Lancaster+County

= __//Lancaster County//__ = = = Lancaster was first created on May10th of 1729. It was very rapidly Settled after 1709 by a mix of people. The people included the following,Swiss Menonites,Huguenots,Scotch-Irish,English,Welsh and German. Some historians state that the name "Lancaster" was bestowed to the town by Mr. M.L. Wicks, a real estate developer who bought the land at the price of about $2.50 an acre from Southern Pacific Railroad Co.. He the started a Scottish settlement of about 150 persons in the valley. The town was really a permanent home for those people. The story then tells how he went on to calling the new city for his former home, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Regardless of the origin of the name, Lancaster would have not been developed as it has without the help of Southern Pacific Railroad Co.. The Railroad was completed between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1876. Following the completion of the Railroad and the establishment of a water stop, Lancaster was quite prosperous. In 1898, gold was found in the hills north of Lancaster and attracted many prospectors who staked claims at the gold and can still be visible and are being prospected to this day. Also in that same year, Borax was found in the mountains surrounding the valley, sparking the worlds largest open-pit Borax mine. Since the 1930s, Lancaster has grown relatively steady. Edwards Air Force Base, famous for its space shuttle landings, had a major impact on the local community, and continues to with the air force flight test center's programs which include testing of the B-1b,or the B-2 stealth bomber. Until the base was finally incorporated in 1977, the area was under the political influence of Los Angeles County. Citizens in that area felt the need for better interaction with other counties. Lancaster has also played a major role in farming. Milton Hershey, Founder of the Hershey Chocolate Co., was born in this county and therefor grew all of his crops needed to run his business. He also raised and used dairy cows for his company. Farming is still the largest business in Lancaster today. Most of the farming that is done in Lancaster is done by the Pennsylvania Amish. The Amish have been living in Lancaster since before Milton Hershey was even born. The Amish still live in a colonial setting and do not use much of the technology we use today.The Amish culture was also involved in the movie Witness starring Harrison Ford. 

