Rivertowns initiative

Towns on the river in the central Susquehanna region have developed strong and distinctive characters from the environmental, cultural, and economic influences of their location.   The Rivertowns initiative  brings together academics, community actors, and others with an interest in community health and community development.

The river towns in the region of the confluence benefited from a rich history of economic growth in this resource-rich landscape. But those economic successes seem to be mostly in the past for many of the towns, and their social worlds are changing fast, with job losses, declining infrastructure, out-migration of many of the youth, and immigration of unfamiliar ethnicities.

The Rivertowns Initiative has supported symposia, grant applications, fieldtrips, local history student research, and collaborative scholarly efforts.  A regional conference is scheduled for Fall 2011.

Initiative-related materials include the following:

Announcement of the first symposium

"Learning from Lewisburg" cultural landscape walking tour 

"Trip to the coal towns" historical geography driving tour

"Continuity and decline in the anthracite region" article

The Initiative will continue to bring together local experts and local citizens, and to produce written material to help people understand both the past and the potential of their local home region.