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Red Rose City
While
many people come to the Amish Country to "get away" from the
city, Downtown Lancaster is not at all like a big metropolis. Often
overlooked by visitors, the historic district has unique shops,
restaurants, galleries, and attractions for the discerning traveler.
Begin
at the Downtown Visitor Information Center in the Chamber of Commerce. It
is located in the restored Southern Market building, just one block south
of the square. Here a helpful staff will orient you, and a walking tour
with a costumed guide can be obtained. Most places of interest are located
just a few blocks from the square, so you can park and explore on foot.
Over 200 years old, Lancaster has
produced many colorful characters and fascinating stories. Herewith, some
interesting tidbits from its past...
- Some of borough’s first laws
of 1742 prohibited riding horses on sidewalks and allowing pigs to run
loose.
- After being punished, thieves
had to wear a large "T" on their coat for six months.
- During the French and Indian
war, Benjamin Franklin came to town to buy wagons and horses, reputed
to be "the best of any that had been supplied."
- In a despicable moment from
history, a gang broke into the town jail in 1763, and massacred the
last remaining Indians in the county, who were being held in the jail
for their "safety."
- Scotch-Irish patriot Archibald
Steele walked from Lancaster to Boston to join the cause when the
Revolutionary War broke out.
- Lancaster was the capital of
Pennsylvania from 1799 until 1812. When the capital was moved to
Harrisburg, locals accused the State government of stealing the stove
from the Lancaster Court House.
- When the railroad came in
1834, the first cars were drawn by horses.
- The first mayor of the city
was John Passmore. He was one of the first violators of the no smoking
ordinance, and was fined twenty shillings. Passmore weighed 480
pounds. Legend has it that when he died, no hearse was large enough,
and his casket was carried in a wagon.
Well, I promised you colorful
characters, didn’t I? To read more about the "Red Rose City"
visit our Downtown Lancaster page.
Amish Country News
Publisher's Message by Brad
Igou (July 2000)
Return to the Publisher's
Messages page.
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