About Pennsylvania
Quilting, hex signs, coal mines, honeymoons, railroads, streudel,
history, mountains, covered bridges, and rivers - what do they all have in
common?
Pennsylvania, of course!
Pennsylvania was settled in 1643.
Harrisburg, in Dauphin County, is the capital of PA.
This state saw the birth of the United States in Philadelphia's
Independence Hall, and the cruel sacrifices made to establish and defend our new
freedom at Valley Forge. Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State, as it was
the center colony of the original 13 colonies. It was said that it held the
colonies together like the "keystone" in a window or door arch. Philadelphia was
our state capital during the Revolutionary War.
York was the first capital of the United States, and
The Constitution of the United States and
The American Declaration of Independence were both written in Pennsylvania.
Benjamin Franklin requested to be buried in PA.
The Industrial Revolution, which affected the entire civilized
world, was triggered in a small 500 mile area in northeast PA, where anthracite
coal was discovered by men intelligent enough to develop a process to use it
(Jesse Fell of Wilkes-Barre and David Thomas of the Crane Iron Works in
Catasauqua). 300 million year old plant matter has turned into coal all over the
world. In northeastern Pennsylvania, however, the coal is purer, harder, and of
higher carbon content than other coal. Over 95 percent of the Western Hemisphere
is supplied with coal from northeastern Pennsylvania.
Erie, PA's harbor is home to the Flagship Niagara, Commodore
Perry's flagship in a decisive battle in the War of 1812.
Gettysburg, PA, was a turning point in the "War Between the
States". A massacre for both sides, the sobering loss of life is honored in PA's
solemn preservation of this battlefield.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was written in PA.
Pennsylvania was the world's leader in developing transportation
technology in the days when railroads were King, and PA has the world's best
collections of trains and railroading equipment to prove it! The Pennsylvania
Railroad was once the largest in the world, operating 7,000 locomotives and
250,000 cars. The completion of the Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA was a
significant engineering feat that opened the United States up for Westward
expansion.. Pennsylvania was the home to many railroading firsts. Explore the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and PA Railways.
Pennsylvania is also the home of numerous sports teams including
the Penn State University Nittany Lions and professional teams such as the
Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers; the Philadelphia Phillies; 76ers and Eagles and
the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons minor league baseball team and Wilkes-Barre
/ Scranton Penguins hockey team.
Pennsylvania boasts 50 natural lakes and 2,500 man-made lakes.
State Bird: Ruffed Grouse
State Flower: Mountain Laurel
State Tree: Hemlock
State Animal: Whitetail Deer
State Fish: Brook Trout
State Dog: Great Dane
State Beverage: Milk
State Motto: Virtue, Liberty and Independence
State Insect: Firefly
State Beautification Plant: Crownvetch
State Electric Locomotive: GGI 4859 Electric Locomotive
State Steam Locomotive: K4s Steam Locomotive
State Ship: United States Brig Niagara
State Fossil: Phacops Rana
State Song: Pennsylvania |
