Pennyslvania

Rich in historic lore, Pennsylvania territory was disputed in the early 1600s among the Dutch, the Swedes, and the
English. England acquired the region in 1664 with the capture of New York, and in 1681 Pennsylvania was granted
to William Penn, a Quaker, by King Charles II.
Philadelphia was the seat of the federal government almost continuously from 1776 to 1800; there the Declaration of
Independence was signed in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution drawn up in 1787. Valley Forge, of Revolutionary
War fame, and Gettysburg, site of the pivotal battle of the Civil War, are both in Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell is
located in a glass pavilion across from Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
The nation's first oil well was dug at Titusville in 1859, and the mining of iron ore and coal led to the development
of the state's steel industry. More recently Pennsylvania's industry has diversified, although the state still leads the
country in the production of specialty steel. The service, retail trade, and manufacturing sectors provide the most
jobs; Pennsylvania is a leader in the production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food products, and electronic
equipment.
Pennsylvania's 63,200 farms (occupying nearly 8 million acres) are the backbone of the state's economy, producing
a wide variety of crops. Leading commodities are dairy products, corn, cattle and calves, mushrooms, poultry and
eggs, a variety of fruits, sweet corn, potatoes, maple syrup, and Christmas trees.
Pennsylvania's rich heritage draws billions of tourist dollars annually. Among the chief attractions are
the Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Independence National Historical
Park in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Dutch region, the Eisenhower farm near Gettysburg, and the Delaware Water
Gap National Recreation Area.

Capital: Harrisburg
State abbreviation/Postal code: Pa./PA
Governor: Tom Corbett, R (to Jan. 2015)
Lieut. Governor: Jim Cawley, R (to Jan. 2015)
Senators: Bob Casey, D (to Jan. 2019);
Pat Toomey, R (to Jan. 2017)
U.S. Representatives: 18
Historical biographies of Congressional members
Entered Union (rank): Dec. 12, 1787 (2)
Present constitution adopted: 1968
Motto: Virtue, liberty, and independence
State symbols:
flower mountain laurel (1933)
tree hemlock (1931)
bird ruffed grouse (1931)
dog Great Dane (1965)
colors blue and gold (1907)
song Pennsylvania (1990)
Nickname: Keystone State
Origin of name: In honor of Adm. Sir William Penn, father of William Penn. It means Penn's Woodland.
10 largest cities (2010 est.): Philadelphia, 1,526,006; Pittsburgh, 305,704; Allentown, 118,032; Erie , 101,786;
Reading, 88,082; Scranton, 76,415; Bethlehem, 71,329; Lancaster, 56,348, Harrisburg, 48,950, Altoona, 49,523
Land area: 44,817 sq mi. (116,076 sq km)
Geographic center: In Centre Co., 2
1
/2 mi. SW of Bellefonte
Number of counties: 67
Largest county by population and area: Philadelphia, 1,526,006 (2010); Lycoming, 1,235 sq mi.
State forests: over 2 mil. ac.
State parks: 116
Residents: Pennsylvanian
2010 resident population est.: 12,702,379
2010 resident census population (rank): 12,702,379 (6). Male: 6,190,363 (48.7%); Female: 6,512,016
(51.3%). White: 10,406,288 (81.9%); Black: 1,377,689 (10.8%); American Indian: 26,843
(0.2%); Asian: 349,088 (2.7%); Other race: 300,983 (2.4%); Two or more races: 237,835
(1.9%); Hispanic/Latino: 719,660 (5.7%). 2010 percent population 18 and over: 78.0; 65 and
over: 15.4; median age: 40.1.

American Military Edged Weaponry Museum
*picture lang dito*
One of this country's most comprehensive collections of U.S. military knives and artifacts used by the
American servicemen. The knives range from pikes, swords, sabers, fencing bayonets, bowie, knuckle
and trench knives. Also on display are a rocket, grease gun, flaregun, BAR & Thompson machine gun.
Displayed throughout are military artifacts as well as items from the Spanish-American War, WWI,
WWII, Korean War, Viet Nam and Desert Storm and recruiting and Savings Bond posters.

Eastland Alpacas
Eastland Alpacas is a 30 acre farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, conveniently located
between Lancaster and Harrisburg. Our goal is to provide quality animals and breedings to
improve with each generation of offspring. Our herd of Huacaya alpacas range in a variety of
colors. Our services offer sales, breeding and ongoing support and advice to all our customers.
We find raising alpacas to be a very peaceful and rewarding lifestyle
Alpacas are fiber-producing animals.
Llamas were raised as beasts of burden and used for carrying loads.
One might consider alpacas to be South American sheep.
There are two types of alpacas:
o The Huacaya (wah-KI-ah): soft, crimpy fiber teddy bear look!
o The Suri (sir-e): little or no crimp that hangs down in beautiful pencil locks with
luster and shine.
We (the co-op) also have our best selling product the Extreme Socks. They come in a
regular length and a boot length as well as a slipper sock. Ohhhhh what a warm sock
the warmest you will find!
As a member of the co-op we can purchase the yarn and socks made from the member
fiber to be sold in our on-site farm store. We sell the remainder of our fleece at our farm
as raw fleece, roving or yarn.

Hans Herr House Museum and Tours
Discover Lancaster County history with a visit to the 1719 Hans Herr House and Museum. The oldest
home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, built by Christian and Anna Herr, and the oldest original
Mennonite meeting house still standing in the Western Hemisphere, the Herr House is a family friendly
place to discover the past. The groundsincluding the house and outbuildingsare restored to reflect
the period of 1719 to 1750.

National Watch and Clock Museum, Columbia
The National Watch & Clock Museum is conveniently located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, less than two hours
from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Largest museum in the world tasked with presenting our shared art, history and science of time and time keeping.
The National Watch and Clock Museum was officially opened to the public in 1977 with fewer than 1,000 items. Since
that time, the collection has increased to over 12,000 items and the museum has undergone several expansion
projects. The latest expansion opened in October 1999 and featured an entirely new and redesigned exhibit space,
as well as a new two-story addition. Today, the museum is recognized as the largest and most comprehensive
horological collection in North America.

Ephrata Cloister
One of America's earliest religious communities, the Ephrata Cloister was founded
in 1732 by German settlers seeking spiritual goals rather than earthly rewards.
Gathered in unique European style buildings, the community consisted of celibate
Brothers and Sisters, and a married congregation of families.

At the zenith of the community in the 1740s and 1750s, about 300 members
worked and worshiped at the Cloister. Today, the National Historic Landmark is
open for tours, special programs, and on-going research opportunities.



Pennsylvania Flag Meaning:
The American eagle on top of the arms represents Pennsylvania's loyalty to the United States. The
shield, supported by two horses, features: a ship which represents commerce; a plough, representing
Pennsylvania's natural resources; and three wheat sheaves which stand for fertility. The olive branch
and cornstalk, beneath the arms, stand for peace and prosperity. The state's motto: Virtue Liberty And
Independence is written on a ribbon at the bottom of the flag.
plough. (Agriculture) an agricultural implement with sharp blades, attached to a horse, tractor, etc, for cut
ting or turning over the earth
sheaves one of the bundles in which cereal plants are bound after reaping.