Pittsburg vs Pittsburgh?
 

In CJs, do the Pittsburgh players have the ending h? Some T216s, like my Gibsons below, come both ways. What's the history behind the spelling change?

Thanks,
Andy

Pittsburgh was spelled Pittsburg from 1890 to 1911 when the United States Board on Georgraphic Names removed the "h". It was returned its originial spelling after being petitioned by the citizens to return to the original spelling with the "h" I believe the T216s were made before and after the change, hence the two spellings. The CJs coming out in 1914 have the "h".

Some govt agency around the turn of the century proposed that the H be dropped from cities ending in burgh. It is my understanding it never fully caught on in Pgh and eventually the H was added back. I guess the card makers got caught in the confusion.
It's a pet peeve of mine to see the H left off in modern times.

I am no expert on T216s, but aren't the Kotton backs a 1914 issue? If so, do you find the "Pittsburg" spelling on those backs or is it exclusive to the 1911 Mino backs?

i have seen some old pit pennants spelled both ways

Well, I've always wondered what the deal was with the "H". I learned something today (and forgot three other things).

From Cleveland - Pittsburgh or Pittsburg sucks....:D

The 1887 Old Judges use "Pittsburg" while the 1888 & 1889 cards are fairly evenly split between "Pittsburg" and "Pittsburgh". There are some 1888 and many examples of 1889 cards in which the same pose can be found with both spellings.

Pittsburg vs Pittsburgh

Who won?

Cincinnati?

One of many examples from 1889.

Hey, Fowler! Don't you know how I hate losing to the Pirates?

Pitti-full
 

It is interesting that the E254 Colgan's Chips set, which straddles the end of era of the 'official' name change, has many Pirates cards that can be found with both spelling variations.

Brian

I guess no one really knew how to spell it at that point.

None of our rivers ever caught fire
 

Gee, bring on the Browns. Love beating them twice a year.

Even though you don't care, others do. The "H" was restored, in part anyway, through the influence of Pittsburgher Andrew Carnegie, a good Scot who liked things to stay the way they were in his home country. Edinburgh and all.

By the way, what ever happened to the "A" in Cleaveland?

No love loss huh? Lol

Well you learn something new everyday.

Regards,

Richard.

I have a Pirates team postcard from circa 1910 that has both spellings, without the "h" on the front and with "h" on the reverse.

From the city that would be an authority on the subject. :)