mcvoid1 t1_iwxxur7 wrote on November 19, 2022 at 4:58 AM

Back in the early days of Pennsylvania, PA effectively ended at the mountains. To the west was the frontier wilderness and didn't really get settled until centuries afterward. Even now it's basically Pittsburgh, Erie, State College, and a whole lot of nothing. So I'd argue central PA is east of Blue Mountain.

Aes_Should_Die t1_ix1q9xa wrote on November 20, 2022 at 1:51 AM

Pittsburgh was founded a generation before the American revolution. Sure, there were parts of the state that would not be founded for another 100 years because of the mountains. The railroads and a hunger for coal and steel mostly fixed that.

Also, I’d not quite say that it’s State College, Pittsburgh, Erie and nothin. It’s not as well settled as what is around Philly for sure. But millions of people live in the went side of the state, even if their coal and steel hubs took a hit in the past couple generations.