Kulik: Celebrating 250 years of Pennsylvania’s rich history

Rep. Anita Kulik

July 13, 2026

When I was elected to the State House 10 years ago, I looked ahead at what would be upcoming in our history.  I saw that if I was fortunate enough to be in office for 10 years that our great nation and our Commonwealth would be celebrating the 250^th anniversary of the start of the United States of America.  I remembered the joy of our 200^th birthday in 1976, and what a great occasion it was for everyone.

Several years ago, I was appointed to be part of the America250PA Infrastructure Commission, an honor that I greatly appreciated.  It was more than a special way to serve — it was a way to help plan programs as we all looked forward to the future celebration of 250 years of independence and success.

I feel extremely blessed to be in office for this great celebration. Pennsylvania history is much longer than the founding our nation, and the rich history of the people of Pennsylvania, and of our government, set the stage for the entire nation.  We were a “keystone” for the nation, but we were also a model for the nation as a whole, and for other states, to follow.

I am very proud that Pennsylvania is where our democracy began, and that Philadelphia was the hub of the Revolution that started it all.  However, I must admit that I am particularly proud to be a Western Pennsylvanian.  I know that our part of the Commonwealth contributed greatly to the formation of the United States and is deserving of great recognition.

The 10 communities that make up the 45^th Legislative District of the Pennsylvania House are rich in history that made our nation strong over the decades.  From farmland to the settling of towns to the building of business and industry, our section of Allegheny County has provided importance and relevance to our history.

If you visit the church cemetery on Steubenville Pike in Robinson Township, you will find the graves of Revolutionary War veterans.  In McKees Rocks, you can view the Native American Mounds. In Collier Township, you can visit Woodville Plantation, a place that played a significant role in the Whiskey Rebellion. 

In the early stages of our country, you will find well-known family names, such as Montour, Neville, McKee and others.

As our nation grew, our townships and boroughs grew.  Some were parts of other municipalities that developed into what we know today.  Carnegie was formed, for example, when the towns of Chartiers and Mansfield merged and chose to honor the contributions of Andrew Carnegie.

When Neville Island was primarily made up of family farms, it was once famous for its asparagus, and later was known for its industry, especially the role its industries played in helping with our war efforts.  Coraopolis, along with many other towns, was known as a railroad town.

Stowe and McKees Rocks have rich immigrant histories, and we cannot overlook the 100-year-old Mancini Bakery and the Jenny Lee Bakery that dates back to the 1800s.

Carnegie’s rich and diverse history is known for steel mills, fending off the KKK and being the home of Honus Wagner.  A lot of locals will tell you that it is also famous for its many, many bars and churches back in the day, and for its Civil War history.  Its library, endowed by Andrew Carnegie, has stood for 125 years, half the life of our nation.

Besides Woodville, Collier Township can boast of being the home of Flag Day and for the Nike missile site that once protected our nation.

Robinson Township’s history goes back to the Revolutionary War.  Along with Kennedy Township, these areas were not too long ago laden with family farms – many names still found on street signs.  Pennsbury Village formed out of Robinson Township, when its citizenry elected to become a separate municipality.

Bridgeville got its name from the first bridge built across Chartiers Creek at the south end of Washington Avenue. Incorporated in 1901, the borough is proudly celebrating its 125^th anniversary this year, a source of great pride for the residents. Bridgeville was a great hub of industry in our area, from railroads, brick making and specialty steels to industrial support for the military in World War II.

There is so much history in these communities, it would take pages to just get through some of it. I am so proud that my family, like so many others, have called the western suburbs home for over 100 years or more. These welcoming communities continue to attract new residents that bring new ideas and traditions to add to our already rich stories.

Each of these communities has either active historical societies or archives that tell their stories.  I encourage you to visit our local historical societies and libraries to learn about the communities of the 45^th District, just as I encourage you to visit each one and support the businesses that are there.  Municipal websites also have information for residents to learn about local history.

All our District communities have rich traditions built by people who came from all over the world to live the American dream.  As we celebrate 250 years of this great experiment in democracy, we need to remember that we all came from somewhere and that our ancestors brought many traditions and resources from that somewhere to help build a new community, a new Commonwealth and a new nation, and to make all of them something very wonderful.