm in North Versailles Township and all of that portion of the tract in Patton Township purchased from Thomas McMasters heirs, extending from Patton Street westwardly to Line Alley, (now the easterly line of Turtle Creek Borough).

    The Court further decreed that the first election for Borough officers should be held at the post office in the Borough at the corner of Station Street and Westinghouse Avenue on June 14, 1890, and designated W. L. Stewart to be judge of said election and W.W. Warne and Thomas B. Thompson to be the inspectors thereof.

    It was subsequently discovered that W. L. Stewart, being the postmaster of the village, was thereby disqualified to act as judge of said election, and William Rowe was appointed judge in his stead.

    The first election was held June 14, 1890, and resulted in the election of the following Borough officers:

    On June 18, 1890, at 8:00 o'clock p. m., the newly elected council, with the burgess as its presiding officer, met and appointed the following officers:

    At the close of 1890, Wilmerding had a population of approximately 1000. Wilmerding, thus became the first incorporated Borough in the Turtle Creek Valley. Other Boroughs within the valley that then incorporated were: Turtle Creek, incorporated July 25, 1892; Pitcairn, incorporated June 9, 1894; East Pittsburgh, incorporated April 6, 1895; Wall, incorporated January 16, 1904.

DIRECTORS

John Nalevanko, Chairman

Joe Castagnola

Geraldine Homitz

Bert McConomy


Wilmerding Renewed, Inc.

325 Commerce Street

Wilmerding, PA 15148

Phone: 412.825.3000