Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg, PA is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It is 11.44 square miles in size.

Harrisburg has served as a transportation hub for over a century and a half, starting with the 1834 opening of the Pennsylvania Canal and continuing with the arrival of the first railroad train in 1836 and the completion of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s main line in 1847.http://www.history.com/topics/Harrisburg While Harrisburg's status as a transportation center remains, the city's economy has become more diverse with the addition of government employment, advanced marketing, life sciences, and business technology solutions.http://www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/reg-edc/ent-zones/kiz/about-kiz.html

As far as education, Harrisburg Area Community College serves the populace, and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State University's Harrisburg campus are nearby.http://www.history.com/topics/Harrisburg

Englishman John Harris, Sr., for whom the city was named, established a trading post on land that would later become Harrisburg in 1710. In 1733, he established ferry service on the Susquehanna River.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/255965/Harrisburg After the American Revolution, the Pennsylvania State Assembly created Dauphin County and named it Louisburg in honor of French King Louis XVI. However, the name "Harrisburg" was used when it was incorporated as a borough in 1791 and then as a city in 1860. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/255965/Harrisburg It was the site of the National Tariff Convention of 1827 and the first National Whig Convention in 1839. http://www.history.com/topics/Harrisburg

The city grew into a transportation hub throughout the 19th century. The iron and steel industries also prospered and brought jobs to the region.http://www.old8thward.com/history.htm In the early 20th century, Harrisburg possessed the nation's second-largest industrial workforce. When the stock market crash of 1929 struck, 270,000 jobs were lost and the city's industrial production was cut in half.http://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=34 The area’s economic troubles were compounded by two major disasters: Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in 1979. Agnes' resulting floods caused an estimated $2.1 billion in damages, while the Three Mile Island accident resulted in the evacuation of more than 140,000 people and 12 years of cleanup efforts totaling about $973 million.http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2002/6-20-agnes-revisited.htm#morehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/three/filmmore/description.htmlhttp://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf36.html

During the leadership of Mayor Stephen Reed from 1982-2009, Harrisburg experienced an economic rennaissance. During his tenure, Reed focused his efforts on attracting tourists and businesses to the city. He was responsible for the creation of new hotels and office buildings, and he oversaw the construction of the National Civil War Museum and the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. He was nominated for a World Mayor Award in 2006.http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/harrisburg_mayor.html

Harrisburg is 11.44 square miles (8.1 land; 3.3 water). Its altitude is 320 feet above sea level, which offers an average annual temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit The closest major cities to Harrisburg are Baltimore, MD (69.5 miles), Allentown, PA (77 miles) and Philadelphia, PA (93.7 miles).http://www.idcide.com/weather/pa/harrisburg.htm

• The State Museum of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania's official museum since 1905, it has a planetarium and features four floors of exhibits; it also includes archaeological artifacts, minerals, decorative arts, etc.http://www.statemuseumpa.org/

• Art Association of Harrisburg: Founded in 1926, it features six invitational exhibitions; annual exhibits are arranged by area, national, and international artists.http://www.planetware.com/harrisburg/art-association-of-harrisburg-us-pa-432.htm

• City Island: Located in the Susquenhanna River, this municipal park is located on an island and includes nature trails, jogging tracks, and a bathing beach.http://www.planetware.com/harrisburg/city-island-us-pa-cis.htm

• Fort Hunter Mansion: A fully restored, 19th-century plantation complex that is surrounded by a 40-acre park overlooking the Susquehanna River and the Blue Mountain Range; it includes picnic pavillions, children's play equipment, and a walking area on the riverfront.http://www.planetware.com/harrisburg/fort-hunter-mansion-us-pa-751.htm

• Harrisburg Opera Association: Holds performances at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts several times a year; over 45 productions have been enacted to date.http://www.planetware.com/harrisburg/harrisburg-opera-us-pa-382.htm

• The State Capitol: Situated on two acres, the Italian Renaissance building contains 600-plus rooms; it features a 272-foot dome, bronze doors, stained glass windows and a marble staircase fashioned after that of the Paris Grand Opera House.http://www.planetware.com/harrisburg/state-capitol-us-pa-pa666.htm

• Christian Bowman: Actorhttp://www.tv.com/christian-bowman/person/311072/summary.html

• LeSean McCoy: Professional Football Player http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12514

• Kenny Watson: Professional Football Playerhttp://www.nfl.com/players/kennywatson/profile?id=WAT450800

• Kris Wilson: Professional Football Playerhttp://www.nfl.com/players/kriswilson/profile?id=WIL741016

• Edwin Sherin: Filmmakerhttp://www.filmreference.com/film/12/Edwin-Sherin.html

• Glenn Branca: Musicianhttp://www.glennbranca.com/bio.html

• Dan Hartman: Musicianhttp://www.discogs.com/artist/Dan+Hartman

• BlogHarrisburg.com: Harrisburg, PA Blogs