Perceptions of Home

The Urban Appalachian Spirit

Appalachia is a large and diverse region consisting of 420 counties in thirteen states from Mississippi to New York. Defined geographically by the mountain range from which it takes its name, the Appalachian region is home to over twenty million Americans and to an important regional culture. It is also the homeland of millions of Americans who left its declining coalfields during the Great Migration from 1940 - 1970, and to their descendants whose cultural roots lie in that region. 

During the Great Migration, Appalachia experienced a net loss of four million people. The peak period of 1953 - 1965 saw a quarter of a million Appalachian coal miners lose their jobs as the mines automated and cut production in response to competition from other fuels. Heeding the call for workers in manufacturing and service industries, most headed to industrial centers in the nation's Midwest. With over a quarter million first, second, and third-generation Appalachians, the greater Cincinnati area is the largest population center and the political and cultural center for these transplanted urban Appalachians. 

Perceptions of Home: The Urban Appalachian Spirit is for and about these people, our people, who have made this historic journey, leaving family, friends, and ancestral roots in search of a more stable life. This American tale of the migration of a people and a culture is told through the stories of twenty-two families and individuals who through choice or circumstances made the urban environment of greater Cincinnati - their home away from home. We invite you to view the exhibit in its entirety below. You may also access the accompanying Exhibit Guide with in-depth interviews conducted by Don Corathers, information about Appalachian Migration, and background material regarding Perceptions of Home by clicking here.