The anthracite heritage story is influenced by the many people who contributed to the ethnic heritage of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Lured by the growing demand for labor in the coal mining districts of the anthracite field, thousands of diverse peoples converged on the region. . The earliest immigrants were of English, Scots-Irish and German ancestry, but when experienced miners were needed in the 1830's, there was a wave of migration from Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In the 1840's "The Great Hunger" in Ireland and European revolutions spurred the emigration of thousands of Irish, Germans and French to the growing coal region Economic depression following the American Civil War caused mine owners and operators to continue to seek out less expensive labor. By the 1870šs, immigration from Poland and Lithuania grew steadily. But the peak migration to the anthracite mining districts came between 1880-1914 as Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Italian, Hungarian and Greek families began to settle in the region. African-American, Jewish, and Syrian-Lebanese immigrants added to the regionšs ethnic diversity. At Eckley Miners Village, the patch town experience comes alive via living history programming and a one-of-a-kind museum. Cathedral-style churches with tall spires, Romanesque turrets or "onion domes" and other architectural features dot the anthracite community landscape, providing a glimpse of just a part of the diversity of the region. Festivals, heritage events and block parties pay homage to the ethnic heritage of the coal region.  For a complete listing of these special events please consult the visitor bureaus throughout the region which are listed in the Visitor Bureaus section of the website.