The “Little Cities of Black Diamonds” was chosen as a name to reimage the remnant mining towns of the region over 15 years ago by the Council’s parent organization Sunday Creek Associates. SCA borrowed that term from the research work of historian Dr. Ivan Tribe who made the title popular in his doctoral thesis on the Hocking Valley Coal region in 1976. Regardless of the origins the name, it now represents to many a hard-luck historical and environmental district in southeastern Ohio that is working to recreate itself by embracing its rich history and reemerging forest lands.

An initial “Little Cities of Black Diamonds” project funded by the Ohio Humanities Council (OHC) in 1995 resulted in a series of scholar-led presentations and conversations about the history of the microregion held in various local communities. From this effort, a history exhibit at the New Straitsville Moonshine Festival and an oral history project that would inform a written history of the community was undertaken. Those initial activities have been followed by dozens of other strategies employed by SCA, the Little Cities Council, local history groups, and most recently the Little Cities of the Forest Collaborative. Fifteen years after the initial project was funded, OHC has invited Sunday Creek Associates and Ohio’s Hill Country Heritage Area to assist them in using the Little Cities example, as well as others in the Ohio Hill Country Heritage Area, in their efforts to educate the public about the concept of Civic Tourism. This education will take place in an on-line feature that goes into detail about the strategies employed, and lessons learned, in the Little Cities microregion. It will also give less detailed sketches of similar efforts in Hill Country as well as educate viewers to the principles of the Citizen Tourism concept. Simply put, Civic Tourism is tourism that results from local citizens developing their assets for themselves, and then attracting visitors who are intrigued by what the local community or region has created. This stands in contrast to traditional tourism that first looks at developing attractions that will create tourism, often without regard for the local story or local residents.

The Civic Tourism feature is expected to go on-line in early 2012, followed by a statewide conference on Civic Tourism. Local resident Claudia Bashaw is working with John Winnenberg and Sandra Landis at SCA to develop the product. OHC Assistant Director Pat Williamsen and board member Nancy Recchie are also advising the project.