Pittsburgh Herculite Glass

[james laverance]

The Duquesne Gardens Pittsburgh circa 1900.

"The Duquesne Gardens was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1890, the
building originally served as a trolley barn, before becoming a
multi-purpose arena. The Gardens opened 3 years after a fire destroyed the
city's prior sports arena, the Schenley Park Casino, in 1896. Over the
years, the Gardens was the home arena of several of Pittsburgh's historic
sports teams, such as ice hockey's Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh
Hornets. The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, which was the first ice
hockey league to openly hire and trade players, played all of its games at
the Gardens. The arena was also the first hockey rink to ever use glass
above the dasher boards. Developed locally by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass
Company, Herculite glass was first tested in Pittsburgh. Most rinks were
using wire mesh before the shatterproof glass was invented."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_Gardens

[Polaris922]

A great piece of history.  And mentions the birth of the paid hockey leagues.