Excluding Cincinnati, how Appalachian-influenced is Southwestern Ohio on the whole? (Columbus: neighborhood, university)

[Doughboy1918]

Originally Posted by midwest1

Hamilton and Middletown were a separate metropolitan area until the 1980 or 90 Census.

They are clearly not suburbs. Hamilton urban core is booming, Middletown's is starting to shift into sustained regeneration.

Middletown btw is located closer to Dayton than Cincy and the connected development between the two is arguably more cohesive than it is to the south

All four are merging..but that doesn't turn Middletown and Hamilton into nete suburbs. It is not what they are. Period.

Every other website identifies both as outlying suburbs, falling under the social-cultural influence of both Cincinnati and Dayton. Argue with them, not me on this.

By the way, about my other question I asked you. Did you miss that? If so, this is it.

Was the Applachian influx to Middletown greater than that of Hamilton? I ask because Middletown was always reliant on Armco steel giving it a distinctive blue-collar character. Whereas it seems Hamilton always had a slightly more diverse economy, therefor making it less attractive to Appalachians (steel and coal production being the number one industries in Appalachia of course).

[kpl1228]

In Middletucky and Hamiltucky, it's a big influence, and historically in the Price Hill/West End area of Cincy.
Armco Steel in Middletown used to have areas with signs stating which county in Eastern KY that crew originated from. I'm sure much of that, when Armco recruited workers from eastern KY (Pike County was one, if i remember correctly) is now limited to the descendants as it's been decades. I student taught in Middletown in the mid-90's as an undergrad at Miami and a lot of that was on its way out then. But Middletucky's still the kind of place where the KY old-timers would refer to Cincinnati as "Cincinnat-UH."
It's more obvious in the SE part of Ohio, from Zanesville down to Marietta. But Middletucky and Hamiltucky were definite Appalachian centers. Armco steel and Sorg paper, and the big factory in Hamilton (don't remember, it's just been too long) were big draws for Appalachian workers. Some have joked that their car broke down on their way to Detroit and they stayed.
With a lot of the Ohio worker history focus being on Cleveland and Youngstown immigrants, the Appalachian stuff in SW Ohio is grossly overlooked by history.

[joe from dayton]

It's all part of the Hillbilly Highway. Dayton had a lot of Hungarian, German, Polish and other Eastern European immigrants in the 1800s. I know Cinci had a lot of Germans. The Union army raised regiments of German toops who didn't speak English -- everyone spoke German for communication and commands. In the 1900s you see the outward migration from KY, WVa, etc. to the northern steel mills, factories, auto plants, etc. I'm in SW Ohio, but my people came out of the coal fields of PA as far as my Appalachian roots go. The other half of the family came out of Eastern Europe. Part of the Appalachian clan stayed in the Eastern Ohio/Western PA/WVa area, others went to other parts of the country, a couple of great uncles went to Canada during the Great Depression and became Canadian citizens. My ex's family came out of Kentucky.

[Doughboy1918]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

and the big factory in Hamilton (don't remember, it's just been too long) were big draws for Appalachian workers.

Hooven-Owens-Rentschler?

[midwest1]

Middletown was at one point in it's history, a top-3 tobacco growing area.

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~butl...plug%20tobacco.

The Miami River, plus the Miami and Erie Canal, connected Middletown to Kentucky and yes, Canada...some 200 years before it was declared a Cincy suburb by some....

[midwest1]

Imagine that...workers took trains from Cincinnati to Middletown to work....150 years ago....

Typical suburb.

[robertbrianbush]

Originally Posted by Doughboy1918

I've noticed the discussion of whether or not Cincinnati is more Midwestern or Appalachian/Southern seems to be a popular topic for debate, not just on here but on other geography forums as well. To paraphrase; most people will usually say it's about 60% Midwestern and 40% Appalachian, more or less (interestingly I've even heard some people say how the city also has a lot in common with the Great Lakes despite its location).

