Pennsylvania

 This week I learned a little more about Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787.  Before the Europeans started settling in Pennsylvania it was home to many Native American tribes.  It was settled in 1643. 

Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn, on February 28, 1681, to repay a debt that was owed to William's father.  Pennsylvania, which means Penn's Woods, was named in honor of Williams father.  William had wanted it to be named Sylvania, but King Charles wouldn't rename the grant.

Pennsylvania's nickname is the Keystone State.  The state capital is Harrisburg.

Some of Pennsylvania's symbols include:

State Flower-  mountain laurel

State Bird-  ruffed grouse

State Tree-  hemlock

State Insect-  Firefly

 The Hershey Story-  This is a museum that takes you on a journey through the life of Milton S. Hershey.  It has interactive exhibits, Chocolate Lab, museum shop, and Cafe Zooka.  My favourite part would be the Chocolate Tasting, which is located inside Cafe Zooka, you can taste exotic chocolate flavors from around the world.

Bushkill Falls-  This is a series of eight waterfalls.

Asa Packer Mansion Museum-  This is a 11,000 square foot Victorian mansion.  The 850 piece chandelier was copied for the movie Gone With The Wind.

The Gettysburg Battlefield Site-  This site is well preserved and is marked so that you can follow the changes in the progress of the 3-day battle.  You can walk around on your own, or take a guided tour.

Penn's Cave And Wildlife Park-  You can take a tour, by motorboat, on an underground stream.  This limestone cavern is rich in geology and history.  You can also take a motorized tour over 1,500 acres of Penn's Cave forests and fields, which has been preserved as a natural habitat for birds, plants, and animals.

 York was the first capital of the United States Of America.

There were several important documents written in Pennsylvania including The Constitution of the United States, The American Declaration Of Independence, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Pennsylvania had many firsts including the first hospital, library, zoo, newspaper, television broadcast, radio broadcast, Banana Split, and electronic computer built.

Every February national attention is focused on Punxsutawney, where according to lore the emergence of a groundhog, from its burrow, predicts how many more weeks of winter there will be.

Thomas A. Edison's first successful experiment with electric lightning was made in Sunbury.

Philadelphis owns Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  The property was purchased for $70,000, from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in 1816.