Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum

Donora 125th Celebration - 1901-2026

DONORA 125th CELEBRATION - 1901-1926
Donora was incorporated on February 11, 1901. 2026 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Donora. Events were scheduled thought the year to celebrate the first 125 years. The Donora Historical Society participated on those events that promoted our history.
The Donora Historical Society partnered with the Donora Smog Commemorative Committee and the Donora Downtown Committee to celebrate our 125th year. Corporate donations were secured by the Donora Smog Commemorative Committee to fund the majority of events.

DO-NO-RA Logo
A few years ago, the Donora Smog Commemorative Committee colaborated with the PennWest University - California Marketing Department to rebrand Donora. Several ideas were gleaned from those meetings including a logo.
The DO-NO-RA logo shown to the left (with an emphasis on DO) was adopted early on in the planning of 125 events that started in 2025. It would be used to promote Donora in various mediums.

Donora 125 Banners
The Donora Historical Society supplied vintage photos to be used on banners that would hang on most light poles in downtown Donora with the DO-NO-RA logo (shown above) superimposed over those photos.
These are two examples of the many banners that hung throughout 2026.

May 2, 2026

Donora 125th 5K Run/Walk
Saturday, May 2, 2026, started off at 10:00 a.m. with the Donora 125th 5K Run/Walk down in the Donora Industrial park, just a couple blocks from the Donora Borough Hall.
All racers were invited to the Donora Borough Hall for their post-race medal ceremony and food. The winners received a custom forged zinc medal (see the medal to the left) with the DO-NO-RA logo. These medals were forged by the Arts Department of PennWest University - California. The zinc medals were inspired by the Donora Zinc Works that existed in Donora from 1915 to 1957 and was the largest in the world.

Donora 125th Birthday Celebration
Lunch and birthday cake was also provided to all attendees who did not race but wanted to hear the historical presentation by the Donora Historical Society that would start at 1:00 p.m.

Vintage Donora Advertising Drape
An old Donora advertising drape that was found in the since-razed Slovak Home on Meldon Avenue was put on display on the floor of the Donora Borough Hall. Even though the Donora Historical Society has had this drape since 2008, this was the first public display due to its enormous size of around 11-feet high and 20-feet wide. We think the drape dates to the 1930s-1940s based on the businesses that advertised on the drape and their address in Donora at the time and hung as a backdrop drape on the stage of the Slovak Home that was upstairs on the second floor.

Historical Presentation - Industrial Boomtown - the Founding of Donora 1901-1926
Since the history of Donora is so vast, the presentation was limited to one hour and the first 25 years of Donora

These two banners were used on Facebook to promote this historical presentation.

A detailed synopsis of the historical presentation is as follows:

Industrial Boomtown: The Founding of Donora, Pennsylvania - At the turn of the 20th century, Donora became the last of the great steel towns built along the Monongahela River, and it all seemed to happen overnight. When William H. Donner moved his National Tin Plate Company to the newly built industrial town of Monessen, in 1898, the area that would be Donora in three short years was mostly farmland and a small village called West Columbia. Donner quickly impressed the industrial elite of Pittsburgh and in 1899 formed the Union Improvement Company along with the Mellon brothers: Richard and Andrew, Henry Clay Frick and others with an eye toward creating another industrial complex across the river, one mile north of Monessen and about thirty miles south of Pittsburgh. As the mill and infrastructure of the town went up the population exploded with new arrivals, growing to nearly four thousand by 1901. Union Improvement thought of nearly every need of a new community except for housing for employees, creating a booming hotel and boarding house business. A large and diverse population poured into Donora to not only build and work at the mills but to also take part of the "American Dream" by starting their own business. Individual entrepreneurs opened everything and anything a new town might need or demand. The newcomers also built churches, a synagogue, ethnic and national social clubs, political and beneficial associations, and fraternal and civic associations. The community put a priority on education building schools that were a source of pride in the community. At the center of all this was the mill itself, the only reason the town even existed.

The historical presentation was given at the Donora Borough Hall. Brian Charlton of the Donora Historical Society was the presenter. The large projector screen was used for a Power Point and photo presentation.

If you missed the presentation, feel free to click on the screen below to watch.

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