Chapter 3
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visit such as Franklin Institute. The
Philadelphia Orchestra is world
famous. One can also visit the U.S.
Mint — a place where money is
made and destroyed. The city also
has professional sports in baseball,
football, basketball, and icehockey.
Philadelphia’s main tourist
attractions are Independence Hall,
the Liberty Bell, the Independence
National Historic Park, and the
Betsy RossHouse. There aremany things to
see and do in our largest city.
Chester
is located 14 miles south of
Philadelphia on the Delaware River. It was
founded in 1644 by Swedish settlers.
Known as Upland then, William Penn
renamed the city. Our state’s first General
Assemblymet there.
Today, Chester is an important industrial
city and freshwater port. Nearly 37,000
people live in the city. Chester is one of the
largest shipbuilding centers in our country.
There are many factories such as steel
mills, oil refineries, and
petrochemical
plants producing products. Petrochemical
products aremade from oil or natural gas.
Cities of the
Piedmont Region
L
ancaster
is 60 miles west of Phila-
delphia. It was settled in 1709 by
Germans seeking religious freedom.
It is the “heart” of the Pennsylvania Dutch
region. Lancaster was our state capital from
1799 to 1812.
Nearly 55,000 people live in Lancaster,
today. Because of its location, it has become
amarket center for the farmproducts of the
Piedmont. Tobacco, grain and dairy
products are just a few of the well-known
products. Lancaster also has developed a
small industry base. Some industrial
products aremachinery, buildingmaterials,
electrical, and metal products. Tourists
come to see the farmers markets and
Wheatland, the home of President James
Buchanan.
York
is located 22 miles southeast of
Harrisburg. It was founded in 1741 by one
of William Penn’s relatives. York became
the first capital of our country during the
American Revolution. This was during
1777 to 1778. The Continental Congress
approved the Articles of Confederation
here, our first official plan for government!
York has over 40,000 residents. The
communityhasdeveloped several industries.
They are air-conditioning equipment,
agricultural machinery, building materials,
and metal products. There are also several
quarries of limestone nearby.
Reading
is located 45 miles northwest of
Philadelphia. It was settled in 1748 by
Thomas Penn, son of William Penn. It was
a profitable iron and steel center in the
1800s. The growthof the citywashelpedby
Wheatland, the historic home of President
James Buchanan, is located in Lancaster.
