Lancaster Jigsaw Puzzles

From Hickory Town to a one-day capital

The settlement began as Hickory Town in the 1720s and was renamed Lancaster after the English city by John Wright. It was laid out in 1734, became a borough in 1742 and was incorporated as a city in 1818. When the British army approached Philadelphia in 1777, the Continental Congress fled west, and on September 27, 1777, Lancaster served for one day as the temporary capital of the United States. The Congress then moved on to York. Lancaster later served as the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812, before the seat of government moved to Harrisburg. The city now marks September 27 as Capital Day.

Farmland, plain communities and old bridges

Lancaster County is home to the world's largest Amish settlement, with about 37,000 people in 2017 and almost 42,000 by 2021. Many families here still travel by horse and buggy and farm land their ancestors worked for generations, and visitors are asked to be respectful of their privacy. The county is also known for its covered bridges, which cross creeks among the fields and make a favorite subject for puzzles. In the city itself, Wheatland, the Federal style mansion where James Buchanan lived after he bought it in 1848, recalls the only president from Pennsylvania. Lancaster also leads the nation in farmland preservation, with more than 100,000 acres protected.

Five things you might not know about Lancaster

1. Lancaster Central Market, in its current building from 1889, is described as the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the United States.
2. The Fulton Opera House is called the oldest continually running theater in the United States, and it is named for Lancaster native Robert Fulton.
3. In 1879 Frank W. Woolworth opened his first successful five and dime store in Lancaster.
4. Lancaster County has nearly 30 covered bridges, from Neff's Mill Bridge, first built in 1824, to the 195 foot Pine Grove Bridge.
5. Wheatland, the home of President James Buchanan, is open to visitors as one of Lancaster's most popular attractions.

Sources: Wikipedia: Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Wikipedia: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania · Wikipedia: Lancaster Central Market · Wikipedia: List of covered bridges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania · Lancaster County Government: Covered Bridges