pa1778data.pdf

U.S. STEEL DUQUESNE WORKS
HAER No. PA-115
(Page 27)
programs. His Republican opponent R. W. Schreiber, on the other
hand, called for a continuation of the 'business-like' principles
that governed the city in the past. The result was a comfortable
345 vote victory (2959 to 2614) for Maloy who became the first
Democratic Mayor in the city's history. In 1941, Maloy gained a
second term with a 191 vote margin (3365 to 3213) over his
Republican rival, Frank Kopriver. 34
Maloy's tenure (1938-1946) was marked by the extensive use
of WPA programs for the purpose of paving the remainder of the
city's unpaved streets and by the DPC financed addition of the
electric furnace and alloy bar heat treating plants to the steel
mill's productive facilities. The latter had important
conseguences for the city's physical and political development
because it necessitated the demolition of a portion of Duguesne's
First Ward known as "below the tracks" in 1942. The demolition
of the thirty-eight acre neighborhood, which encompassed fourteen
city blocks and bisected the steel mill, forced the removal of
2474 residents. Many of the evacuees were eventually relocated
in one of several federally-funded defense housing projects, many
of which were located outside the city.
Although Maloy vigorously supported the construction of
additional facilities at the Duguesne Works because of its job
creating potential, the dislocation of many residents cost the
Mayor his political majority. In each of his victorious
campaigns, the basis of Maloy's political support came from the
predominantly working-class neighborhood "below the tracks."
Maloy's attempts for a third term were defeated by Republican
Frank Kopriver in 1945. 35
34 The attitude of Duquesne's GOP officials toward the New Deal
as well as the extensive use of New Deal public works programs in
Pittsburgh and McKeesport can be found in the city council minutes
for those cities between 1933 - 1937; Maloy*s platform and other
Mayoral campaign details appear in The Daily Newsf McKeesport, PA,
June 30, July 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 29, 31, August 13, 14,
16, 17, 27, 31, September 1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, October 22,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and November 2, 3, 1937; Beth Shervey,
"Steelmaking and the Growth of Monongahela Valley Mill Towns," 17-
29; The election results of the 1941 mayoral race appear in The
Daily News,, November 5, 1941.
35 For more detailed information on the demolition of the "below
the tracks" neighborhood, the movement of "below the tracks"
residents to homes outside of the city, and the political
ramifications of these events see The Daily News, April 29, May 15,
27, June 19, 28, 30, July 1, 9, 11, 15, 16, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30,
August 9, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, September 3, 5, 24, October