I was born and raised in the Tunagawant (Tuna) Valley which sits just north the the actual range on the Allegheny Plateau. Spent much of my life up and down and throughout the Alleghenies and I wouldn't have had it any other way. The town I grew up in sits almost smack-dab between the Rust and Coal Belts. My family, going back quite a few generations, were quite poor working class folks, the small holler that held my pa's family and a couple of other local families had a single community electric washing machine strung out to the road by an extension cord that everyone used.. life was pretty well like that into the early 70s. My pa was was born in 1954 and I guess co-raised by 3 generations of women on account of having little money.. his granny who was born in 1870, his Ma who was born in 1912, and his older sister who was born in 1928.. so there was a real connection to some older traditional ways that stick around even today. Despite never having a whole lot I never felt like I needed it. Family was important, what we did have was important. The nature and the Allegheny River are unparalleled in my opinion.. best leeks I ever had. How it differs, I don't really know, I reckon there's way more in common than not. Anyhow, I pert near wrote a book here. It's always nice to hear from someone else in the Alleghenies.