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==History== ===18th century=== In the early 18th century, the area that is present-day Allentown was a wilderness of [[Quercus ilicifolia|scrub oak]], where the [[Lenape]], an [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous tribe]], fished for trout and hunted for deer, grouse, and other game. On May 18, 1732, the land was deeded by [[Thomas Penn]], one of three sons of [[William Penn]], founder of the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial era]] [[Province of Pennsylvania]], to [[Joseph Turner (loyalist)|Joseph Turner]], a [[Philadelphia]]-based [[Iron ore|iron]] manufacturer and politician. Two years later, on September 10, 1735, a {{convert|5000|acre|km2|adj=on}} portion of this land was purchased from Turner's business partner by [[William Allen (loyalist)|William Allen]], a wealthy shipping merchant who became [[mayor of Philadelphia]] the following month.<ref name="Allentown1916"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.phila.gov/phils/Mayorlst.htm |title=Mayors of the City of Philadelphia 1691-1998 |date=January 13, 1998 |website=phila.gov |publisher=City of Philadelphia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222024814/https://www.phila.gov/phils/Mayorlst.htm |access-date=January 7, 2025|archive-date=February 22, 2021 }}</ref> In 1737, as part of the [[Walking Purchase]], a large area north of Philadelphia, including present-day Allentown, was deeded by 23 chiefs of the [[Five Civilized Tribes]] to three sons of William Penn, [[John Penn ("the American")|John]], Thomas, and [[Richard Penn Sr.|Richard]], in exchange for shoes, buckles, hats, shirts, knives, scissors, combs, needles, [[Mirror|looking glasses]], rum, and pipes.<ref name="bicen">Allentown PA Bicentennial β Lehigh Country Sesquicentennial 1962 Commemorative Book</ref> The land was surveyed in 1736 and again in 1753 as part of an effort to construct a road from [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]] to the city's east to [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]] to its west.<ref name="Allentown1916"/> The 1753 survey reported that a [[log house]], owned by Allen and built around 1740, existed near the western banks of [[Jordan Creek (Pennsylvania)|Jordan Creek]]. The house was used primarily as a hunting and fishing lodge by Allen, but he also entertained prominent guests there, including [[James Hamilton (Pennsylvania politician)|James Hamilton]], his brother-in-law, and John Penn, then governor of the Province of Pennsylvania.<ref name="Allentown1916">Page 17. Source indicates that the foundations of the lodge were located and destroyed in 1845 when excavations took place.</ref> In 1752, [[Northampton County, Pennsylvania|Northampton]] and [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks]] counties were formed; Easton was named the [[county seat]] of Northampton County, and Reading the county seat of Berks County. In 1762, the land, including present-day Allentown, was named and laid out by Allen, and the city was founded.<ref>[https://www.lehighvalleyhistory.com/allentown-city/ "Allentown"] at Lehigh Valley History</ref> A rivalry between the Penns and Allen may have inspired Allen to acquire the land and found the city.<ref name="bicen"/> The following year, in 1763, Allen and others sought to relocate the county seat from Easton to Allentown, but the Penns' influence prevailed and the county seat remained in Easton.<ref name="bicen"/> The city's original organization, whose archives are now housed at the [[Historical Society of Pennsylvania]] in Philadelphia, included 42 city blocks and 756 lots, most of which were {{convert|60|ft|m}} in width and {{convert|230|ft|m}} in depth and was initially located between present-day 4th and 10th streets and Union and Liberty streets. The city was initially named Northampton Towne. Many streets on the original plan were named for Allen's children, including Margaret (now 5th Street), William (now 6th Street), James (now 8th Street), Ann (now 9th Street), and John (now Walnut Street). Allen Street (now 7th Street), the city's main street, was named for Allen himself. [[Hamilton Street]] was named for James Hamilton, deputy governor of colonial era Pennsylvania from 1748 to 1754. Gordon Street was named for [[Patrick Gordon (governor)|Patrick Gordon]], an earlier deputy governor of colonial Pennsylvania. Chew Street was named for [[Benjamin Chew]], and Turner Street was named for Allen's business partner Joseph Turner.<ref name="Allentown1916"/> Allen initially hoped the city would displace Easton as the seat of Northampton County and become a major national center for commerce due to its location along the [[Lehigh River]] and its proximity to Philadelphia, which was then the largest and most influential city in [[British America]] and the second-most populous city in the entire [[British Empire]] after London.<ref>[https://globalphiladelphia.org/organizations/city-philadelphia "City of Philadelphia"], Global Philadelphia</ref> In 1767, Allen granted the land to his son James.