Teddy Pathroff is proud of his heritage.

The Nesquehoning native recently decided to fly a Carpatho-Rusyn flag outside his home on Railroad Street as a way to remind people of the rich history of generations past who settled this area generations ago, as well as to keep traditions alive for those living here today."A lot of Carpatho-Rusyns settled in this area years ago," he said, noting that they came from Eastern Europe and worked in the coal and zinc mines, as well as the steel mills.Pathroff's grandparents, born in what was then Austria, arrived in New York on June 2, 1913. They settled in the New Columbus section of Nesquehoning because the mountains reminded them of their home, and they raised a family."I am grateful and proud that they came to the United States and settled in this area," Pathroff said, noting that his grandparents never went home.The symbols of the flagPointing to the flag in front of his home, Pathroff said the design blends old with new in its style.The blue, white and red stripes represent a combination of other Slavic country flags where the Carpatho-Rusyns lived, while the center shield was taken from the 1919 Czechoslovakia flag.The blue and yellow stripes represent the seven major rivers that run through the Rusyn lands, while the off-white background behind the bear represents the salt mines. The red bear in the shield represents the bears that roam through the Carpathian Mountains, and his tongue sticking out means that he is ready to protect the Rusyn lands and its people.So many countries, one group of peoplePathroff said the reason why so many different countries' flags were used as inspiration in this flag's creation was because the Carpatho-Rusyn people came from regions now found in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia."Our people never had a country of our own," he said, pointing to a map that outlined where Carpatho-Rusyns resided.Boundaries also kept changing as World War I and II split countries."The Rusyn people were caught in the middle and bounced around like a volleyball between the different governments and countries surrounding them," he said.Coming to AmericaAccording to the Carpatho-Rusyn Society in Munhall, Pennsylvania, Carpatho-Rusyns "began to settle in the anthracite coal mining districts of northeastern Pennsylvania in the late 1870s."Areas settled by this group include Shenandoah, Shamokin, Minersville, Mount Carmel, Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Centralia, Nesquehoning, Lansford, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.In the 1890s, Rusyns expanded into Catasauqua, Northampton, Palmerton and Slatington to work in slate and cement industries, as well as Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton to work in the steel mills.These settlers also built the first Rusyn church in the country, located in Shenandoah, as well as started the first Rusyn fraternal organization and Rusyn newspaper.Deep roots in religionCarpatho-Rusyns have strong religious beliefs in Byzantine/Greek Catholic or Eastern Orthodox faiths and built churches to symbolize this."The churches are what held the people together," Pathroff said.St. Michael's Greek Church was constructed in Shenandoah in 1884 and others quickly followed, the Carpatho-Rusyn Society history summary states.Greek Catholic churches were constructed in Freeland, Kingston, Wilkes-Barre, Olyphant, Hazleton and Shamokin in the 1880s, and in Scranton, Mayfield, Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Mount Carmel, Lansford, Old Forge, Alden Station, Sheppton, Glen Lyon, Beaver Meadows, Minersville, St. Clair and Plymouth in the 1890s.As customs blended over the years and conflicts rose because of changing beliefs, a merger of Greek Catholic and Orthodox parishes began to rise in Scranton, Catasauqua, McAdoo, Olyphant, St. Clair, Simpson, Mount Carmel, Jermyn, Lopez, Berwick, Coaldale, Minersville and Edwardsville.Today, descendants of Carpatho-Rusyns still hold strong their parishes around the area.