Lancaster County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lancaster County
U.S. county
Lancaster County Courthouse in Lancaster
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	May 10, 1729
Named for	Lancaster, Lancashire
Seat	Lancaster
Largest city	Lancaster
Area
• Total	984 sq mi (2,550 km2)
• Land	944 sq mi (2,440 km2)
• Water	40 sq mi (100 km2)  4.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	552,984
• Estimate  (2022)	556,629
• Density	561.98/sq mi (216.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	11th

Lancaster County is a special place in Pennsylvania, United States. Many people call it the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It's known for its beautiful farms and unique communities.

In 2020, over 552,000 people lived here, making it one of Pennsylvania's biggest counties. The main city and county seat is also called Lancaster.

Lancaster County is a popular spot for tourists. A big reason for this is its Amish community. The Amish are a group of people who live a simple life, often without modern technology. Their ancestors came to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. They were looking for religious freedom and found rich soil and a good climate here. Other groups, like French Huguenots, English, Welsh, and Scots-Irish people, also settled here.

History of Lancaster County

The land that became Lancaster County was part of a large area given to William Penn in 1681. The first European settlers likely arrived around 1710.

On May 10, 1729, Lancaster County was officially created. It became the fourth county in the colony. It was named after the city of Lancaster in England. This was the hometown of an early settler named John Wright. Over time, parts of Lancaster County were used to form six other counties. These included Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Northumberland, and York counties.

Native American Peoples

Before European settlers arrived, many different Native American tribes lived along the rivers here. They had lived in the area for thousands of years. Some of the tribes included the Shawnee, Susquehannock, Gawanese, Lenape, and Nanticoke peoples. These tribes had their own languages and cultures.

The Susquehanna River valley was home to the Susquehannock people. The English settlers called them the "Conestoga" after their main village. These tribes were known for their skills in war and trade.

Later, a small group of Conestoga Indians lived peacefully in the county. They had learned English and become Christian. However, in 1763, during a time of conflict, a group called the Paxton Boys attacked them. They killed the remaining Native Americans in the county. The people responsible were never brought to justice.

Border Disputes with Maryland

For many years, Pennsylvania and Maryland argued about their southern border. This argument, known as Cresap's War, started around 1730. Lord Baltimore, who governed Maryland, believed his land reached much further north. This would have included the city of Philadelphia in Maryland!

A man named Thomas Cresap, working for Lord Baltimore, tried to claim farms in Lancaster County. He wanted settlers to pay Maryland for the land. This led to conflicts and arrests. In 1736, Cresap was finally arrested. The King of England had to step in to help settle the dispute.

Finally, in 1767, a new border was officially drawn. This famous line is known as the Mason-Dixon line.

Different Settlers and Their Towns

The names of the first towns in Lancaster County show how many different groups settled here. Some towns had Welsh names, like Caernarvon. Others had Native American names, like Conestoga. Many were English, like Lancaster and Warwick. There were also Irish names, like Donegal, often from Scots-Irish settlers. Manheim had a German name, and Earl was a German surname. This mix of names shows the rich history of people who came to live in Lancaster County.

Important Leaders from the 1800s

Lithograph of Thaddeus Stevens

James Buchanan, who was born in Lancaster County, became the 15th President of the United States in 1856. He was the first president from Pennsylvania. His home, Wheatland, is now a museum you can visit.

Another important person was Thaddeus Stevens. He represented Lancaster County in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stevens was a strong supporter of ending slavery. He also left money to start an orphanage, which later became the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Both Stevens and Buchanan are buried in Lancaster.

Slavery and the Christiana Incident

Pennsylvania began to end slavery slowly in 1780. By the mid-1800s, Pennsylvania was mostly a free state. However, the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1850 called the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. This law made it harder for enslaved people to gain freedom. It also required citizens to help catch and return them.

Lancaster County was an important part of the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. Many people in Lancaster County, especially those of German descent, were against slavery. They helped hide freedom seekers in places with secret tunnels and hidden rooms.

In 1851, a serious event happened in Christiana, Lancaster County. An enslaved man named Edward Gorsuch came to retrieve his enslaved people who had escaped to the farm of William Parker. Parker was a free Black man who helped freedom seekers. A conflict broke out, and Gorsuch was killed.

