Altoona, PA: a Mill Town with Strong Cultural and Social Interactions
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Altoona, PA: A mill town with strong cultural and social interactions The word, community, is used a lot in society, politics, press and individually to signify a kind of unity or unification. However, the word community is not easy to define. A community is in many ways an intangible definition that has no standard meaning. Sociologically, it is not just people, but has many facets that interact with human actions. Some are based on location, income, relationships, time, era, conflicts, beliefs, biases, economics, social mores, values, language, customs, concern, respect, politics, religion, boundaries, education and even prejudice. Those plus the fact of living in an urban or rural setting can create actions, attitudes, memberships that can make or impact how a person or people live in that time/place. Altoona, Pennsylvania is an excellent example of a corporate created town that had problems with diversity. The Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona provides an excellent history of the once powerful Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR). The second floor of the museum revealed a lot about the community of Altoona and how many of the above facets affected the lives of those who lived and worked in mill town Altoona. It is important to note that this photo program is not a criticism, but a sharing of how the word, community, is so complex. It also finds that America’s melting pot was many times a simmering and even boiling pot. Historically it also showed the pressures regarding race, ethnicity, religion or the ability to hold‐ keep‐get a job took place in Altoona. The museum is to be applauded for its picture of the Altoona community during the PRR era. History of the area The original inhabitants of the area, later called Altoona, were Native Americans of the Iroquois Confederacy. As western settlers arrived in the region during the mid‐1700s, the Indians were forced to leave as conflicts arose between them as settlers desired to settle the land. Fort Roberdeau was built in 1778 to protect lead mining efforts and settlers from Native Americans and Tories in the region. By the early 1800s, iron making was prominent in the area along with farming. In 1834, the Allegheny Portage Railroad brought more people to and through the area. But in 1849, the Pennsylvania Railroad began developing Altoona as its hub to service the railroad to the west, via the Horseshoe Curve and to the east, via rail service to the Atlantic Ocean. Altoona became incorporated in 1854, and by 1870, the population grew to 10,000, mainly because of the need for rail cars during the Civil War. Recessions and depressions in America’s economy have affected workers and their families. The birth and development of labor unions also affected workers. In 1872, the PRR recognized the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The Panic of 1873 caused a reduction in railroad income. Without consulting or informing the Brotherhood (union), a ten percent reduction in wages took place in December 1873. This caused the union members to strike. The PRR requested the state militia to break the strike. In 1877, a labor dispute happened in Altoona when the PRR enacted a retroactive pay cut to certain workers and did not formally inform them. Other actions such as reducing crew size also took place. Strikes took place and soldiers were called in as strikes throughout Pennsylvania’s rail systems began to take place. The conflict between management and unions would continue into the 20th century. In 1916, the U.S. Congress passed the Adamson Act which stipulated a work‐day be eight hours for interstate employees, followed by more labor reform in Congress. In the source “Timeline of Railroad Events at Altoona, PA,” the cause and effect of job scarcity was explained in the following event: “1894 ‐ In a demonstration of the fight for scarce jobs in the depression, a mob of 300 men from the Altoona Shops march over the “Red Bridge” and drive off immigrants working on the Bellwood Extension of the Altoona & Logan Valley Railroad at 75 cents a day, forcing them to flee for their lives; they then march to the Elizabeth Furnace and beat and drive off 60 Italians and drive all foreigners out of Bellwood; the ranks swollen to 600, then march on the Italian neighborhood in Altoona on 9th Avenue between 7th & 9th Streets, by which time the mob has grown to about 3,000; PRR General Superintendent F.L. Sheppard forces his way to the center of the crowd and announces that no foreigners will be given work; the Altoona & Logan Valley later does the same.” In 1920, the U.S. Government gave up its control of railroads and opened the way for mergers and acquisitions and the PRR laid off 1,350 men at the Altoona shops, about 15% of the total employees. By 1925, 14,000 of