The Edge of Appalachia

The Edge of Appalachia. Mammoth Cave National Park. , As you look out across this valley, you stand at the very western reach of central Appalachia. If you continue west beyond this county, you leave behind a vast region of distinct natural and cultural flavor., Spanish explorers in 1548 gave the name of a tribe they had met - the Apalchen - to the entire mountain region to the north. This became Appalachia. The speech of many people living here today reflects that of the 19th century settlers who left their Appalachian Mountain homes for lands beyond So do many of their beliefs philosophies, mannerisms and folkways. , They settled in this part of Kentucky because the land seemed familiar - slopes rose high, hollows crept down low, and springs ran ice-cold. They knew the names of trees and plants, for those things were the same here. They may have left home, but they never left Appalachia - they brought it with them., Appalachia, In 1839, Washington Irving suggested renaming America as the United States of Appalachia, to distinguish it from other parts of the Americas., "The title of Appalachian […] would still announce us as Americans, but would specify us as citizens of the Great Republic." - Washington Irving, (background photo captions:), ·The Appalachian Regional Commission studies cultural, environmental, social and economic factors to establish an official boundary for Appalachia, a region of over 200,000 square miles including parts of 13 states from New York to Mississippi. This boundary includes Mammoth Cave National Park, here at its western edge. , ·Wildflowers native to Appalachia can be found here that are absent in counties to the west. Examples are Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis), White Bergamot (Monarda clinopodia) and Fire Pink (Silene virginica)., ·Musical traditions coming down from the mountains of the east like echoes from a distant past carry on in bluegrass music. Fiddle, banjo, mandolin and the Appalachian dulcimer followed mountain settlers into cave country. , ·White oak baskets are still hand crafted by a community of local basketmakers who practice skills passed down for generations.