The
Monongahela River (, also known locally as
the Mon ) is a
river on the
Allegheny Plateau in
North-Central West Virginia and
southwestern Pennsylvania in the
United States. At
Pittsburgh, it meets the
Allegheny River to form the
Ohio River.
Etymology
The word "Monongalia" is a Latinized version of the Native American word "Monongahela," which means "falling banks," in reference to the geological instability of the river's banks. Moravian missionary David Zeisberger gave this account of the naming: In the Indian tongue the name of this river was Mechmenawungihilla, which signifies a high bank, which is ever washed out and therefore collapses.
Monongalia County, West Virginia and
Monongahela, Pennsylvania are named after the river.
Geography
The Monongahela is formed by the
confluence of the
West Fork River and the
Tygart Valley River at
Fairmont, West Virginia. The river is navigable its entire length with a series of locks and dams that maintain a minimum depth of to accommodate coal-laden barges. In Pennsylvania, the Monongahela is met by two major
tributaries: the
Cheat River, which joins at
Point Marion, and the
Youghiogheny River, which joins at
McKeesport.
History
The Monongahela Valley was the site of a famous, if small battle that was one of the first in the
French and Indian War (
Braddock Expedition). It resulted in a sharp defeat for
British and
Colonial forces against those of the
French and their
Native American allies.
The Monongahela Valley was the site of the
Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.
In 1817, the Pennsylvania legislature authorized the Monongahela Navigation Company to build 16 dams with bypass locks to create a river transportation system between Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Originally planned to run as far south as the Cheat River, the system was extended to Fairmont, and bituminous coal from West Virginia was the chief product transported downstream. After a canal tunnel through Grant's Hill in Pittsburgh was completed in 1832, boats could travel between the Monongahela River and the Western Division Canal of Pennsylvania's principal east-west canal and railroad system, the
Main Line of Public Works. In 1897, the Federal government took possession of the Monongahela Navigation through condemnation proceedings. Later, the dam-lock combinations were increased in size and reduced in number.
[ ] In 2006, the navigation system, operated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, had nine dam-locks along of waterway. The locks overcame a change in elevation of about .
Briefly linked to the Monongahela Navigation was the Youghiogheny Navigation, a slack water system of between McKeesport and West Newton. It had two dam-locks overcoming a change in elevation of about . Opening in 1850, it was destroyed by a flood in 1865.
During the 19th century, the Monongahela was heavily used by
industry, and several
U.S. Steel plants, including the
Homestead Works, site of the
Homestead Strike of 1892, were built along its banks. Following the killing of several workers in the course of the strike, anarchist
Emma Goldman wrote: "Words had lost their meaning in the face of the innocent blood spilled on the banks of the Monongahela."
Two
ships in the
United States Navy have been named
Monongahela for the river.
The river was the site of a famous airplane crash that has become the subject of numerous
urban legends and
conspiracy theories. Early in the morning of
January 31,
1956, a
B-25 bomber en route from
Nellis Air Force Base in
Nevada to
Olmsted Air Force Base in Pennsylvania crashed into the river near the
Glenwood Bridge in
Homestead, Pennsylvania. All six crewmen survived the crash but two later succumbed to
exposure and drowned. Despite the relative shallowness of the water, the aircraft was never recovered.
Monongahela River in popular culture
- "Monongahela" is uttered in the television show Seinfeld as one of Kramer's famous random expressions. The episode is the 23rd of the 6th season, "The Face Painter". The reference occurs around the 4th-5th minute of the show.
- It is also credited (incorrectly) by Michael Douglas in the film "Wonder Boys" for washing away his unsaved book manuscript after Robert Downey Jr. crashes his car into a bowling alley. (This scene actually took place NW of the Monongahela River along the Ohio River in Rochester, PA).
- Montana Diaz Herrera/Sally Lerner (Ayda Field) of the television show Back To You has trouble pronouncing the name "Monongahela" when she has to mention it in her weather forecast.
- The Monongahela River was immortalized in the spoken introduction to actor/comedian Guy Marks' parody hit "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" (1968).
- The Monongahela is mentioned in the choruses of The Oak Ridge Boys' song "Gonna Take A Lot of River" along with the Mississippi and the Ohio.
- The Monongahela River was mentioned a number of times in the AMC series Remember WENN which was set in Pittsburgh. Particularly in season 3, episode 14 "And How" when the world premier of the fictional film Drums Along the Monongahela is taking place in Pittsburgh.
Cities and towns along the river
Sources:
Variant names
According to the
Geographic Names Information System, the Monongahela River has also been known historically as:
Photo gallery
See also