However, how "Appalachian" is the rest of southwestern Ohio? I've heard a lot of people say how this region is also very Appalachian influenced not only due to relative proximity, but of course as well, the historic migration patterns of which consisted of a large influx of Appalachians into the area during the early-mid 20th century. Part of the greater Appalachian migration northward, occurring at the same time as the Great Migration of African Americans. Bear in mind however, Appalachian migrants also had a significant presence even further north in the Upper Midwestern cities of Toledo, Fort Wayne, Detroit and Chicago. Being as far away as Appalachia as those places are, the cultural influence they would have had there obviously would have been less impactful and would have been diluted quicker.

But what about southwestern Ohio? Places like the northern suburbs of Cincinnati such as Hamilton, Lebanon, Fairfield, Middletown, as well as towns like Dayton, Xenia and Springfield. Was the Appalachian influx into this region significant enough that the culture the migrants brought had long-lasting effects to these places and if so may even still be evident to this day? Having listened closely to the accents spoken in the area, local residents all seem to speak with very neutral, non-distinctive American accents and statistics show that Mainline Protestants and Catholics are more prevalent than Evangelicals. However though, Appalachians and Appalachian culture typically is seen as being very conservative, and the politics of SW Ohio seem to be reliably Republican, even in places as urbanised as Montgomery and Butler counties. Beyond that, there’s not a lot of information I can find online about this topic. So I thought it be best to ask people of the area what they might know about this and give input.

Why do I ask? Appalachian culture includes things like fundamentalism, strong family ties, machismo, etc. and I strongly feel as if these aspects are very much integral to American culture at large (and really the modern western world, which is overwhelmingly influenced by the US), and knowing if the reason is because of how strong Appalachian migration and influence was to somewhere as urbanised as southwestern Ohio, and of which lies within a days drive of about 70% of the US and also Canadian population, then I can prove this theory in a sense. If indeed proven, Appalachia can very well be understood as having shaped the western world on a cultural level so much more than most people would believe.

The degree to which Appalachian culture has influenced American history and culture is greatly underestimated. The History Channel aired a documentary on this...back in the History Channel's respectable days. They are also the last group whom it is really socially acceptable in the eyes of many to treat and stereotype in the same crude fashion that other groups were subjected to im earlier times.

[robertbrianbush]

Originally Posted by Doughboy1918

Was the Applachian influx to Middletown greater than that of Hamilton? I ask because Middletown was always reliant on Armco steel giving it a distinctive blue-collar character. Whereas it seems Hamilton always had a slightly more diverse economy, therefor making it less attractive to Appalachians (steel and coal production being the number one industries in Appalachia of course).



Both are considered part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincin...ea#Main_cities

Not all Appalachians were blue color...many of the graduates of Appalachian universities and colleges migrated to SW Ohio and became teachers, managers, nurses, doctors, politicians, etc. Paul Sorg, one of Middletown mist prominent early business leaders, was a West Virginia native
I migrated from Gallipolis, Ohio, an Ohio River town in Appalachian Ohio...in 2004 after graduating from Ohio University in Athens and worked as an Americorps worker in a school for a year and substitute taught for a few years...it is still my second job...and rarely failed to find a teacher/principal, etc of Appalachian heritage in any building that I worked in.
My experience is that many on SW Ohio think all Appalachians in their areas are poor and uneducated (some of the stereotypes that they literally believe about Appalachians defy common sense) because they associate Appalachians with the poor white neighborhoods in their cities (I quickly learned that when many locals discussed "Appalachians" they were referring to this group exclusively, which surprised me because to me, and as the term was used where I came from, it meant everybody from Appalachia, regardless of socioeconomic status. Many seemed unaware that Appalachia produces people of varied socioeconomic and educational statuses) while the many Appalachians who work in professional and higher paying fields fly completely under their radars.

[midwest1]

Totally agree. Does not surprise me one bit that JD Vance is Senator, or the Kayla Harrison, two time Olympic Judo Gold Medalist....are both Middletuckians. Middie Magic.

[midwest1]

My Mom, a native of Wolfe County Kentucky graduated top of her class in Middletown, age 16, in 56. First woman business major ever at Miami University....head Majorette for the Marching Band. Middletuckians kick ass.