The William Penn statue, standing in City Hall courtyard before being mounted on the dome:
Posted on 07/30/2018 9:03:35 PM PDT by Borges
Three hundred years ago on July 30 a man responsible for many important contributions to this city, state and country died.
Long before William Penn moved to the top of City Hall, there was Independence Hall. Decades before that building came to be, there was a little boy named William Penn.
He was born and raised in England in the 1640s, almost a hundred years before George Washington.
“One of his basic tenets was, ‘We should all come to love one another and live our lives that way regardless,'” said National Park Service Ranger Ray Harsharger.
Harsharger also happens to be a William Penn expert.
William Penn first came to our city in 1682.
He named Philadelphia combining two Greek words, Philos Love and Adelphos Brotherly.
Speaking of names, Pennsylvania isn’t even named after this William Penn.
It’s named after another William Penn, his father Admiral William Penn. Pennsylvania means Penn’s woods.
“William first called it New Wales, then he called it Sylvania and Charles the Second insisted and basically said, ‘You are not going to get the charter unless you name it after your father,” said Harsharger.
Penn moved back to England but returned to live in this mansion on Second Street in 1699. It was called the Slate Roof House and it stood until 1867 when it was destroyed because of its condition.
“We would love to have the Slate Roof House still here and still standing to really make that connection and it would be I think easier to create the story,” said National Park Service Ranger Adam Duncan.
Now, a park across from City Tavern commemorates Penn’s famous house.
This document held at the American Philosophical Society is his charter of privileges, essentially an early Constitution almost a century before our Constitution came into play.
Penn died on July 30, 1718 in London and 300 years later his ideas live on.
“When the Quakers began setting up schools for their children, Penn insisted that those schools be open to all children regardless of race or religion,” said Harsharger.
I used to smoke his cigars.
He would certainly be a Nancy Pelosi liberal if he lived today, and lobby for unfettered entry into the country. What he'd think of Eagles'fans, though, is anybody's guess.
Years ago I was walking down a side street in England, can’t remember if it was Bath or Wells, and there was a sign “William Penn stood here to sell his idea of Pennsylvania to the public.” Made me proud to be from Pennsylvania.
One hundred and ten years ago on july 30 the man responsible for the one important contribution to this world, namely me, was born...
He lived to be 85...
Happy birthday Dad...
Did you ever ask if you could?
My ancestors came here on his fleet of small ships and there’s a good chance that many of yours did too.
I freed Prince Albert from the can.
The William Penn statue, standing in City Hall courtyard before being mounted on the dome:
The scummy Philadelphia hell hole is Penn’s fault
Original plan, 1687:
With additions in the front:
In a state of dereliction before being torn down in 1867 (such a shame there was no Historical Commission then):
Historic markers:
Lot of deer too. During October and November, you can count hundreds of dead deer carcasses along the highways of Pennsylvania.
My favorite town in Pennsylvania is Scranton. I just like the way it sounds. Scranton. Cool name for a town. Then you got that Wilkes-Barre right next to it with all the strip malls. Don't know how to pronounce Wilkes-Barre but Scranton rolls right off the tongue. Perfect place for Dunder Mifflin, that fictitious office supply company of "The Office" fame. There are a lot of people in Pennsylvania that resemble Dwight Schrute.
Further on down I-81, you have Hershey. The chocolate city, now all tourist trappy with the amusement parks and the overpriced family restaurants.
Speaking of I-81, that is where they send prospective truck driving prospects to practice for their tractor trailer (CDL) license. True story. Don't mess with the trucks on I-81.
But there is no place more PA than the old coal-mining town of Frackville. Gritty Frackville. Right out of a Springsteen song. Don't forget to stop in at the Dutch Kitchen when you are there.
I live at Tennessee Exit 59 on I 81.
I have traveled extensively in Pennsylvania even on I 81. I took the opportunity to take a Pennsylvania is ok by me.
In an article a few years back, Forbes had a graphic indicating routes carring the greatest volume of freight. The article was mostly about water and rail traffic but the graphic included interstates.
I 81 caarries the greatest freight volume of all interstaates.
Wilkes-Berry
(lived there for a few years)
Note: this topic is from . Thanks Borges.
That's the reason one of his best known bon mot is, "who the **** smoked up my ****ing cigars!".
The German colonists -- the "Pennsylvania Dutch / Deutsch" -- were recruited by Penn, thanks, I'm grateful for little things like that which made it possible for me to have been born. :^)
me too.
I live in Pa - about 55 miles east of Pittsburgh. In July, we were driving to my sisters in the northeast part of the state and, near the intersection of I-80 and I-81, we were nearly in an accident. A tractor-trailor was coming up fast behind me, another was just to my left and cars trying to merge into my lane on the right. The guy behind me - going WAAAAYYYY too fast, had to move that big rig into the left lane fast - just a few feet behind the big rig next to me. I was praying like crazy! I live in the boonies here in Pa and we don’t have to deal with that - thank goodness! We decided to take the backroads next time we go!
Regarding the deer: Deer hunting season is a holiday in Pennsylvania! Schools close on the Monday after Thanksgiving. If you have a garden, you have a high fence around it. They eat everything except the weeds!
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