An Appalachian brotherhood? (home, living in, military)

[CookieSkoon]

Well, I know this is kind of dorky of me. But play along.

I was born and raised in northern Appalachia, New York specifically. We were poor country folk living in the hills. But we were good folk, and we were surrounded by good down-to-earth people.

I have always loved the Appalachian mountains and plateaus. I have long been proud of the "highland" heritage and fascinated by all of it's cultures. I have a deeply rooted love for those hills.

No matter where in the Appalachians I go, I always feel as if I am truly among my people. However, I don't know how many other Appalachian folks feel the same way.

You see, there's a lot of vastly different cultures along the whole range. And people often forget that Appalachia is only a sub-region of the Appalachians. The Appalachian states include northern NY, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine as well as the "Appalachia" states.

There also seems to be an overbearing southerner-yankee divide throughout.

I have always dreamed of a true Appalachian brotherhood. From Alabama to Maine. I don't like to look at things in terms of north and south or impoverished or not. I like to view it as a beautiful and special landscape. No matter where in it we live, we all share those mountains and hills. We all share their heritage. It is our common ground. And for the most part, we are a rural people.

I may be from NY, but I love the whole of the Appalachian states and their people as if they were family. I feel like we are all family. I feel just as at home in Tennessee or West Virginia as I do in the northern hills. And I would want those southern folk to feel at home up north as well.

I want to throw out the old divides and really unite the region. An Appalachian family from north to south. I dream of all of us feeling a common bond through our spectacular land.

I know there are people in both the north and the south who want nothing to do with each-other. And I find that sad really. Why dislike each other when we share such a wonderful and unique region? And such similar traits?

So here's the question part of this program:

How many other Appalachian folks feel the same way I do (this includes you New-Englanders!)?

How many other folks from the mountains and hills feel the same pride as I do?

Are my sentiments really just an unreachable dream? Or can this feeling of brotherhood really be achieved from Alabama to Maine?

Am I the only one who would want it?

I look forward to discussing this topic. I hope there are others who feel as I do.

[ki0eh]

Well, I do, but it seems that I'm from the same area as you.

I remember having a conversation with a co-worker when I worked at a site near Chattanooga and mentioned that where I grew up was also close to US Highway 11. "You mean the Lee Highway?" "Well, they didn't call it that there." "WELL, you'd be better off if they did" he said, only half winking I think.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Well, I do, but it seems that I'm from the same area as you.

I remember having a conversation with a co-worker when I worked at a site near Chattanooga and mentioned that where I grew up was also close to US Highway 11. "You mean the Lee Highway?" "Well, they didn't call it that there." "WELL, you'd be better off if they did" he said, only half winking I think.

I was beginning to think nobody was gonna comment on this. I was kinda bummed. XD

Where are you from exactly?

As far as that fellow, did he mean you'd better call it the Lee highway down there?

[JimmyJohnWilson]

ive got a branch of the family from the beckley area. from what ive been told about it, they were very insular to their own smaller region (which did not include northern WV or anything above thta, as they considered that to be a whole different world). they actually moved to upstate new york briefly due to military reason. apparently they hated it though and left after less than a year. ive been told people were "rude" or something along those lines. so at least for them, apparently there wasnt an appalachian brotherhood. i think most of them wouldnt think of NY or PA when thinking of appalachia. a lot of people think of appalachia as "southern appalachia".

the heritages of the two are different. different ancestries, different cultures. but still, due to very similar topography there is somewhat of a similar way of life. obviously youve got coal mining from PA on down to northeast TN, so theyve got that in common. id imagine because of the visual appearance and some of the shared things that go along with living in such rugged topography that southern appalachianers would feel more at home in upstate NY than they would in iowa though, and definitely more so than NYC.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by JimmyJohnWilson

ive got a branch of the family from the beckley area. from what ive been told about it, they were very insular to their own smaller region (which did not include northern WV or anything above thta, as they considered that to be a whole different world). they actually moved to upstate new york briefly due to military reason. apparently they hated it though and left after less than a year. ive been told people were "rude" or something along those lines. so at least for them, apparently there wasnt an appalachian brotherhood. i think most of them wouldnt think of NY or PA when thinking of appalachia. a lot of people think of appalachia as "southern appalachia".

the heritages of the two are different. different ancestries, different cultures. but still, due to very similar topography there is somewhat of a similar way of life. obviously youve got coal mining from PA on down to northeast TN, so theyve got that in common. id imagine because of the visual appearance and some of the shared things that go along with living in such rugged topography that southern appalachianers would feel more at home in upstate NY than they would in iowa though, and definitely more so than NYC.

