Allegheny Episodes Folk Lore and Legends Collected in Northern and Western Pennsylvania

"Allegheny Episodes" by Henry W. Shoemaker is a compilation of folk tales and myths from Northern and Western Pennsylvania, captured in writing during the early 1900s. The book works to save the spoken stories of the Pennsylvania Mountains, focusing on the tales and people that helped create the area's cultural identity. It starts with an introduction that stresses the importance of folklore as a place where shared wisdom and life lessons are kept. The stories aim to blend the lives of Native Americans and European settlers within the region's mythical framework. The first story, "Tulliallan," features a young man named John Penn, who is torn between what his family wants for him and his love for a tradesman's daughter, Maria Cox, and whose love story leads to a series of dramatic events that show the conflict between social class and personal desires. This chapter sets the stage for interactions between history and regional narratives that shape the Allegheny experience.