South Central Pennsylvania - Distinctiveness

Distinctiveness

• The South Central Pennsylvania region is the site of the first paved highway in the United States, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, connecting the cities of Philadelphia and Lancaster.

• Milton Hershey began his milk chocolate manufacturing in Lancaster, and later to the town of Hershey. South Central Pennsylvania is still the corporate headquarters of The Hershey Company and possesses many smaller chocolate manufacturers like Wilbur and Wolfgang. The York Peppermint Pattie was originally manufactured in the city of York, but purchased by Hershey's.

• The Hershey Bears, named for The Hershey Company, are the oldest team in the American Hockey League.

• South Central Pennsylvania is the home of the largest Amish population in the United States, mostly in Lancaster County. Many tourists visit the region to see and learn about the Amish.

• Gettysburg was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and is now Gettysburg National Military Park.

• York was the site of the signing of the Articles of Confederation and was the largest town in the North to be occupied by the Confederate Army during the Civil War