The Horseless Carriage Comes to Pittsburgh
In March 1896, William Morgan and Edward Walker tested the first automobile in Pittsburgh, a Brewster sidebar buggy with a 1 ½ horsepower gasoline engine. The city's early experiments with automobiles were marked by failures and accidents, including a serious incident involving Joseph Haller's steam-powered vehicle in 1897.
Pittsburgh's first automobile was tested on March 10, 1896, by William Morgan and Edward Walker. The vehicle was a Brewster sidebar buggy fitted with a 1 ½ horsepower gasoline engine, reaching an average speed of 15 miles per hour. Morgan and Walker's Empire Motor Company soon collapsed. The Pittsburgh Exposition in September 1897 showcased a Chicago-built automobile, offering rides to hundreds of visitors. Joseph Haller, a local inventor, built a steam-powered delivery wagon for Eisner & Phillips clothing store, but it broke down shortly after its debut. Haller was also involved in the first two automobile accidents in Pittsburgh, including a serious incident on September 29, 1897, where his vehicle plunged down an embankment, injuring several people. The early days of automobiles in Pittsburgh were marked by experimentation and failure.
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