Appalachia area

[ki0eh]

Here's more horse to beat: Appalachia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gtgal2]

thanks for the link - that was really interesting!

[zitsky]

I don't know how many of youns are from Pennsylvania. I know that "Appalachia" has a somewhat negative connotation. If someone were to tell me that I am from Appalachia (Johnstown), they might be technically correct, but it's not a term that most Pennsylvanians use to refer to our state.

[Ohiogirl81]

The Appalachian Regional Commission's definition of counties as Appalachian is all about funding and has little to do with the possibility that there may be some Appalachian culture afoot.

Also, the ARC considers a person to be Appalachian if they consider themselves Appalachian. According to the ARC, I could define myself as Appalachian because my mother grew up in Somerset County. She hasn't lived there in 58 years, but that doesn't matter.

But back to the OP's question, I'd define Pennsylvania Appalachia as stretching from southwest to northeast. Aside from Pittsburgh, the larger towns in that swath would include Johnstown, Altoona, State College, Williamsport, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, just off the top of my head.

[The_Outsider]

Surrounding areas outside of Brookville, Clarion and Dubois. Definitely PA's Appalachia.

[CookieSkoon]

Allow me to throw in my two cents here.

I was born and raised in the southern tier of New York state. I lived intermittently in Pennsylvania as well. I was born into a very poor rural farm family, albeit with a very intelligent father.

I can tell you from personal experiences (Having traveled abroad throughout "Appalachia") that you will find elements of Appalachian culture in both NY and PA.

As with the rest of the ARC's northern "Appalachia", you won't find the most stereotypical culture. However religion, poverty (Unfortunately), and a very rural aura do thrive even in the northern reaches. We just have our own form of Appalachian culture up in the frost.

I personally have always considered most of Pennsylvania to be a true part of Appalachia (As well as Southern tier NY), and never in a negative light. Appalachia shouldn't be taken negatively. It represents a rich history spread across a large map, including in itself many cultural gradients. It also represents some of the most beautiful hills and mountains in our entire nation! Breath-taking waterfalls and gorges, high foggy peaks and dense precious forest. Not to mention that our northerly hills look stunning under all the snow!

I believe Appalachia should be treated as more of a brotherhood than an ailment (Besides, that might kill some of the old southern VS. yankee attitude off).

Poverty and hillbilly-ness might be a shameful side. However, it is pointless to deny it's existence. PA and NY both have a large share of those elements as well (Along with Ohio), believe me! Ignoring a problem in order to look good doesn't solve the problem. This unfortunate habit of ignorance is one downside to the north.

In short, I believe Pennsylvania to be a true part of Appalachia.

[Honest Bob]

When I was a young man, just starting out in this world, and nobody was hiring, you could drive up to St. Marys and the business owners would practically be standing on the side of the road, along the million dollar highway with a sign in their hands and waving to the drivers while they traveled down the road, trying to flag them in and give them a job.

They didn't pay a whole lot of money and the gas station charged 10 cents more a gallon for gasoline, but there was jobs up there. Be it construction to build the big factories or factory work.

Many people from Punxsutawney, Du bois, Brockway etc drove the 20 to 50 miles each way every day to work there and many of them relocated to St. Mary's to be closer to their work.

Just because there was jobs there and work was plentiful - doesn't mean that the area was not depressed. I can remember driving past the bars in Kersey on the way home from work and wondering what kind of people drank in these dives. When the coal mines were working, people had money.
When the coal mines closed up - the people did what they had to do to survive. When the carbon industry and manufacturing moved in during WW II - people flocked to St. Mary's, Emporium, Du bois - to get a job.
After the war was over - powder metals took over and the scale of pay dwindled to the point of where people could not afford to build new homes or buy new cars or go on vacation or send their kids to school.
The only way out of those towns was to physically own the place where you worked or join the military.