Altoona’s17,000 population were PRR employees. Altoona was a paternalistic PRR mill town that controlled the lives of its workers, but also the future of the city. The city had enjoyed growth. Electrified trolley cars with commercial development along the way, downtown. The PRR’s growth as a railroad caused Altoona to reach a peak of 82,000 people in 1931 but it was also the end of the steam engine era. Famous people came through the town, including Babe Ruth, George Burns and even Buffalo Bill Cody’s show. The largest pool in the United States at that time was in Altoona, but people were restricted from using it. Following World War II, railroads began to see a sharp decline. Steam engines were supplanted by diesel‐electric engines. Highways, airports and truck transportation were cutting into the rail’s freight and passage business, greatly affecting their profit margin and ability to grow. Altoona’s community was shaped by many events and human interactions. Below are some of the photos from the museum and information from others that illustrate the complex factors within a community. Source: “Railroad City: Four Historic Neighborhoods in Altoona, Pennsylvania,” National Park Service, 1990, 502 pages City boosters of Altoona have long considered the community, “where there is neither the very rich or very poor.” A place for skilled people to work. “The PRR built Altoona in the sense that without the railroad company there would be no city…” During the mid to late 1800s, PRR provided minimal funds to maintain city services. In fact, prior to 1890, Altoona had no permanent street or sidewalk pavement. The city had to float a loan to provide street and sidewalk improvements, but also have residents pay one‐third of the cost. Sewer, water, natural gas for street lighting improvements were limited during the mid to late 1800s. The same went for other services such the hospitals and schools. The Altoona Hospital, for example was opened in 1886. It was funded by a state appropriation, the Altoona Gas Company and PRR employees. As the city grew, distinctive wards were created. “The borough of Altoona, as laid out in 1849 by John Wright, had no provision for a park or other central, public place.” The four wards were: Commercial Center, First Ward, Fourth Ward and Llyswen The Commercial Center did not take shape until the 1890s, The First Ward was a residential neighborhood that had very during a prosperous period. Besides shops and stores, several diverse make‐up of skilled‐educated, business and service‐ churches and fraternal organizations would be built. PRR’s oriented residents. Homes were owned by individuals. By 1882, Altoona headquarters were located here. By the 1920s, major all the lots in the Ward were occupied. This was Altoona’s store chains were locating in the commercial center. middle‐class neighborhood. Llyswen was intended to be the aristocratic suburb of Altoona The Fourth Ward on the East Side was “developed both as that included restricted buildings and use. It was founded in opposition and complement to the city’s commercial center.” 1894, near Lakemont Park, as a resort built to attract to the Started in 1853, it became a primarily PRR working‐class route nearby. Though there is no specific name attribution, neighborhood. It was nicknamed “Dutch Hill,” for the Germain there is a Llyswen in Wales, part of the Britain John Lloyd, Sr., immigrant population that settled here. Set on a rising hill, that President of the Altoona Suburban Home Company that created later was physically divided as other immigrants such as the Lakemont Park and Llyswen. Italians who settled the northern border of the Ward. Source: Professor Emertis Theodore Kornweibel, “Railroads in the African‐American Experience…” Interview on KPBS, San Diego, CA “The link between African‐Americans and the growth of the railroads is much deeper than carrying luggage or preparing a sleeping car.” There were some categories of work in which both slaves and free persons worked such as brakemen, firemen stoking the firebox on a steam locomotive and switchmen. Other jobs like maintaining the track were almost exclusively the province of black workers. More blacks were railroaders than they were steel workers, coalminers, or loggers. If you were to pick an industry that African‐Americans had an impact in America’s industrial growth, it was railroading. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Altoona, PA: A mill town with strong cultural and social interactions Sources: RR Memorial Museum, Altoona PA, https://www.railroadcity.com/, https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/06/america‐melting‐pot‐ immigrant‐culture‐made‐country‐great/, http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/whatcom.htm, http://infed.org/mobi/community/, http://sites.austincc.edu/caddis/market‐revolutions/, http://uregina.ca/~sauchyn/socialcohesion/definitions%20of%20community.htm,