How Pittsburgh Got Its ‘H’ Back
Most of us know how our city got its name — from the British earl and Prime Minister William Pitt. But the spelling of Pittsburgh is far less straightforward. Over time, we’ve debated, lost, and reclaimed our H. So why was it so complicated to agree on one letter? We’re bringing back a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian and author Virginia Montanez to learn about the basic rules of how we spell things (really), why Pittsburgh was so bad at it (shocking), and how newspapermen and intellectuals made everything worse (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
**This episode originally aired July 22, 2024.
Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode:
The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens
Pittsburgh Marathon - Use code CITYCAST15 for 15% off any event
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
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