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©1998 Robert Schoenberg - robs@railfan.net
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| At the time of the Revolution,
Lancaster was the largest inland city in the
13 Colonies. It was the national capital for one day, Sept. 27, 1777, when
the Continental Congress stopped here on its flight from Philadelphia and
held a session in the courthouse on Penn Square. It was also the capital
of the state from 1799 to 1812. Before and during the Revolution the town
was a gunmaking center; its chief product an astoundingly accurate weapon
called a rifle, with a long, light barrel and using small bullets-later
called the "Kentucky rifle."
Transportation played a most important part in the growth of the town. The first macadamized road in the country, the 60-mile Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was completed in 1794 and improved in 1799 with a stone arch bridge over Conestoga Creek. Stagecoaches traveled on regular schedules to Harrisburg, Carlisle, Chambersburg and Philadelphia. In 1829 Conestoga Creek was made navigable to the Susquehanna River, but the era of water transportation was shortIived. In March, 1834, the railroad line from Lancaster to Columbia was completed and shortly thereafter the Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad opened its line to Mt. Joy and Harrisburg. Both roads are now a part of The Pennsylvania Railroad. The Union stockyards, built in 1896 by the PRR were at one time the largest east of Chicago, selling annually more than 200,000 head of beef cattle in addition to sheep, hogs, and horses. It was here in 1878-80 that F. W. Woolworth launched his first successful venture in a store which featured five-cent merchandise only. Thaddeus Stevens lived here from 1843 until his death in 1868. Robert Fulton was born iust beyond the city limits and James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States, made his home at "Wheatland" outside the westerly city limits. Located here is Franklin and Marshall College formed in 1853 by the union of Franklin and Marshall Colleges founded in 1787 and 1836 respectively. Today the city has more than 200 industrial plants whose products reach most of the world's markets and include textiles, linoleum, cork, watches, razors, umbrellas, locks, iron and steel products, candy, cigars, hosiery, and electronic devices. Among the nationally known plants are those of the Armstrong Cork Co., Hamilton Watch Co., Schick Inc., Radio Corporation of America, and Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. Freight gross revenues for the 12-month period ending August 31, 1957 totaled $6,868,553 and the passenger gross amounted to $1,125,855 for the same period. |
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