Abolitionist John Brown, who lead an ill-fated raid on the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Va., in 1859, lived longer in Western Pennsylvania than anywhere else.

The world's largest cannon was cast at the Fort Pitt Foundry, a major Civil War ordnance supplier in the Strip District.

And President Abraham Lincoln, who praised Allegheny County as the "banner county of the Union," once wrote a letter to a Pittsburgh woman thanking her for knitting 400 pairs of socks for fighting soldiers.

Historians hope to showcase these local stories and others during an expansive statewide commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The four-year commemoration, called "Pennsylvania Civil War 150," will start in 2011 and will include special events, speakers, re-enactments and exhibitions that aim to make the war's stories personal, accessible and relevant across generations.

Organizers have already unrolled a Web site, www.pacivilwar150.org, that is rife with individual experiences and accounts on and off the battle front.

As state officials yesterday announced plans that include a Civil War road show -- a roving tractor-trailer that will bring interactive exhibits to all corners of the state -- the Heinz History Center offered glimpses into its contributions to the remembrance.

Andy Masich, the center's president and CEO, said plans are in the early stages, and organizers are seeking stories, artifacts, information and suggestions from the community.

As "part of the backbone and strength of the industrial North," he said, Western Pennsylvania played a pivotal role in the Civil War both strategically and socially. It supplied much of the arms that allowed Union troops to fight and win, Mr. Masich said, adding that the commemoration will also focus on civilian contributions to the effort.

Though specifics are still in the works, the commemoration will likely center on key moments in the war, "building to a crescendo" in 2013, the anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address, Mr. Masich said.

"There is a whole new generation that is going to be exposed to the drama and the examples the Civil War set for us," Mr. Masich said.

The History Center also plans an exhibition with photographs, life-size historical figures and activities that will travel to other museums in the region.

The history center also coordinated the publication of two books: a collection of rare photographs from the war, and an account of the African-American experience during the time period.

The commemoration could cost as much as $40 million by its end, Mr. Masich said, with money coming from a variety of public and private sources and donations.

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