John Schalcosky
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hearing none, we're going to go to the other proclamation, 132208-24.
00:08A proclamation recognizing the 10th anniversary of the odd, mysterious, and fascinating history
00:12of Pittsburgh, sponsored by councilmembers Hallam and Betkowski.
00:19All right, I am so excited to give you this proclamation tonight.
00:37Folks on council know that I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of proclamations, but I like
00:41to reserve them for the people that I know really deserve them and have really made an
00:45impact in the community that we were all elected to serve.
00:48So I first came to know of John via his work in the Ross Township Historical Society.
00:56A very close mutual friend of ours, Bob Leo, who we lost last year, but I know we both
01:01loved very, very much.
01:03He was the one who told me about this project that he was so excited to work on with his
01:07mentor who was teaching him so much about Ross Township and via odd, mysterious, and
01:13fascinating history of Pittsburgh, the region as a whole, and just how excited he was and
01:17how much he lit up when he talked about you.
01:20And when we first met, it was like I was meeting this local legend.
01:22I mean, I know everyone that graduates from North Hills is amazing, as is evidenced by
01:26our county executive, myself, and also you.
01:29It was still just so empowering to meet somebody who loved his community as much as I do, if
01:35not even maybe more.
01:37Everything I have learned about the history of the community I grew up in, I learned from
01:42things that you introduced me to.
01:43So I thank you for that.
01:44And I also want to thank Lisa and the whole fam who came out today, because I know how
01:48much time and effort he and you put into this, and it is a labor of love, and it's a whole
01:53family affair.
01:54So I'm just really honored to be able to present this to you on behalf of the 10th anniversary
01:59of Odd, Mysterious, and Fascinating History of Pittsburgh, and to thank you guys all for
02:03the contributions you gave towards 10 years of this as well.
02:07So without further ado, this is a proclamation recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Odd,
02:13Mysterious, and Fascinating History of Pittsburgh.
02:16Whereas John Shalkosky, creator of the Odd, Mysterious, and Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,
02:21a popular and unique social media account founded in 2014, Mr. Shalkosky investigates
02:27the most extraordinary, enigmatic, and forgotten tales of western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh's
02:33history.
02:34And whereas pure curiosity is what started Mr. Shalkosky's passion project that has
02:39become something so much bigger and has transformed the way Pittsburgh's history is understood
02:44and celebrated.
02:45Mr. Shalkosky, a Ross Township native, graduated from North Hills before moving to Los Angeles.
02:52Dating back to when Mr. Shalkosky attended film school and UCLA for music, he would look
02:57at buildings in Hollywood and wondered what places used to be.
03:00When he moved back to Pittsburgh, his curiosity and passion continued, which started with
03:04a strange story that Mr. Shalkosky read about the Allegheny River.
03:08And whereas this perception of the physical world is connected to his sense of curiosity
03:13and to his obsession with research.
03:16Mr. Shalkosky spends a lot of time on websites, I'm sure that's an understatement, such as
03:21newspapers.com and ancestry.com.
03:23He's always digging into archives.
03:25His shelves are filled with books on Pittsburgh history.
03:28Some of them quite rare.
03:30Mr. Shalkosky is as likely to dive into the details of a fast food joint as he is to someone
03:35like James M. Riddle, who in 1815 published the first city directory.
03:40And whereas all of this is reflected in Odd Pittsburgh, which is a celebration of the
03:45city and region's past.
03:46The page presents readers with surprises, things about Pittsburgh they either didn't
03:50know or had forgotten about.
03:52It also shows the familiar and gives people an opportunity to reminisce about their experience
03:57in everyday places.
03:58In that way, it has built a community and many connections from the history preserved
04:02together and has inspired thousands along the way, myself included.
04:07Whereas Mr. Shalkosky has been featured in stories and interviews in the Post Gazette,
04:11Tribune Review, City Paper, Pittsburgh Magazine, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and the Atlantic
04:16Magazine.
04:17In addition to being a guest speaker at numerous high schools, universities, and public events.
04:23Mr. Shalkosky has also appeared as a regular guest on KDKA, WTAE, and WPXI, as well as
04:30numerous radio stations, documentaries, and nationally recognized podcasts.
04:35And whereas specializing in historical research and social media outreach, Mr. Shalkosky is
04:40also an accomplished composer, genealogist, philosopher, and local advocate.
04:46Now, therefore be it resolved that I, Allegheny County Councilmember Bethany Hallam, and Allegheny
04:52County Councilmember Jack Bekowski, do hereby celebrate odd, mysterious, and fascinating
04:57history of Pittsburgh upon the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
05:01And I recognize John Shalkosky for his dedication to researching and sharing the history of
05:06Pittsburgh for many generations to come.
05:08In witness whereof, I adhere unto cause the seal of the County of Allegheny to be affixed
05:13this 10th day of September, 2024.
05:16Congratulations.
05:17Thank you, everybody.
05:21It's a great pleasure to be here, and thank you, Bethany, and Jack, and my entire family
05:28that's here in crowd.
05:30And I just wanted to share one thing with you, and I have, I could have hundreds of
05:34things that I could be up to for 10 hours if you wanted me to, so I'm just gonna keep
05:37it short and sweet and read you a little poem from 100 years ago, instead of, you know,
05:42the 10th anniversary.
05:44100th anniversary of this poem, Pittsburgh, my city of friends.
05:49Some call my city a great aggregation of mills where smoke cloud eternal sends.
05:55Let me suggest a more fitting appellation.
05:57Why not call it Pittsburgh, the city of friends?
05:59A city of friends as I have ever found it, a great heart wherein human kindliness blends.
06:05No poet am I to weave romance around it.
06:07I just call it Pittsburgh, my city of friends.
06:10Good heartsome Pittsburgh, oh, well do I know it.
06:13From its glowing hearthstones and welcome ascends, I'd sing its glory if I were a great
06:17poet, the big open heart of my city of friends.
06:22Thank you very much, everybody.
06:23And I promise to keep it odd and mysterious and fascinating for decades to come, so thank
06:32you again.
06:33All right.
06:34A picture.