Heinz History Center blog - October 6

On this day in 1846, George Westinghouse Jr. was born. Westinghouse’s contributions are vast and varied and his contributions transformed the way we live and work.

Safe and efficient train travel, natural gas replacing coal as a leading fuel, and his system for electricity set the course for the modern world. He founded over 70 companies and was granted over 361 patents in his lifetime. The Westinghouse story is an integral part of Western Pennsylvania’s centuries long history of innovation.

Learn more about Westinghouse and his influence on the world in the History Center’s Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation exhibition. The exhibit includes artifacts from the Westinghouse Electric Company, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, and George Westinghouse’s Union Switch & Signal Company, as well as full-size replicas and interactive components.

Admiral George W. Melville, George Westinghouse, and John H. MacAlpine, c. 1904. Westinghouse Electric Corporation Photographs, Detre Library & Archives at the Heinz History Center.