It had not yet recovered from the great fire which destroyed the entire business portion of the city on April 10, 1845.

The houses were mainly of wood, a few only were of brick, and not one was fire-proof.

The entire population in and around Pittsburgh was not over forty thousand.

The business portion of the city did not extend as far as Fifth Avenue, which was then a very quiet street, remarkable only for having the theater upon it.

Federal Street, Allegheny, consisted of straggling business houses with great open spaces between them, and I remember skating upon ponds in the very heart of the present Fifth Ward.