Anderson is not alone.

Many communities in the Rust Belt have struggled economically and have gone through an identity crisis as industrial jobs have disappeared.

Anderson also finds itself searching for a new identity. When tens of thousands of General Motors jobs in Madison County vanished, so did the city’s distinction as a manufacturing hub.

The loss of blue-collar jobs is an epidemic not unique to Anderson. The upper-Midwest and middle-Atlantic regions of the country have been particularly hard hit. Cities such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Flint, Mich. — all built on the bedrock of blue-collar labor — have suffered three of the four highest percentage metropolitan-area population losses since 2000, according to U.S. Census data.

While Anderson has sought to capitalize on its proximity to Indianapolis and on its auto-parts heritage, other similar cities are searching for their economic niches. Here are the stories of three:

‘Flood city’ makes a comeback

Johnstown, Pa., is no stranger to hard economic times and an identity crisis.

The city lost more than 2,000 lives and had to totally rebuild after the great Johnstown Flood in 1889, only to have devastating floods hit in 1936 and 1977. The latter helped put a halt to a burgeoning steel industry and cost the city 20,000 jobs.

Bob Layo, president of the local chamber of commerce, has seen population defections and changes in the city’s identity.

According to Layo, Johnstown has spent the last few decades working to diversify its economy. He said the city has branched out into new business sectors such as technology and defense contracts.

The largest employer in the area is Conemaugh Health System. Companies such as Lockheed Martin and Gamesa (a Spanish company that is one of the world’s largest wind-turbine producers) are among other major employers in the region.

With fresh industries moving into the area, Layo has seen Johnstown target younger generations by bringing in companies in a variety of industries.

“We’re seeking the 20-40 age group,” he said. “There has been an influx of new workers bringing change.”

This change is evident through the development of tourism in the area, including ski resorts and a whitewater park built on land once owned by the steel industry.

Out with the old in Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton, a city much like Johnstown, lies in southwestern Ohio. Kenny Craig, president of the local chamber of commerce, describes the community of 62,130 as an “older, industrialized city.”

Craig said Hamilton was once the highest per capita manufacturing city in the United States.

Since those boom years, Hamilton has been working toward a new image by bringing in fresh industries and striving to keep art as a priority.

Craig said companies from France and Germany have helped to create jobs, while some traditional manufacturing companies such as SMART Papers remain.

Richards Pizza has been part of the community since the manufacturing heyday of the mid-1900s.

“We have been in business since 1955 and have a good reputation in our community,” said owner Karen Underwood. “We have had customers for decades and second and third generations.”

Underwood said that she has seen some economic trials recently in Hamilton.

“A car dealership I know is down significantly,” she said. “However, our local bank that did not involve itself in high-risk loans is doing very well.”

Underwood said her business hasn’t felt the financial strain.

“(Richards Pizza) doesn’t seem to be affected by the economy,” Underwood said. “We’re the weekly tradition for a lot of families.”

As for the future, Craig hopes to see a revitalized downtown area, complete with entertainment destinations and residential properties. The city already boasts a wide variety of sculptures downtown – something that Craig feels Hamilton can continue to build around.

Diverse economy helps in Martinsburg

Some 350 miles east of Hamilton lies the small city of Martinsburg, W.Va. Unlike many cities in the region, Martinsburg has experienced rapid growth this decade, with population in the county increasing by 30 percent.

One key to Martinsburg’s recent growth spurt has been the influence of Washington, D.C., which is about a two-hour drive to the east. Spill-over from the nation’s capital, coupled with the community of blue-collar workers, has forged a city with a wide range of employment opportunities.

“We are very diverse in businesses,” said Tina Combs, Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce president. “We’ve lost jobs here and there, but nothing severe.”

Employers in the technology, government and construction sectors have found a home in Martinsburg. Global paper manufacturer Quebecor World, construction wholesaler Orgill and the Internal Revenue Service are some of the major employers in the Martinsburg area.

In the end, community leaders like Combs, Craig and Layo don’t long to return their cities to a memorable past. They’re seeking to create a vibrant future and a new identity for their blue-collar heritage.

The adjustments and solutions for cities such as Anderson may be difficult and complex, but Hamilton’s Kenny Craig suggests at least part of the answer.

“We have had leaders who said that we will not watch our city die,” he said.