Those Places Thursday: Lancaster

Like many cities and towns, war took its toll often on our young cities. While Lancaster did not directly see the war and her battles, the then borough still felt its effects. Goods were manufactured to aid the militia. Those goods included the Conestoga Wagon and the Lancaster Rifle. The Lancaster Rifle is also known as the Pennsylvania Rifle and is sometimes called, in error, the Kentucky Rifle. When the British occupied Philadelphia from September 1777 to June 1778, the Pennsylvania government called Lancaster home. The prison held British soldiers yet their officers were paroled to be allowed to rent space from Lancastrians in their homes.

Some notable dates in Lancaster:
1744 - the Indian treaties were negotiated at the courthouse in Lancaster
1760 - Union Fire Co. #1 formalized
1763 - the Conestoga Indians were mascaraed by the Paxtang Boys on 27 December.
1763 - the Juliana Library opened her doors
1777 - the Continental Congress met in Lancaster on 27 September
1794 - Lancaster Journal started
1799 - Lancaster Intelligencer started
1839 - the two papers merged

To keep up and house the various visitors to Lancaster, due to the state government running out of Lancaster, many hotels grew and flourished for a time.
* Sign of the Leopard Tavern - northeast corner of Duke and King
* Sign of the White Swan - southeast corner of Queen and Center Square

Presidential visits:
* George Washington visited Lancaster at least four times.

Note: This article is a continuation of the 27 June article on Lancaster.

Source: Loose, John Ward Wilson. The Heritage of Lancaster. CA: Windsor Publications, 1978. Chapter II: Lancaster Goes to War, 1760-1817.
Note: borrowed from the Manheim Twp. Public Library (917.815 LOO)

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