Forces of Change 1945-2020

Forces of Change 1945-2020. Perry County Bicentennial.

1946: "Baby Boom" began , 1956: Interstate highway system launched. , 2001: The 9/11 terrorist attack.

, In 1945, returning service members found Perry County much the way they had left it: predominantly rural, with scattered small communities and a few larger river towns. However, as wartime industries transitioned away from war production, rationing ended, tractors became commonplace, electricity and telephone service became increasingly available in rural areas, and the Baby Boom took hold, transformation was unavoidable., Transportation: The Pennsylvania Railroad discontinued its passenger service to Perry County in the 1950s as automobiles became more popular and convenient. Limited freight service continued into the 1970s., US 11/15, running north and south along the Susquehanna River, was widened and straightened in stages from the 1930s through the 1990s. By 2001, the entire stretch from Duncannon to Liverpool was four-lane, limited access., A four-lane, limited access highway gradually replaced the narrow and curvy east-west route along the Juniata. The five-mile section of US 22/322 from Amity Hall to Midway, which opened November 25, 1964, was runner-up for its scenic beauty in a national contest held by Parade magazine. In 1966, the road reached Newport and, by 1967, Millerstown., New Waves of Immigration: When the George Wade Bridge carrying I-81 across the Susquehanna River opened in the early 1970s, families attracted by lower land prices, beautiful scenery and rural lifestyle poured into Perry County. Population surged by 43% in the 1970s and 80s. Most of the new development occurred in the eastern half of the county., In the 1970s, Amish and Mennonites, also attracted by lower farmland prices, migrated into Perry County. By 1976 there were local, plain-sect church services, and in 1978, Mary Zook began teaching 16 pupils from six Amish and two Mennonite families in Sherman's View school. Both faiths eschew government and military service and remain visibly apart from contemporary society and culture. Both groups continue to grow and maintain Perry County's rural and land-based culture., In spite of population increases, fertile, well-drained soils and accessibility to local markets sustain Perry County's agricultural economy, lifestyle and natural beauty into the 21st century., [Captions:] , Building the Susquehanna Trail near New Buffalo, 1951., US 22/322 near Midway. Photograph from the PA State Archives, RG-12.10, Image 50-89.