Painters from the Scalp Level School sought inspiration in the landscape of the Stonycreek watershed, beginning in the late 1860s and continuing into the early twentieth century. (To learn more about these artists and their work, click here.) How accurately did these artists portray the landscape? More than a century later, how and in what ways has the landscape been altered?
Using period maps, photographs and written accounts, the introductory essay, Preindustrial Era, describes the appearance of the watershed during the artists' era, when most people earned a living by farming. Subsequent essays discuss the rise of commercial coal mining and logging activities, which began in earnest in 1897, and how these industries impacted water, land and vegetation cover. The concluding essays assess current environmental conditions in the Stonycreek watershed and prospects for the future.
|
|
