I came across this old postcard featuring Chess Park. This image was taken from the northeast corner looking west:
The postcard wasn’t dated, but my guess is that the picture was taken around 1900. I thought it would be fun to compare that image with what the park looks like today from the same vantage point:
Here is the same picture only in color:
The park is still well maintained but wouldn’t it be great to bring this section of the park closer to its original appearance? You would just need to plant a few bushes then get some mulch and plant flowers inside the triangle. I’d suggest that the city restore the sidewalk section that used to form a loop on the right side of the photo. Probably the most important thing is for the city to make a plan for the future of the park to keep the design coherent.
What do you think?
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Lost Monongahela 
Anyone remember the big turtles that used to live in the fountain there? Used to like to visit them when we were kids ..
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Great Postcard picture. It does “almost” look the same. Would be nice to see it the way it used to be.
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Turtles! I vaguely remember that but I’m not sure, but maybe I just heard about them. How big were they?
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I remember gold fish & the fountain
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They were huge .. Kathy DeSantis left me a message saying boys were riding and tormenting them, making them bleed. Went down the road after that .. I was born in 52, and they were there when I was a young kid .. Probably in elementary school.
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I remember the cannon too ..
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I remember than canon. Sad to see that it’s no longer in the park.
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Meant to write “that cannon.”
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What’s up with that cesspool that looks like a display at lowes?
Where did that come from, was it suppose to be a fountain?
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Dan, Thank you for your site. I am related to the Tempest in Monongahela that had the Tempest Brick yard. They made fire brick and shapes. Some of which was used to line the steel mill furnaces. Many of my blood relatives are in the Monongahela cemetery. My mom was born in Homestead in 1909. It is sites like yours that keeps me in touch with my roots. I love the cards. After the first I will order a couple boxes.Maggie Boradori
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