Decades before the development of the steel industry, Butler County was a manufacturing center.

"We can start with the Harmonists," said retired Butler County Senior Judge Martin O'Brien. Between 1804 and 1814, those settlers in and around present-day Harmony farmed, cut and sold timber, raised sheep for wool and made wine. "Later, we had many small iron furnaces, glass makers and railroads."

Butler County even had its own small petroleum boom.

"My grandfather was in the oil supply business, providing drilling bits," the judge recalled.

With an industrial history extending back more than 200 years, Butler County would be an ideal addition to the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, he said.

Created in 1996, the designation covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Congress has created 27 National Heritage Areas created to conserve and promote historic or scenic areas.

Judge O'Brien is a member of a steering committee working with county, state and federal officials to add Butler County to the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, an 18-month process so far that has included a census of industrial and historic sites, holding public hearings and getting the support of U.S. Rep. Phil English, R-Erie, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter for Congressional approval to expand the designation.

One hurdle was cleared Wednesday when the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Celebrating America's Heritage Act, which makes Butler County part of the heritage area.

Senate approval is likely by the end of the year, predicted August Carlino, president of the Steel Industry Heritage Corp., the nonprofit agency that manages programs within the heritage area.

Once Butler County commissioners OK the heritage area application, it will be sent to the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for approval.

"By including Butler County in the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, we will not only further highlight our region's industrial roots but open a new door for local economic development and job creation," Rep. English said in a statement.

Becoming part of the heritage area will allow Butler County to seek funds to preserve historic structures and encourage tourism, said David Johnston, the county's planning director and a member of the steering committee. The result would be a boost to economic development, he said.

Butler County's 200-year history as a center of agriculture, tourism and industry and as a magnet for immigration makes it an ideal addition, Mr. Johnston said.

Using information gathered by field workers from the Steel Industry Heritage Corp., who identified areas of historic significance, the committee has produced a map of important industrial sites. They include the American Bantam Car Co., where the first Jeeps were produced; Pullman Standard, a maker of railroad cars; and Armco, which is now AK Steel.

"We also have a rich ethnic history in places in Lyndora. Immigrants came to work in the plants and built their own churches and clubs," Mr. Johnston said.

"Without Butler County in the heritage area, parts of the region's industrial story have been excluded," Mr. Carlino said. "Armco, Bantam, how the oil industry fed the steel industry's need for lubricants and for fuel -- those are key elements."

John Roebling developed wire rope for bridge cables on his farm near Saxonburg, Mr. Carlino said. "That is one of southwestern Pennsylvania's gifts to the world."

Once Butler County becomes part of the heritage area, it will become eligible a new range of exclusive grants for restoration, marketing and tourism.

"They can be used for everything from preserving historic sites to developing recreation trails," he said.