White Southern Migration to Philadelphia? (Washington, Middletown: college, living, move to)

[BajanYankee]

Here's an interesting article about the migration of southerners, in particular white southerners, to "northern" cities.

When young people fled the mountains in search of better jobs, they had a choice of destinations. Cincinnati was the most popular, followed closely by Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, Columbus, and Detroit. Most often, the new migrants chose the town where relatives or friends had already landed. That was the case for Dickens, whose older sister Velvie was in Hampden, and for Hensley, whose divorced mother had moved to Dundalk.

From the Hills: How Mid-Century Migrants from the Mountains Brought Bluegrass--and More--to Baltimore | Baltimore City Paper

Does anyone know of any mass white southern migration to Philadelphia during the 20th Century?

[frankgn87]

There has more black Southern migration from the south then white

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

There has more black Southern migration from the south then white

Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm asking about an influx of white southerners similar to what happened in Baltimore.

[frankgn87]

Maybe Balt, but not in Philly.

[danjherman]

Interestingly, most Yankees I know who moved to the South vow never to return North. Me? They can have it...

[Charlestondata]

I've never heard of any mass white southerner migration to the northeast, but during the Depression there might have been, as people might have been willing to move to find work anywhere it might have existed. I'm a white southerner in South Carolina, and some of my ancestors migrated down here from Philadelphia long before the Civil War.

[jazzy jeff]

Originally Posted by danjherman

Interestingly, most Yankees I know who moved to the South vow never to return North. Me? They can have it...

I have heard many a white student from the south come north for a college education and claim they want to stay upon graduation.

[james777]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm asking about an influx of white southerners similar to what happened in Baltimore.

Probably not, because of the distance. Southern blacks and whites came north for only one reason, jobs. They weren't looking for any of the other amenities of a big city, they were only interested in being able to earn a living, particularly in factories, which paid well compared to labor jobs in the South. Baltimore got the big influx of whites from the South, particularly from the rural areas of Virginia and West Virginia, and it is still happening today because there still are jobs to be had in Baltimore, even though many of the factories have gone overseas, and there is nothing in those rural areas.

[CarryOn]

Being from Cincy, I can tell you that a majority of white folks there (myself included) need go back only one or two generations before they find their KY roots. All the factories in Cincy, Middletown, Dayton, Hamilton, and right on up all that industrial corridor, right into MI.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by james777

Probably not, because of the distance. Southern blacks and whites came north for only one reason, jobs. They weren't looking for any of the other amenities of a big city, they were only interested in being able to earn a living, particularly in factories, which paid well compared to labor jobs in the South. Baltimore got the big influx of whites from the South, particularly from the rural areas of Virginia and West Virginia, and it is still happening today because there still are jobs to be had in Baltimore, even though many of the factories have gone overseas, and there is nothing in those rural areas.

There were also jobs in Philadelphia. The African Americans, Italians and other groups that flocked to the city were getting those jobs. So I wonder why white southerners didn't move to Philly for these jobs the way they moved to Baltimore.