That's a shame. I'd be interested to know where in NY they were.

If it was military, chances are they were on the lowland between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. And honestly, that area does tend toward a more stereotypical Yankee personality. Even though it's between the highlands, it really has little in common, save for the Amish.

If they lived north of the old military grounds near Romulus, then they definitely saw some of the worst upstate has to offer in personality.

Between the major finger lakes is a strange area. You have the old hill-folk mixed in with the new money and winery folks. The wealthier ones tend to be quite rude, but most of them came from NYC or Rochester so it's not a shocker.

I'd say another similarity is moon-shining. Had a neighbor in NY that still runs a still in his barn to this day. The brew beat out 151 rum. He makes his own Egg Nog every year to. Fiercely powerful.

And believe it or not, bluegrass and folk music. It didn't originate up north of course, but it's been accepted. I remember in the park in Watkins Glen they held annual bluegrass festivals. I knew a guy in town who could play the spoons. It was really pretty cool.

I remember moving to the south and everybody was shocked that I listened to country music. Apparently I was supposed to like rap because I was from the north. :P

But those introverted areas are what I'd like to reach. There are just as many in New England who dislike anybody with a southern drawl as there are anti-yank in the south. I want to change that. I wish I could anyhow.

It's strangely important to me.

I know an old couple from eastern Kentucky who now live somewhere near Canisteo NY. They love it up there, though they have noted the differences. We all call them Ma and Pa. Really friendly people. I was so happy that they liked it there. I asked them once if the hills reminded them of Kentucky. The answer was, "Yes but there s'much snow!"

Did you ever live in the hills?

[ki0eh]

Well, I think one characteristic of Appalachia is mutual isolation although there are different degrees. Also there is a shared history in much of Appalachia of resource extraction, say timber, coal, and oil, with only subsistence farming. The Allegheny Plateau hills of NY historically had market farming (dairy), although that's disappearing, with resource extraction coming in (shipping glacial gravel by the railcar load, soon to be joined by natural gas from the Marcellus Shale). Conversely the southern mountains are becoming less isolated, see Appalachian Development Highway System - Appalachian Regional Commission So there might be more convergence.

Also note that many folks reject an "Appalachian" label, see what folks around Appalachia's largest city think of it: http://www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...ppalachia.html

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

Where are you from exactly?

As far as that fellow, did he mean you'd better call it the Lee highway down there?

McLean, NY

And, no, I think he was saying that if it had been called the Lee Highway through NY State then I would have been a more genuine good ol' boy.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Well, I think one characteristic of Appalachia is mutual isolation although there are different degrees. Also there is a shared history in much of Appalachia of resource extraction, say timber, coal, and oil, with only subsistence farming. The Allegheny Plateau hills of NY historically had market farming (dairy), although that's disappearing, with resource extraction coming in (shipping glacial gravel by the railcar load, soon to be joined by natural gas from the Marcellus Shale). Conversely the southern mountains are becoming less isolated, see Appalachian Development Highway System - Appalachian Regional Commission So there might be more convergence.

Also note that many folks reject an "Appalachian" label, see what folks around Appalachia's largest city think of it: http://www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...ppalachia.html

XD I guess I'm from the hillbilly side. I don't want the area I grew up in to over-develop.

In fact, just in the last few years a lot of old dusty roads and lonely hills I once knew have been built upon. Every time I go back there's something new.

On one hand I like the help, on the other hand, I hate the evaporation of the rural lifestyle.

It's a tough call for me. I used to be exceptionally reclusive. Change is hard to accept. But no matter what, I'll still take pride in what it is.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

McLean, NY

And, no, I think he was saying that if it had been called the Lee Highway through NY State then I would have been a more genuine good ol' boy.

I know Mclean! Haven't been through it a lot, but it's always on the way to Cortland from where I lived.

I've lived in Watkins Glen, Tyrone, Trumansburg, Painted post, Elmira, Ithaca, Etna, Enfield and Montour falls.

I forgot about Dryden, Dundee, Seneca Falls (Hated it there), and Waterloo (For a brief time). And the family farm is around the town of Reading. Jeez I've been everywhere.

[5Lakes]

Even though you are a country boy from Appalachia you will still get called a yankee by some people in Alabama or Tennessee. Most of my family heritage comes from northern Appalachia (WV, PA, NY) so I can relate to that way of life. My ancestors were mostly farmers, miners, and fur trappers in that region. Despite that I would probably be labeled a typical northerner by someone from a small southern town, even though I could probably get along with them very well. I will say that you will find more ethnic diversity in northern Appalachia since many central, eastern, and southern Europeans settled in that area, whereas down south it's mostly Anglo.