Everything about The Endless Mountains totally explained
The
Endless Mountains are a chain of mountains in northeastern
Pennsylvania. The Endless Mountains region includes
Bradford,
Sullivan,
Susuquehanna, and
Wyoming Counties.
History and geography
Part of the
Appalachian Mountains chain, the region doesn't consist of true mountains,
geologically speaking, but instead a
dissected plateau that's part of the
Allegheny Plateau. The
Catskill Mountains are the highest expression of the plateau, located to the east of the Endless Mountains, and separated from them by the
Delaware River.
The current geography was slightly modified during the last
ice age by the
Wisconsin Glacier about 15,000 years
Before Present.
Glacial striations can be found on the
rocks of some of the high ridges, but the area was at the margin of the ice sheet, and the impact was much less than in
New York just to the north.
The "mountains" are made up of
sedimentary rocks (mostly
sandstone and
shales, with a little
conglomerate) that were part of a lowland that collected sediments
eroded from mountains to the southeast in
Mississippian and
Pennsylvania geologic time. The area has been uplifted and lowered several times. The highest points are all nearly the same elevation, establishing that the area had once been eroded into a nearly level
peneplane, which has since been uplifted. The present
Susquehanna River established its
meandering course during that time, when it was a mature stream on a topography of very low relief. When the area was uplifted, the river's bends were preserved as
incised meanders. The large river cut a deep valley and established a low
baseline for its
tributaries, which then cut the plateau into the rugged hills of the present day.
Human history
Native American bands settled the area in prehistoric times. By the early colonial period,
Susquehannock and
Iroquois were the principal occupants of the region. The majority of the local place names were derived from the Native Americans. The native groups were driven out by the late colonial period and white settlement began. Many settlers came from
Connecticut leading to armed conflict with settlers from Pennsylvania (See
Pennamite Wars). During the
American Revolution in
1778, a combined Native American and British force attacked the
Wyoming Valley settlers on the eastern edge of this region, and
killed many of the settlers. Washington sent general
John Sullivan on a campaign to destroy the Native American threat by a "scorched earth" drive up the Susquehanna and
Chemung Rivers into central and western New York.
The region's economy was formerly based on
mining,
lumbering (especially of
hemlock for
tanning) and
industry but is now largely
agricultural with
forestry and
tourism contributing to the economic base. Much of the land is steep, but there are a few good farms on rolling hilltops or valley bottoms; many of these farms have been occupied by
Mennonite and
Amish people who have migrated northward as their traditional homelands became developed.
Quarrying remains an important local industry with the region's high quality
Blue stone being particularly valuable. The area is on the edge of Pennsylvania's
Coal Region, with some minor veins of coal extending into the area.
Songwriter
Stephen Foster lived in the area for a while, and Bradford County's
Camptown is immortalized in his song
Camptown Races.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Endless Mountains'.
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