A Seven-County Wide Pennsylvania Heritage Area

Rivers of Steel

The Theme...

■ The Rivers of Steel Heritage Area certainly accurately details its main theme.  From close observation, we determined that the theme encompasses the idea that as steel once shaped the nation’s entire way of life, tourism to the steel industry’s historical sites can once again shape Pennsylvania’s economy.

■ From the five journeys offered to visitors of the area, the steel-making story is told, while also revitalizing the modern economy through tourism.

■ Moreover, the five journeys that are offered each illustrate a different part of the steel-making story, while also relating each journey to another.  For example, while the Big Steel journey tells of Andrew Carnegie’s empire, the Thunder of Protest journey tells of workers striking against their working environments in the steel industry (established by Carnegie).

Drawbacks...

■ The Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, like any other heritage area, has drawbacks, though they are few in number.

■ First, the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area is not designed to revive the steel industry in today’s society.  While the area encourages economic development based on the history of the steel industry, it does not focus on revitalizing the industry itself for modern production.  This is considered a drawback because the restoration of the industry as it was in it’s prime has the potential to positively impact the economy throughout Pennsylvania (and the nation).

■ Second, the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area is not well-known outside of Pennsylvania.  While there are surely countless individuals outside of the state of Pennsylvania that visit the heritage area for various reasons, the area does not appear to frequently advertise outside of the state.  This results in a loss of tourism, and thus revenue.