Historical Markers in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

1895 Drinking Fountain 249 West Main Street 33 East Main Street 37 East Main Street 40th Parallel 66 East Main Street A Buried Story Abraham de Peyster Adamstown & Vicinity Veterans Memorial African-American Women Escape County Jail, 1835 Ambulance Co. No. 111   28th Division A.E.F. An Icon of Lititz Springs Park Andrew Ellicott Arched Bridge At Rockford near here lived & died General Edward Hand, M.D. B. F. Good / P. Lorillard Tobacco Warehouse Bangor Episcopal Church Barnabas and Elizabeth Hughes Baron Stiegel Beck Memorial Band Shell Belmont Lime kiln Benjamin Franklin Blacksmith Shop Boehms Chapel Built 1907 Changes in Elizabethtown Charles Demuth Chickies* Mansion and Chickies* #1 Furnace (*Chickies - also Chiques or Chikis) Christiana Riot Monument Colonial Mansion Columbia Columbia and Its Railroads Columbia Veterans Memorial Concrete Railroad Piers Conestoga Conestoga Navigation Company Conoy Indian Town David M. Mayer House Design of Elizabethtown Donegal Place Donegal Presbyterian Church Early Architecture Early Telegraph East Cocalico Township Korean War Memorial East Cocalico Township Vietnam War Memorial East Cocalico Township World War II Memorial Edward Shippen Elizabeth Area Veterans Memorial Elizabethtown Elmer Holmes Bobst Ephrata Veterans Memorial Ephrata's Veterans' Plaza Fern Island First National Bank First Presbyterian Church First Reformed Church Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg Frick Stationary Steam Engine General Edward Hand General Johann Agust Sutter Home George Ross Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, S.T.B. Grape Hotel Grist Mill Process Heine Weber Smokehouse Heintzelman House Henry Hess Landis Farm Henry Norwood "Barney" Ewell History of Railroad Pump Cars Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Home of Conrad Beissel Home Site of Col. William Henry Honor Roll Hopewell Forge Mansion Hot-Blast Stove Bases In honor of those who served in the World War In honor of those who served our country in Korea & Vietnam In Memoriam In Memory of 110 Soldiers of the Continental Army In Memory of the Brave Soldiers of the Continental Army In Memory of World War I Heroes Industry in Elizabethtown Iron Works Isaac Long Barn Jacob Gottwals Francis (1870-1958) James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan Home James Hale Steinman, A.B., LL. B., LL.D. James Hazlett Binns James Tilden Sheckard Jasper Yeates John A. Sutter John Augustus Sutter Memorial John Durang John F. Reynolds John Frederick Steinman, Ph. B., LL. D. John Fulton Reynolds John Marshall Joseph Simon July 4th Candle Illuminations Kagerise Store and House Keller's Mill Bridge Kinzer Lancaster County Lancaster County Civil War Veterans Memorial Lancaster County Korean War Veterans Memorial Lancaster County Veterans Memorial Lancaster County Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Lancaster County World War II Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Lancaster County World War II Veterans Memorial Lancaster Rotary Park: 100 years of Rotary International Lancaster's Historic Diversity Lancaster's 'freedom spies' Landis Graveyard Last Memorial Day Encampment Leacock Presbyterian Church Lehigh Valley No. 40 Leo F. Hauck Lincoln Highway Linden Hall Lititz Boy Scout Cabin Lititz Caboose Museum Lititz Moravian Congregation Lititz Spring Park Memorial Fountain Lititz Springs Park Entrance Gates Lititz Springs Park Historical Markers Lititz Veterans Memorial Lititz Wall of Remembrance Major John Light Manheim Historical Society Manheim Veterans Memorial Marietta Mary Zug Francis (1870-1958) Mathias Roeser Mayer Cemetery Memorial Park of Reamstown Memorial to Henry William Stiegel Mentzer Building Military Stables and Barracks Millersville University Millstone Plaza History Monongahela Railway No. 67 Montgomery House Monument to John Wise Moravian Gemeinhaus Mount Hope Estate & Grubb Mansion Mount Zion Buildings Mountjoy Memorial Music Pavilion Musselman / Vesta Iron Furnace Office Building Old Center Square (Penn Square) Old Courthouse Old Standby Park On This Site in 1861 Julius Sturgis Original Head Race & Water Turbine Patriots of St. James Church Paul E. Beck Memorial Band Shell Penn Square Pennsylvania Medical Society Pennsylvania Railroad No. 3750 Pennsylvania Railroad No. 460 Pennsylvania Railroad No. 6755 Pennsylvania Railroad No. 7688 Pioneer Settler / Founder of Reamstown Pittsburgh and Lake Erie No. 508 Prelude to Gettysburg / A Desperate Plan Privy Reading Observation No. 1 Revolutionary War Memorial 1930 Revolutionary War Stables Reynolds House River Brethren Robert Coleman Robert Fulton Birthplace Rock Ford Ross H. Sachs Round House Ruamie Hill Binns S. Dale Kaufman S. Woodrow Sponaugle '37 Samuel S. Haldeman Sgt Joseph E Jackson Shippen House Simon Cameron Simon Snyder Site of Conestoga Indian Massacre Skip Hoist / Oil Shed Smokehouse / Icehouse Soldiers and Sailors Monument Springs Head-End St. James' Church (Episcopal) Stiegel Glass Manufactory Stone Base of the Chimney Strasburg Rail Road Susquehannock Apartments Thaddeus Stevens The American Indian and the American Soldier The Brethren The Caernarvon Presbyterian Church The Christiana Riot The Cost of Dynamite The Edward Davies House The Heritage Center The Importance of Conversation The Jasper Yeates Building The Kedar The Lititz Pharmacopoeia The New Era Building The Pennsylvania Canal The Pilgerhaus - 1754 The Rev. Thomas Barton The Revolutionary War The Richard Kneedler Sculpture Garden The Shoe Industry in Elizabethtown The Steinman Hardware Building The War of 1812 The Water Towers in Buchanan Park The Witness Tree The Witness Tree Monument This site honors the Sister City Relationship between Ephrata, Pennsylvania and Eberbach, Germany Thomas Mifflin, Esq. Thomas Wharton, Jr. Trolleys U.S.S. Maine Memorial V.F.W. Post 8795 Veterans Memorial Veterans Memorial Vietnam Veterans Memorial War Memorial Park Watts Railroad Station William Augustus Atlee William J. Iannicelli '48 Witmer's Tavern Women in Marietta World War I Memorial "Steps of Progress" "The Returned Soldier"
The first drive-in movie theater in the world opened in Camden, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, in 1933.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is situated in the southeastern part of the state. It was originally inhabited by the Susquehannock Native American tribe before the arrival of European settlers. In the early 18th century, English Quakers migrating from Maryland and Delaware began to settle in the area, establishing the county in 1729. The county was named after Lancaster, a city in northwest England, reflecting the English origins of many of its settlers.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Lancaster County became known for its thriving agricultural industry. Its fertile soil and mild climate made it ideal for farming, and the county became a leading producer of wheat, corn, and livestock. With the advent of the Pennsylvania Canal and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in the 19th century, Lancaster County's agricultural products were easily transported to urban markets, further bolstering its economy.

