It is difficult to imagine when the University of Pittsburgh was not an integral resident of Oakland, but there was a time when it was farmland and wilderness, where early settlers like William Eichbaum and Benjamin Fahrenstock converted forest into homesteads. The origin of the neighborhood name is somewhat disputed, attributed to both farmers, depending on who you talk to.

Walking through the neighborhood, you may come across a bronze statue called A Song To Nature (the featured color of the graphic), commemorating a philanthropist whom people will know mostly by name. Mary Schenley led a storied life, and used her fortune to gift land and resources to various parts of Pittsburgh, including the original Carnegie Institute and Schenley Park.Another staple of the neighborhood, with national renown, is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, the largest memorial building in the US to commemorate all branches of the military. The union blue color of the shirt commemorates this architectural achievement.

And finally, the juggernaut of academia, the University Of Pittsburgh, makes it’s primary home in Oakland. There is not much more to add than has already been said about this place of higher learning; only that the Cathedral of Learning, a most unique academic building, is the featured graphic for the shirt.

Pittsburgh Railways operated trolley cars throughout the city, connecting neighborhoods with convenient public transit: the 81 line, Atwood Street, would have been the prominent trolley line for the Oakland neighborhood.