This event, known as the "Christiana Riot" or "Christiana Resistance," was very important. It showed that some Black people would fight for their freedom. It also increased tensions between the North and South over slavery. Many people were arrested and charged with treason. However, the only person tried, Castner Hanway, was found not guilty. Thaddeus Stevens was one of his defense lawyers.

Religious History

Lancaster County has a long and varied religious history. The oldest surviving home of European settlers belongs to Mennonite Bishop Hans Herr, built in 1719. Today, there are many different religious groups here.

The town of Lititz was founded in the 1740s by members of the Moravian Church. They also started the Linden Hall School for Girls in 1746. This is one of the oldest schools in the United States that has been open continuously.

The Ephrata Cloister was home to a group of German Seventh Day Baptists. It was a unique religious community. Other churches, like the United Brethren in Christ, also started in this area.

Jewish families also settled in Lancaster County early on. The first Jewish resident, Isaac Miranda, owned property before 1730. The Congregation Shaarai Shomayim has a cemetery that is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the nation. Today, Lancaster County has several synagogues and Jewish centers.

French Huguenots, who were Protestants fleeing persecution in France, also settled in the Pequea Creek area.

Cool Inventions from Lancaster County

A Pennsylvania Dutch Fraktur baptismal certificate from 1788

Lancaster County is known for several interesting inventions and art forms:

• Fraktur: This is a beautiful, artistic folk art from the 1700s and 1800s. It was inspired by German typefaces and started at the Ephrata Cloister.
• First Battery-Powered Watch: The Hamilton Electric 500, the first watch powered by a battery, was released in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch Company.
• Pennsylvania Long Rifle: Also known as the "Kentucky" Long Rifle, this famous firearm was developed here.
• Conestoga Wagon: This large wagon was used to carry goods across the country. It also led to the practice of vehicles passing each other on the right side of the road.
• Stogie Cigar: The word "stogie" comes from "Conestoga," named after the wagons.
• Amish Quilt: These colorful and useful quilts have been made in Lancaster County since 1849.

Geography and Climate

Lancaster County covers about 984 square miles. Most of it is land (944 square miles), with about 40 square miles of water.

Climate and Weather

The county generally has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and cold winters. The average high temperature in July is around 87°F (30.6°C), and the average low in January is about 22°F (-5.6°C). The county gets about 44 inches of rain each year.

Rivers and Streams

Most of the water in Lancaster County flows into the Chesapeake Bay. This happens through the Susquehanna River. Important streams in the county include the Conestoga River, Pequea Creek, and Chiques Creek.

Protected Natural Areas

Lancaster County has several protected areas. Susquehannock State Park offers great views of the Susquehanna River. There are also six Pennsylvania State Game Lands where people can hunt, trap, and fish.

The southern part of the county has rare "serpentine barrens." These are special grasslands and savannas where the soil has unique minerals. Organizations like the Lancaster Farmland Trust work hard to protect farms. They help landowners keep their land for farming forever. This has helped preserve over 100,000 acres of farmland in the county, which is a national record!

Earthquakes

Lancaster County is located near the Appalachian Mountains. Sometimes, small earthquakes happen here, usually between magnitude 3 and 4. These are usually not strong enough to cause damage.

Neighboring Counties

Lancaster County shares borders with several other counties:

• Dauphin County (north)
• Lebanon County (north)
• Berks County (northeast)
• Chester County (east)
• Cecil County, Maryland (south)
• Harford County, Maryland (southwest)
• York County (west)

Plants and Animals

The bog turtle was first found and identified in Lancaster County. A botanist named Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg discovered this small turtle while studying the area's plants. The bog turtle is now a protected species.

People of Lancaster County

The population of Lancaster County has grown steadily over the years. In 1790, about 36,000 people lived here. By 2020, the population had grown to over 552,000.

The county is home to a diverse group of people. Most residents are White. There are also growing African American, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino communities.

Amish and Other Plain Groups

Lancaster County has the largest Amish community in the world. In 2021, nearly 42,000 Amish people lived here. This is about 7% of the county's population. The Amish population has grown a lot, doubling since 2000.

Besides the Amish, other "Plain" Anabaptist groups also live in Lancaster County. These include different groups of Old Order Mennonites and Old Order River Brethren. These groups also live a simple lifestyle, often using buggies instead of cars.

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  An Amish family in a traditional Amish buggy in the county

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  Amish children in the back of a buggy on the road

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  Amish farmers use only horse power to cultivate their land

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  Amish crops in the county

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  An Amish dairy farm

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  Many adults in Lancaster County speak Pennsylvania German at home.

