Shawnee and the Little Cities of Back Diamond Region in Ohio’s hill country honors the thousands of people who mined the coal that helped power the nation and who played pioneering roles in the Knights of Labor and trade union movements, giving early voice to the concerns and interests of laborers in this country. The region also marks the return of the eastern woodland forest that for a time was lost there. Just south of the edge of an ancient glacier’s footprint, this part of southeastern Ohio was spared and left as mineral-rich, beautifully forested Appalachian foothills rather than the flat, rich Midwestern farmland to the northwest. Since the mid 1800’s, the area has experienced boom, bust, and recovery, producing many stories that remain relevant as reminders that people and places are shaped by what came before and that present actions will influence those who come after.