A look at the life and legacy of Henry J. Heinz and his legacy in Pittsburgh

If someone wants to know about the history of Pittsburgh and a great company like Heinz, the first place they should go is the Heinz History Center in Downtown. 

Emily Ruby, a senior curator at the Heinz History Center, said that the Heinz Company was started in 1869 by Henry John Heinz. But she says that while the company is famous for its ketchup, that wasn't its first smash hit.

"It starts with horseradish," Ruby said. "So, at the time, it was this very popular condiment in the German community. And Heinz had this idea that if he could bottle horseradish, take that burden away from at the time housewives who were doing this work. It is very tedious to make. ...  And a few short years later, in 1872, he adds tomato ketchup to the line."

Now, contrary to popular belief, Heinz didn't invent ketchup, but many say he did perfect it. Made of sweet, juicy, ripe tomatoes and offering a thick and rich signature taste, since its inception, Heinz has not only been the standard-bearer for ketchup, but it remains the top-selling ketchup brand in the world to this day.

And Heinz not only perfected his ketchup, but he also invented its famous eight-sided bottle, which can be seen in various sizes both inside and outside of the Heinz History Center.

But was the ketchup just one of "57" other things that Heinz made? Well, the answer to that question is both "yes" and "no." 

"We are not 100% sure, but it seems that 57 just was aesthetically pleasing to him," Ruby said. "He says that he is just kind of going through the numbers, and he just stops at 57. He was a very religious man. Seven had religious connotations. I think five was a number his wife liked, so 57 is what he settled on."

Though the Heinz Company merged with Chicago-based Kraft Foods in 2015 and a large portion of its operations is based in the Windy City, it still has a strong presence and legacy in Pittsburgh.

"There is a lot of pride in Pittsburgh in the Heinz name," said Ruby. "Heinz himself and then his descendants invested in the community. They created the foundation, the Sarah Heinz House. They named things, they redid Heinz Hall, and so, they invested here, they lived here and they cared about this community. And of course, Sen. Heinz was beloved in the community and worked to make it a better community."