Pittsburg started with an Anglo settlement in the 1850s. William Harrison Pitts and his family arrived from Georgia in 1854 and donated land for a townsite and was named in his honor. In 1874, when Camp County was created from Upshur County, Pittsburg became county seat defeating Leesburg and Center Point, receiving 500 of the 797 votes cast. During the late 1870s, the East Line and Red River Railroad and another railroad, the Texas and St. Louis Railway, came through Pittsburg. This event made Pittsburg an important trade center. Incorporated on August 21, 1891, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles. A privately owned electric generator was constructed in Pittsburg that provided sixteen kilowatts of electricity, enough for lights only in 1897. A telephone system was built in 1899 via the franchise given to Southwest Telegraph and Telephone Company. Pittsburg was also the venue of an early flight attempt by the Ezekiel Air Ship Mfg Co in 1902. Also, in support of the Dallas Cowboys, who faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX in 1996, the town changed its name to "Cowboys" for a few weeks. The county seat is famous for being the former home of the giant poultry producer Pilgrim's and the home of racing legend Carroll Shelby. The city is also the birthplace of Cavenders Boot City and it is also the hometown of Tennessee Titan Kendall Wright. The city of Pittsburg is served by the Pittsburg Independent School District and home to the Pittsburg High School Pirates. The population was 4,651 in 2017. Richardson Field Airport (XA23) (Runways: 1) and Etmc - Pittsburg Heliport (XA27) are also found in the city.
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