Culture of Western Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh, Beaver: home, to live in, friendly)

[ClovisMerovingian]

The area I'm talking about is this area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Pennsylvania I find this interesting because my mother was born in Westmoreland county but moved over here to South
Carolina as a little girl. I had always thought she and her family were just standard northeastern Yankees. They had a strange manner of speaking where they'd say Yinz to address a group of people, and call rubber bands gum bands, and would say Warsh instead of wash. I thought that this was just the normal dialect of the state of Pennsylvania but apparently this is a specific dialect of a specific region of Pennsylvania called Pittsburgese or the "Yinzer" dialect.

What interested me was in researching this area that the word Yinz came from the Scots Irish and that the early settlers of the area were also heavily Scots Irish and the region was where the famous Whisky Rebellion took place.

The thing is that I've only been to Paintertown (where my mother from Westmoreland is specifically from) once as a small child and I barely remember anything. So my question is this. Is this area, being in the Appalachian mountains, and heavily settled by Scots Irish more culturally similar to Southern Appalachia or other northern states? What are the cultural influences on this area and which one is dominant if any?

[Wells5]

City-Data is really not a resource for the culture of Westmoreland County and western PA. That being said, you may want to contact the Westmoreland County Historical Society.


https://westmorelandhistory.org/

[Charley Barker]

ClovisMarovingian? With that name, you absolutely must visit the rock shelter at Meadowcroft, one of the earliest know sites of habitation in North America. It is located in Avella, PA. The clovis point plays a big part in the story.


I have learned a lot about the very interesting history of this area since we moved here. The Scots-Irish had a great deal of influence following European settlement. In fact, I have heard the president of the WPA History Center say that the current pronunciation of Pittsburgh is utterly incorrect. It should be "Pitts-boro", a la Edinburgh, UK.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by Charley Barker

ClovisMarovingian? With that name, you absolutely must visit the rock shelter at Meadowcroft, one of the earliest know sites of habitation in North America. It is located in Avella, PA. The clovis point plays a big part in the story.


I have learned a lot about the very interesting history of this area since we moved here. The Scots-Irish had a great deal of influence following European settlement. In fact, I have heard the president of the WPA History Center say that the current pronunciation of Pittsburgh is utterly incorrect. It should be "Pitts-boro", a la Edinburgh, UK.

A lot of Scottish towns and cities in the US are now mispronounced.

As an example close to my home, the village of Lodi, NY is now pronounced "Low-die", when it was originally "Loddy" by its Scot settlers.

[Charley Barker]

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

A lot of Scottish towns and cities in the US are now mispronounced.

As an example close to my home, the village of Lodi, NY is now pronounced "Low-die", when it was originally "Loddy" by its Scot settlers.

Lodi? I used to live near Interlaken, NY, speaking of mispronunciations. ;-)

[Jay_F]

Hi Clovis. You will see some aspects of your question discussed (rather heatedly at times) over in the Pittsburgh forum, and both sides think they are correct. I have lived in rural Westmoreland and Beaver Counties for a lot of my life, and had in-laws from KY Appalachia... I really can't say they ever felt very similar to me, especially the dialect... At times I could not understand them, nor they understand me. I also think the southern Appalachia areas are far more homogeneous as to descent, with far more folks from Poland, Hungary, Slavic areas, and especially Italians in W. PA. Sure, there are plenty of Scotch-Irish in W. PA, but in aggregate much more I think of the others I mention. Pace of life I think feels very different as well.

I too find the religious climates very different, and even politics... In my experience I can't say the folks in S. Appalachia are more violent, perhaps more along the lines of no problem with violence if provoked... I knew folks from KY who if they said "You do that again, I'll kill ya", mean just that, or pert near 'nuff. The stereotype of "thems fightin words", ain't too far off in my experience. They are not Southerners as I define the term, but still are very traditional, and have a sort of 'Southern elan, pride", if that makes any sense. I find the people more clannish than W.PA, but not necessarily unfriendly; quite the contrary once they know and trust you.

For me, there is a very big difference between 'redneck' and country folk. Redneck to me means selfish A-hole, I'll do whatever I like to pee you off, brand/corporate fetished tool, poser, virtue signaling hypocrite, hateful and uncivilized. Country folk I remember were simply good people who just wanted to live in peace, were kind, quiet, gracious, and dignified; albeit in some cases very poor but proud. If you have never read the "Firefox" series of books, I highly recommend it. Here is a taste:

http://www.survivorlibrary.com/library/foxfire-one.pdf

I can say I never knew any shine makers in W.PA, but drank some good moonshine in/from Kentucky.

I'm sure you may have heard the saying "Pennsyltucky", referring to rural areas of PA, including SW PA... I don't necessarily consider it a pejorative, and you will see some similarities per my experience. Good luck with your interesting quest, and have a nice holiday.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Jay_F

I can say I never knew any shine makers in W.PA, but drank some good moonshine in/from Kentucky.

Western PA did not need moonshiners. It had great "rye" whisky makers like Old Overholt (still made but in Kentucky), Schenley (still made but also in Kentucky), Bomberger's and others.


http://www.ellenjaye.com/hist_mono3overholt.htm

[Charley Barker]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Western PA did not need moonshiners. It had great "rye" whisky makers like Old Overholt (still made but in Kentucky), Schenley (still made but also in Kentucky), Bomberger's and others.


http://www.ellenjaye.com/hist_mono3overholt.htm

Yes. And I have been told that for most of the 19th century rye whiskey was considered superior to corn based whiskey (sour mash/Tennessean whiskey,, bourbon, etc.). This from a docent at The Frick in Pittsburgh, home of Henry Clay Frick whose grandfather made Old Overholt rye whiskey in Scottsdale, I believe.

[_Buster]

"warsh" is not specific to Pittsburgh area, its actually said by older people in Philly and Baltimore areas, and basically all of the mid atlantic, but especially PA and MD. I've heard a few people from the DC area say it when I worked there. Its always older people --I've never heard any Gen Xers or younger generations say it though

[North Beach Person]

If you guys didn't know any Pennsylvania moonshiners then you just didn't know the right people. Those mill Hunkies in Pittsburgh would drink anything.