The site for Dickinson College’s Community Collaboration
for the 2001 American Mosaic is Steelton, Pennsylvania, a multi-ethnic
mill town that lies along the Susquehana River on the southside of Harrisburg.
Currently, Steelton has close to 6,000 residents with some 33 self-identified
ethnic and racial groups. As the first steel mill town dedicated exclusively
to the making of steel, Baldwin - later named Steelton - was established
in 1866. It drew a diverse workforce from Europe and a significant black
population from the South. Many workers were recruited through a process
of chain migration by family members and Army buddies. This coming year,
we will focus on work, family, and migration narratives, exploring the
similarities and differences among people who call Steelton home, with
a particular focus on the Great Migration and the African-American Community.