In the early 20th century, Lancaster County experienced significant industrial growth, particularly in the city of Lancaster. The construction of railroad lines and the expansion of factories contributed to the county's economic prosperity. The county also gained recognition for its manufacturing sector, producing items such as silk textiles, cigars, and furniture.

Today, Lancaster County is known for its rich history and preserved heritage. It is often referred to as the "Garden Spot of America" due to its picturesque landscapes, traditional Amish communities, and thriving tourism industry. The county attracts visitors from around the world who come to experience its historical sites, charming small towns, and delicious Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

  • 1709: Lancaster County was established by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.
  • 1730: The city of Lancaster was founded as the county seat.
  • 1751: Lancaster became the capital of Pennsylvania, serving as the seat of government until 1799.
  • 1777: During the American Revolutionary War, Lancaster was briefly the capital of the United States when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia.
  • 1800s: Lancaster became known for its thriving agricultural industry, with a focus on farming and crop cultivation.
  • 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg, a significant event in the American Civil War, took place just outside of Lancaster County.
  • 1900s: Lancaster County experienced a growth in manufacturing, particularly in the production of textiles, steel, and tobacco products.
  • 1957: The Amish Farm and House, a popular tourist attraction showcasing Amish lifestyle and culture, was established in Lancaster County.
  • 1980s: The tourism industry in Lancaster County began to flourish, attracting visitors with its picturesque countryside and Amish traditions.