LANCASTER, Pa., city and county-seat of Lancaster County, the richest agricultural county in the United States (census 1910), on the main line of the Pennsylvania and the Phil adelphia and Reading railroads, 68 miles west of Philadelphia and 37 miles east of Harris burg. It is the manufacturing trade centre for the county; it is an important tobacco market and is engaged in tobacco growing, cigar-mak ing, cattle raising and the manufacture of cot ton goods, locks, watches, umbrellas, silk, lino leum, cork, iron and steel goods. It is the seat of Franklin and Marshall College and the Thaddeus Stevens Industrial School of Penn sylvania; contains the General, Saint Joseph's and the County hospitals, Children's Home, a public library, a Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A.; has gas and electric light plants, 162 miles of electric railroad in the city and county, 13 na tional and State hanks having a combined capi tal of $2,904,000, about 50 churches and an as sessed property valuation of over $29,000,000.
The city was founded in 1718 by Mennonites (q.v.) and was called Hickory Town until 1730. In 1777 Congress sat here for a few days and from 1799 to 1812 it was the capital of the State. It became a borough in 1742 and a city in March 1818. It is governed by a mayor, elected every two years, and by a select coun cil of nine members and a common council of 27 members elected annually. Here is the birthplace of Gen. John Fulton Reynolds, home of President James Buchanan, 15th President of United States, and the tomb of Thaddeus Stevens, the great statesman. The municipality spends upward of $250,000 yearly in maintain ing the public service. Pop. 55,000.