Religion in the County

Many different religions are practiced in Lancaster County. About 38% of the population is Protestant. Nearly 10% are Roman Catholic. There are also smaller groups of Eastern Orthodox Christians and other faiths. About half of the population does not identify with a specific religion.

Local Dialect

Some people in Lancaster County speak with a special accent or dialect. This is influenced by the Pennsylvania Dutch language. You might hear it in areas like Lancaster, Lebanon, and York.

Economy of Lancaster County

A Lancaster County farm with a horse-drawn farm implement near a corn field

A field of wheat in the county

In 2021, the average income per person in Lancaster County was about $61,547. This is a bit lower than the national average. The county's poverty rate was 8.8%, which is lower than the national rate of 11.6%.

Lancaster County has a strong manufacturing industry. Many people work in factories that make different products. However, the county has fewer jobs in information technology compared to other areas.

Farming and Agriculture

Lancaster County has some of the best non-irrigated farmland in the United States. Farming is a huge part of its economy. The county's farms produce about $800 million worth of food, feed, and fiber. This is almost one-fifth of Pennsylvania's total farm output.

Raising livestock is a big part of farming here. Dairy farms, poultry, and egg production are very important. Cattle and pigs also contribute a lot to the county's agricultural income.

About half of Lancaster County's land is set aside for farming. This means that farming will likely remain a very important part of the county's future.

Tourism in Lancaster County

Central Market in Lancaster, a popular tourist attraction

A hot air balloon ride in Lancaster County

One of the county's 29 covered bridges

Tourism is a very important industry in Lancaster County, employing about 20,000 people. People started visiting the area more after articles in magazines in the 1860s. However, tourism really took off after the 1955 Broadway musical Plain and Fancy, which highlighted the Amish culture.

In 1985, the movie Witness, starring Harrison Ford, was filmed here. This movie made Lancaster County famous around the world. It showed the unique Amish community and brought many more tourists to the area.

Today, people visit Lancaster County for many reasons. They come for festivals, corn mazes, and shows at places like Sight & Sound Theatres. The county is also famous for its many historic covered bridges. There are 29 covered bridges in Lancaster County, which is the largest number in Pennsylvania!

Other popular places to visit include the American Music Theatre, Dutch Wonderland (an amusement park), Ephrata Cloister, Hans Herr House, Landis Valley Museum, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, and the Strasburg Rail Road.

Education in Lancaster County

Lancaster County has several colleges and universities. These include Elizabethtown College, Franklin & Marshall College, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

There are 16 public school districts in the county:

The county also has a charter school called La Academia Charter School. There are also independent schools like Lancaster Country Day School and Linden Hall, a boarding school for girls.

The Library System of Lancaster County connects 14 libraries across the county. It helps provide books and services to everyone.

Sports in Lancaster County

Lancaster County has a professional baseball team called the Lancaster Barnstormers. They play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The team is named after "barnstorming" players who used to play exhibition games. They have a fun rivalry with the York Revolution team, called the War of the Roses.

The Lancaster Inferno is a women's soccer team that plays in the Women's Premier Soccer League. There are also amateur sports teams, like the Dutchland Derby Rollers, a roller derby team.

Transportation

Lancaster County has always been important for transportation. It was on the main route from Philadelphia to western Pennsylvania. Early improvements included the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike in 1794, a canal in 1820, and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in 1834.

Main Roads and Highways

Major roads that go through Lancaster County include:

Railroads

Lancaster Train Station, a busy Amtrak station in Pennsylvania

You can travel by train through Lancaster County on Amtrak. There are stops in Lancaster, Mount Joy, and Elizabethtown. The Strasburg Rail Road offers fun passenger excursions.

Freight trains, operated by Norfolk Southern Railway, also use tracks in the county. Several smaller railroads operate for freight as well.

Airports

Lancaster County has two public airports. Lancaster Airport offers scheduled passenger flights. Smoketown Airport is used for general aviation.

Communities in Lancaster County

Map of Lancaster County: cities and boroughs (red), townships (white), and census-designated places (blue)

Lancaster County has one city, many boroughs (smaller towns), and townships.

City

• Lancaster (the county seat)

Boroughs

Townships

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that the U.S. Census Bureau defines for gathering information. They are not official towns or cities.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lancaster (Pensilvania) para niños