Dr. Jim Dougherty discussed cultural and historical contributions from the Northern Appalachian region that have been spread throughout the nation during the 6:00 Series on February 21 in the HUB Ohio room.
So what area is considered Appalachia? Throughout the 13 states that contain the region (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), Pennsylvania has the most square miles of Appalachia than any other state.
52 out of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania are considered part of the Appalachian region and they include: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Green, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and Wyoming.
The Appalachian Mountains are divided into three regions. Starting from the top, the northern region stretches from Canada to the Hudson River. The central region extends from the Hudson Valley to the New River and the southern section spreads from the New River to the middle of Alabama and Mississippi.
The part of Appalachia that applies to us (yes, us, we all are currently living in Indiana, Pa.) is the northern region. If you think to yourself “nothing exciting has ever happened here,” you are mistaken. From significant events, people and places, the northern Appalachian region has a lot to be proud of!
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It is always important to know what significant events have occurred in the area in which you are currently living in. Indiana, Pa. is the intersection of two Native American trails from the Shawnee and the Ohio Valley tribes. Dr. Dougherty discussed how he would like to see a statue built outside of the HUB to honor this historical landmark. Between 1754 and 1763, northern Appalachia served as the battleground for the French and Indian War. Other important events that have occurred in this region include The Whiskey Rebellion (1791), the Railroad Strike (1877) and the Homestead Strike (1892). During his presidential campaign in 1960, John F. Kennedy visited Indiana, Pa. to speak to coal miners at the courthouse.
Some influential people that come from the region include environmentalists, feminists and industrialists. Molly Yard was the co-founder of the National Organization for Women (founded in 1966) and Eleanor Smeal served as president of NOW from 1985-1987. Rachel Carson and Edward Abbey both wrote books about the environments. Carson wrote “Silent Spring” and others, while Abbey wrote “A Season in the Wilderness”, just one of many.
Two men involved in the steel mill industries were Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. One amazing engineering achievement occurred in 1854 when the Horseshoe Curve was built in Altoona. With the construction of this new railroad, it allowed direct rail transportation from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh uninterrupted. A world-famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, constructed the house “Falling Water” in 1935 over a waterfall. It is a landmark that is considered “a place to see before you die” and is located in the Laurel Highlands.
“The thing I found most fascinating was how many people that out of the Appalachia area became famous,” said Reesie Elliott, freshman Criminology major, “I never knew the Appalachians were that important before this presentation.”
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For recreation, there is the Ohiopyle State Park, located in Fayette County. It includes everything from backpacking, whitewater rafting, trails, overnight stays, and winter activites.
Pittsburgh is considered the Capital of Appalachia. Serving as the cradle of the industrial revolution, it is the center of the steel mills, brickyards and glass making. Today, Pittsburgh is known as a high-tech advanced medical city. People travel from all over the world for medical issues. Pittsburgh is also home to Carnegie Mellon University, which is well known for its technology, robotics and engineering programs.
If you are interested in learning more about Appalachia, Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be hosting the 35 annual Appalachian Studies Conference The Wide Reach of Appalachia on March 23-25. The Stapleton Library also holds many books that are useful to gaining more knowledge about the region.
Picture courtesy of IUP.edu
Map courtesy of Arc.gov