Ridgway, known as the "lily of the valley," is located on the scenic Clarion River in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. Ridgway's history has long been closely linked to the river, from a time when residents utilized the water to float timber from the nearby forested hills and supplied lumber for operations around the nation. Much of the beautiful hardwood craftsmanship is preserved today and on display in the elegant Victorian mansions of Ridgway's former lumber barons. The county seat of Elk County, Ridgway has never let the decline of the lumber industry affect its vitality, and today it...

Johnsonburg, the "Paper City," is situated at the juncture of the east and west branches of the Clarion River in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. Its prime location guaranteed that this vibrant community in Elk County would flourish. Surrounded by trees, Johnsonburg made a living from wood. Sawmills, tanneries, and a large paper mill have dominated the lives of the Italian immigrants and other groups that settled in town. River transportation gave way to railroads, and Johnsonburg became a hub of rail carriers moving freight and passengers. Its riverside location also had disadvantages,...

Located in Elk County atop the Allegheny Mountains, Sancta Marienstadt (St. Marys) was founded in 1842 on the feast day of Mary. Establishing St. Marys as a refuge to preserve their German Catholic roots, the hardy pioneers of the area eventually embraced a multiethnic, progressive cityscape. Early settlers farmed and developed natural resources. When the extractive industries of timber, coal, and clay were exhausted, the town could have withered away. Instead, the industrious people turned to the new
technologies of carbon and powdered metal. St. Marys flourished, becoming a leader in...