Remembering the 1926 Farmers Bank Building Bombing
A policeman examines a mangled teller's cage This year marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most remarkable events to rock downtown Pittsburgh-- the bombing of the iconic Farmers Bank Building on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street by an eccentric would-be robber from Wisconsin with a shadowy past. What follows are eyewitness accounts of the explosion, the heroic exploits of ordinary citizens, and the strange investigation which almost led to an erroneous identification of the culprit. Shortly after three o'clock on the Tuesday afternoon of August 24, 1926, a thundering explosion rattled buildings and pedestrians alike on Pittsburgh's Fifth Avenue. It was a busy afternoon in the heart of the Steel City's downtown, and the blast sent thousands scurrying in every direction. Some dashed blindly into the nearest shop or office building, others ran madly into the streets. Still others, attracted to the scene by ear-piercing screams, raced toward the billowing smo...
