Pennsylvania gains statehood on this date

Pennsylvania became the second state in the union (behind Delaware) on this date in 1787. Covering 46,043 square miles, Pennsylvania ranks 33rd among all states in total area. According to the Pennsylvania Visitors Network, farming is Pa.'s number one industry with 55,000 farms and  9,000,000 acres of farmland. Agricultural product sales reach $3,500,000,000 annually. Leading farm products include:  dairy products, mushrooms, apples, grapes, peaches, and cut flowers.

Other Facts and Firsts about Pennsylvania

1. Fairmount Park in Philadelphia is the largest city park in the country with more than 8,000 acres.
2. Pittsburgh has more than 300 sets of city maintained steps. If they were stacked on top of each other, they would reach more than 26,000 feet high and would measure higher than most of the Himalayan Mountains.
3. The State College Area High School was the first school in the country to teach driver's education in 1958.
4. Pennsylvania is the only original colony not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Benjamin Franklin founded the Philadelphia Zoo, the first public zoo in the United States.
6. Drake Well Museum in Titusville is on the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 and launched the modern petroleum industry.
7. Philadelphia saw the first zoological garden in the U.S. in July 1874.
8. In 1913, the first automobile service station opened in Pittsburgh.

Today's photo is an aerial view of the Cherry Run Valley and Big and Sugar Valley Mountains in Centre and Clinton Counties. A large portion of this area is now State Game Lands #295 and was originally acquired by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Some reference material provided by SHGcities.

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