Existing comment:
Newcomers to Western Pennsylvania:
Attracted by the relatively easy route over the Alleghenies and the availability of jobs for unskilled laborers, thousands of immigrants flocked to western Pennsylvania via the Main Line Canal and Portage Railroad. The largest immigrant populations were Irish Catholics and German Lutherans. Some forwarding companies specialized in the immigrant trade, cutting fares with frequent stops for passengers to cook and eat their own food.
Not all immigrants were favorable impressed with Pennsylvania. Some found the journey to be discouraging and uncomfortable.
From 1820 to 1850, immigration swelled the population of Pennsylvania from 1,049, 458 to 2,311,786. Cambria County, through which the Allegheny Portage Railroad passes, had a foreign-born population and greater cultural diversity than any adjacent county.
Cambria County -- 1850 Census:
Native-born Americans ... Population 14,381 ... Percentage of Population 81%
Foreign-born .... 3,264 .... 18%
Free Negroes .... 128 ... 1%
The newcomers, largely Irish Catholics, were unfamiliar to "native-born Americans" and were viewed with suspicion. Over time, the Irish and other immigrant populations were assimilated into western Pennsylvania, adding to the richness of the area's cultural heritage. Many of their descendants remain in and around Cambria and Blair Counties. |