James Buchanan and Wheatland, the Lancaster president’s home
James Buchanan bought Wheatland in 1848 and ran his 1856 campaign from its library. The house is now a museum in Lancaster.
Who’s Who
Julius Sturgis and the first commercial pretzel bakery in America
Julius Sturgis opened what is known as the first commercial pretzel bakery in the country in Lititz in 1861.
Harriet Lane, the Wheatland niece who served as first lady
Harriet Lane grew up under the care of her uncle, James Buchanan, and served as White House hostess during his presidency.
Lydia Hamilton Smith, the Lancaster businesswoman behind the Stevens household
Lydia Hamilton Smith managed Thaddeus Stevens’ household in Lancaster for more than 20 years and built her own property holdings.
Milton Hershey’s Lancaster start: the caramel company before the chocolate
Milton Hershey made his first fortune with the Lancaster Caramel Company, which he sold in 1900 to focus on chocolate.
Andrew Ellicott, the surveyor who taught Meriwether Lewis in Lancaster
Andrew Ellicott surveyed the boundaries of Washington, D.C. In 1803, at his Lancaster home, he trained Meriwether Lewis for the trip west.
George Ross, the Lancaster lawyer who signed the Declaration of Independence
Lancaster lawyer George Ross signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and helped write Pennsylvania’s first state laws.
John Beck, the Lititz teacher who ran a boys’ school for half a century
John Beck taught thousands of boys at his school in Lititz from 1815 until the 1860s, drawing students from across the country.