Trafford Historical Society

06/03/2026

This photo was accidentally left out of our video montage from the Trafford Bridge dedication held on October 31, 1964. Leading this energetic pack of Cub Scouts is den mother Margaret Lawrence Bucar, seen in the pink suit, with her son Paul Bucar walking just to her right near the bridge banister. We’d love your help filling in the rest of the story. Which other Cub Scouts or Webelos do you recognize racing across the brand new bridge?

The Trafford Historical Society meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6 PM inside the Trafford Library. If you enjoy preserving and sharing our community’s history, we’d be glad to have you join us.

Video: https://youtu.be/hswH9k7WWiA?si=fRw7Iwp2TlF6YdCM

05/28/2026

We recently acquired this photograph showing a Pittsburgh Railways Company streetcar crossing the original Trafford Bridge on April 30, 1961. Car #1703, a classic PCC (Presidents’ Conference Committee) streetcar, was a familiar sight throughout the Pittsburgh system. The image clearly shows the bridge’s original wood deck, along with the two sets of tracks and the overhead electrical lines that powered the cars.

What we especially appreciate about this photograph is the glimpse of the old fire training center in the background to the left. Many longtime residents will remember those buildings near the ballfields, where generations of local firefighters trained for years. Also visible is a large mound of sand from the Westinghouse foundry, material used in casting moulds, with the discarded remnants piled high near the training center.

05/25/2026

The Trafford community will host the annual Memorial Day parade and commemoration today, Monday, May 25, 2026. The parade begins at 10:45 AM, followed by a Memorial Day program at 11:30 AM organized by the Trafford American Legion Post 331. The program takes place at Trafford Veterans Park on Edgewood Ave. Honor and remember, lest we forget.

This video was created for the May 25, 2020, Memorial Day service. ...

05/23/2026

🚨 2026 Memorial Day Parade Route 🚨

The parade will begin at 10:30 AM on Monday, May 25th at the American Legion and conclude at Veterans Memorial Park. Hope to see you there!

05/19/2026

MEETING CANCELED – Planning Commission Meeting Thursday, May 21, 2026 has been canceled and is rescheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 6 PM in Markosek Council Chambers.
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Sharing this reminder for our friends at the Westmoreland Heritage Trail about the Thursday meeting in Trafford.

The long-term plan to connect the Westmoreland Heritage Trail with the Great Allegheny Passage is making progress. This initiative, led by Allegheny County Economic Development, has combined land appraisals by the Friends of the Riverfront, a land survey within the 9-mile trail corridor by WSP Engineering, and project coordination by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC).
In Trafford, the Connector Trail is proposed to be routed under the Veterans Memorial Bridge, through the UPMC All-American Park and then north past the Trafford Commerce Center in order to connect with the current Westmoreland Heritage Trail where it ends south of B-Y Park.

On May 21, 2026, 6:00 PM, the Trafford Planning Commission is scheduled to meet with representatives of All-American Baseball to discuss how the proposed expansion of the Baseball Center (to the north of the bridge) and the proposed Turtle Creek Connector trail under the bridge can co-exist and add to the vitality of Trafford as both a trailhead and a baseball town.

05/06/2026

Graduation season is here, and it feels like the perfect time to share a recent donation to the Trafford Historical Society. We’ve received a collection of photographs spanning the years of the Trafford High School Class of 1955. These images were generously donated by Tammy Morante, daughter of Eva Jane (Bruno) and Kenny Schneider, both proud members of that class.

To help jog a few memories, we’ve also included pages from the 1955 yearbook for anyone trying to match a name to a familiar face. A heartfelt thank you to Tammy and Tony for helping preserve and share our local history.

05/03/2026

This cute photo was taken inside the former Trafford Supermarket in the early 1960s, shared by David Ank, who once lived in the Trafford Flats across the bridge. Check out the price of a 6-pack of pop, only $0.49. Before and after photos using Gemini AI.

04/30/2026

04/29/2026

This old grocery store pad with carbon paper was found in the E.E. Bandy collection, printed for Mary Matesic’s neighborhood store once located at 534 Brinton Avenue, Trafford.

In 1913, Mary and her husband Frank immigrated to Pittsburgh from present-day Croatia. In 1922, they purchased this building from Frank Arlotti, and for decades, their store became the place where neighbors stopped in for the staples they needed to cook a family meal.

Walking into the store, you would have been greeted by Mary in her simple apron, surely knowing every family in the community. The receipt book, like the one seen here, is a good reminder of the history of local commerce, considering this was Mary’s way of keeping track of families who bought on credit, a routine practice long before credit cards existed.

The store operated out of one of the first buildings constructed in the new town of Trafford City. Built in 1902, it first served as Robinson’s Restaurant and later as a temporary grade school until a proper school could be built. Sam and Annie Mastroianni once owned the building as well, before selling it to Frank Arlotti, who ran a cigar, to***co, and soft drink store. The building was eventually razed when the Trafford Manor project began in March 1982. This simple neighborhood store, a hardworking immigrant family, and the community that relied on both form another piece of Trafford’s everyday history worth remembering.

04/28/2026