Greetings from Pennsylvania postcard. Available at Legends’ General Store.

Officially called the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is nicknamed the Keystone State because of its central location among the original 13 colonies. William Penn, a Quaker and the state’s founder, guaranteed religious freedom to everyone.

Penn established a government with two innovations much copied in the New World: the county commission and freedom of religious conviction.

The tradition of freedom continued when the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania became the second state in the USA on December 12, 1787. Called the “City of Brotherly Love,” Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800. When you visit this city, see the cracked Liberty Bell that was rung when the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

There is much to see and do in Pennsylvania, which features 120 state parks, 18 National Parks, and 164 National Historic Landmarks. In the Allegheny National Forest in the northwestern corner of the state, visitors can enjoy snowmobiling, ATV trails, hunting, water sports, camping, fishing, and much more.

In Lancaster County, Amish still drive horse-drawn carriages and plow their fields much in the same way as their ancestors. See the Gettysburg National Military Park, where the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War and inspired President Abraham Lincoln’s immortal “Gettysburg Address.” The Valley Forge National Park, which includes the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of George Washington and the Continental Army, commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War heroes. At Hershey, Pennsylvania, you can sample delicious candy at the world’s largest chocolate factory.

Enjoy your visit to the Keystone State.

Kathy R. Weiser- Alexander
Owner/Editor