The "Historical This & That Of Lancaster, PA: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just loaded some photos of 247 East Orange Street into my iPhoto program.  Neat house that at one time was the home of the Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  In front of the home, along the the edge of the sidewalk, is a marble stone with a cast iron post.  The post was used to tie a horse in place and the stone was used to step from the carriage or the saddle of the horse to the ground.  Now, you're talking about the late 1700's and the early 1800's when horse and carriage travel was the means of transportation for the citizens of Lancaster.  The photos of 247 are just a few that I took in order to write my two-day story about some of the fun facts that made Lancaster one of the best towns in the United States.  My facts and illustrations or photos will give you a brief historical glimpse into life in the United States of America.  I may miss some historical dates and events that are important in Lancaster's history, but my story deals more with the "this & that" of the city rather than the historical events of the time.  Some of the glimpses into the past I have already detailed in other stories you may have read, but needed to add them again for continuity in today's story.  So, follow along as I take you on an interesting journey of our city ...…

Back in 1728 the residents of Chester County, to the east of Lancaster County, complained that "Theives, vagabons and ill people" had infested the area to the west of their county, so Lancaster was created from Chester County in 1730

When the British infiltrated Philadelphia, the Continental Congress fled town and headed West.  On September 27, 1777 Lancaster was the capital of the United States for one day.  They met in the county Courthouse pictured here.

A resident of East Orange Street in Lancaster, Timothy Matlack was the Clerk of the Continental Congress and was one of the designers of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

Betsy Ross, creator of our nation's first flag, was the niece of Lancastrian George Ross who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  He also was a member and Vestryman at St. James Episcopal Church where I am a member and was also a Vestryman.

"The Lancaster Gazette" was published in 1752.  The German and English newspaper was a 4-page weekly newspaper at the time and became the precursor of Lancaster's Daily LNP News which is Lancaster's paper today.

Lancasterian Andrew Ellicott helped map many territories west of the Appalachians, surveyed the boundaries of the District of Columbia, continued and completee Peirre Charles L'Enfant's work on the plan for Washington, D.C. and served as a teacher in survey methods for Meriwether Lewis.

Lancaster's Trinity Lutheran Church was founded in 1730.  A session for an Indian treaty was held in the original church building in 1762.  The 195-foot bell tower and steeple, pictured here, was at the time the tallest building west of Philadelphia.

In 1787 the college of Franklin & Marshall was founded.  Benjamin was a generous contributor to it's opening.

In 1794 the Lancaster-Philadelphia Turnpike was completed.  It stopped at the Conestoga River where wagons and stagecoaches had to ford the river until a privately owned bridge was built.

Lancaster Union Fire Company was formed in 1742, based on an idea by Benjamin Franklin.  It was the first fire company in the United States.  Members of the fire company had to supply their own leather buckets to fight the fires.  This plaque is on the corner of Lancaster's Central Market house in downtown Lancaster.

Well, you have a small idea about the early history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Follow along tomorrow as the journey continues.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.