Business View Civil and Municipal | January 2021

115 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL JANUARY 2021 Pittsburg, Diamond in the rough W ith tales of drunken brawls, bawdy houses, and murder, the City of Pittsburg, Kansas maintains an interesting, if somewhat shady, history. But in the present day, it is a delightful place to visit, do business, and call home. Pittsburg was founded in 1876, with coal mining a main source of enterprise. The men who worked in those mines were mostly immigrants escaping violent conditions in their European homelands, and they helped to boost another local industry at the time – bootlegging. Pittsburg has a population of more than 20,000 residents and has become a city on the move, forging forward to offer residents some of the finest amenities and services, while maintaining a quaint, hometown feel that families seek when choosing a location to put down roots. According to Quentin Holmes, Director of Community Development and Housing, “There is a lot going on in Pittsburg. We are the largest city in Crawford County and a regional hub for many things; specifically, we are the regional hub for the medical industry here in southeast Kansas.”