<ref name = "Proceedings">{{Cite journal |last=Roberts |first=Charles R. |title=William Allen, the Founder of Allentown, and His Descendants |journal=Proceedings of the Lehigh County Historical Society |issue=1st |pages=22β43 |publisher=Lehigh County Historical Society |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7VL8u8BCkUC |year=1908 |access-date=August 17, 2008 |archive-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920173558/https://books.google.com/books?id=j7VL8u8BCkUC |url-status=live}}</ref> ====American Revolutionary War==== {{Further|Pennsylvania in the American Revolution}} {{See also|Farr Building|High German Evangelical Reformed Church}} [[File:2021 - Farr and Haas Buildings - Allentown PA.jpg|thumb|The [[Farr Building]] at 739 [[Hamilton Street]], where a hospital treated wounded [[Continental Army]] troops during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]]] Allentown played a central role in inspiring and supporting the [[American Revolution]] and [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. Some of the first [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] resistance to [[British colonization of the Americas|British colonialism]] in the [[Thirteen Colonies]] began in and around present-day Allentown. On December 21, 1774, a [[Committee of safety (American Revolution)|Committee of Observation]] was formed by Allentown-area patriots, who expanded their resistance to British governance and drove [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Tories]] out of the city. The burden of supplying the local militias fell on the people, and requisitions for food, grain, cattle, horses, and cloth were common.<ref name="Moll">{{cite web |url=https://www.angelfire.com/pa5/mollpa/ |title=The Moll Family In Pennsylvania |website=[[Angelfire]] |access-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624203658/http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/mollpa/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In June 1775, after the Revolutionary War was launched with the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]], the [[Second Continental Congress]] incorporated Patriot militias, including those in present-day Allentown, into the [[Continental Army]] and unanimously selected [[George Washington]] as its commander. During the Revolutionary War, [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian]] prisoners of war were kept in Allentown in the vicinity of present-day 7th and Gordon streets, and the city housed four hospitals for wounded Continental Army troops, including one in [[High German Evangelical Reformed Church|Zion Reformed Church]] and one on the grounds of the present-day [[Farr Building]]. After [[George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|crossing the Delaware]] and prevailing in the [[Battle of Trenton]] on December 26, 1776, Continental Army commander George Washington and his staff traveled through Allentown, where they proceeded up Water Street, which is present-day [[Lehigh Street]]. On the grounds of present-day Wire Mill on Lehigh Street, Washington and his staff stopped at the foot of the street, where they rested and watered their horses, and then proceeded to their post of duty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lehighvalleyhistory.com/allentown-city |title=Allentown City β Lehigh Valley History |website=lehighvalleyhistory.com |access-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024043615/http://lehighvalleyhistory.com/allentown-city |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1777, a manufacturer of [[paper cartridge]]s and [[musket]]s for the Continental Army relocated to Allentown from neighboring [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]], and a shop of 16 [[armourer]]s was established on [[Little Lehigh Creek]], which was used to repair Continental Army weapons and manufacture [[saddle]]s and [[scabbard]]s.<ref name="Allentown1916"/> =====Liberty Bell's hiding===== {{Further|Liberty Bell}} [[File:First Bridge Across Lehigh River.jpg|thumb|Hamilton Street Bridge, constructed between 1812 and 1814, the first bridge built across the [[Lehigh River]]. Three times since, in 1841, 1862, and 1902, it was destroyed by flooding and subsequently rebuilt. In the 1980s, the bridge was extensively refurbished.]] [[File:2007 - South Eighth Street Viaduct.jpg|thumb|[[Albertus L. Meyers Bridge]], which crosses the [[Little Lehigh Creek|Little Lehigh River]] at 8th Street in Allentown, the longest ({{convert|2650|ft|m}}) and highest ({{convert|138|ft|m}}) concrete bridge in the world at the time of its 1913 opening<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://transportationhistory.org/2021/11/17/1913-the-inauguration-of-a-record-breaking-bridge-in-pennsylvanias-lehigh-valley-region/ |title=1913: The Inauguration of a Record-Breaking Bridge in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Region |website=Transportationhistory.org |date=November 17, 2021 |access-date=May 9, 2023 |archive-date=May 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509215956/https://transportationhistory.org/2021/11/17/1913-the-inauguration-of-a-record-breaking-bridge-in-pennsylvanias-lehigh-valley-region/ |url-status=live}}</ref>]] Allentown holds historical significance as the location where the [[Liberty Bell]], then known as the State House Bell, was successfully hidden from September 1777 to June 1778, during the Revolutionary War by [[Patriot (American Revolution)|American patriots]], who sought to avoid its capture by the [[British Army during the American Revolutionary War|British Army]] during their nine-month [[Philadelphia campaign|occupation of Philadelphia]]. After Washington and the Continental Army were defeated in the [[Battle of Brandywine]] in [[Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania]] on September 11, 1777, Philadelphia was left defenseless and American patriots began preparing for what they saw as an imminent British attack on the colonial capital. [[Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council]] ordered that 11 bells, including the Liberty Bell and ten bells then housed at [[Christ Church, Philadelphia|Christ Church]] and [[St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Philadelphia)|St. Peter's Church]] in Philadelphia, be taken down and moved out of Philadelphia to protect them from the British, fearing their being melted down and cast into munitions. Two farmers and wagon masters, John Snyder and Henry Bartholomew, then transported the Liberty Bell north to present-day Allentown, where it was hidden under floorboards in the basement of [[High German Evangelical Reformed Church|Zion Reformed Church]] at 622 [[Hamilton Street]] in [[Center City Allentown]], just prior to Philadelphia's September 1777 fall to the British. ===19th century=== In 1803, the city, whose mail was previously received in neighboring [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]], had a post office established inside Compass and Square Hotel inside the present-day Penn National Bank building at 645 [[Hamilton Street]] in Allentown. In the [[1810 United States census|1810 U.S. census]], the city's population exceeded 700 residents, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted the city legal standing on March 18, 1811, incorporating it initially as the Borough of Northampton in what was then [[Northampton County, Pennsylvania|Northampton County]]. The new borough's first undertaking was ordering that cows be moved from public streets to pastures, which proved unpopular with residents. The following year, in 1812, the city became part of [[Lehigh County, Pennsylvania|Lehigh County]], which was partitioned from a western section of Northampton County.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT">{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=70xGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA142 |title=Past, Present, and Future of the City of Allentown, Pa |date=October 23, 1886 |publisher=Daily chronicle and news print |access-date=October 23, 2017 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Throughout the early 1800s, the city grew primarily as a court and market town. Northampton Bank, the city's first bank located at the northeast corner of Center Square, was chartered in July 1814, and the first Hamilton Street Bridge, a {{convert|530|ft|m}}-long chain structure, was constructed to cross [[Lehigh River]] in the city. The bridge featured two suspended lanes, one for east and one for westbound traffic, and a toll house at the bridge's western end.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/><ref name="LCHS1">Allentown, 1762β1987, a 225 Year history, Volume II, 1921β1987, Lehigh County Historical Society, 1987.</ref> In 1829, [[Lehigh Canal]], a {{convert|46.6|mi}}-long canal on Lehigh River's east side, was completed for both ascending and descending navigation, which proved influential in expanding the transport of [[anthracite|anthracite coal]], then one of the most important domestic and industrial fuels, from Allentown to [[New York City]], [[Philadelphia]], and other major industrial centers.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="HAER">HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD, Hamilton Street Bridge (Dam #7), HAER No. PA-89 Jean P. Yearby, HA.ER, 1985, United States Department of the Interior, Philadelphia, PA, 19106</ref> In 1855, the city's first railroad was built on the west side of the Lehigh River, and rail soon began surpassing river transport as the primary means for transporting anthracite through the city.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="HAER"/> In 1838, the city's name was officially changed to Allentown. The city soon faced major challenges. In 1841, a flood swept away Hamilton Street Bridge, inflicting substantial damage near Lehigh River. Two years later, in 1843, excessive speculation by Northampton Bank led to the bank's failure, resulting in financial ruin for many bank customers. Five years later, on June 1, 1848, the city's central business district burned down in a large fire between 7th and 8th streets on Hamilton Street. During the 1850s, however, the city began recovering. A new bridge was built across the Lehigh River, and brick buildings were constructed to replace wooden ones that burned down in the 1848 fire. In 1852, the first [[Great Allentown Fair|Allentown Fair]], now one of the nation's longest continual annual fairs, was held.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> ====American Civil War==== {{Further|Pennsylvania in the American Civil War}} [[File:1920 - Allentown First Defenders Civil War Memorial in West Park.jpg|thumb|A 1920 postcard of West End Park on Linden Street featuring a statue of [[Ignatz Gresser]], a [[Union army]] soldier from Allentown who was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for acts of valor during the [[Battle of Antietam]]]] [[File:1911 - First Defender Reunion at Center Square.jpg|thumb|The 50th reunion of Allentown's First Defenders, a Union army unit during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], in front of Soldiers and Sailors Monument at [[Hamilton Street|Hamilton]] and S. 7th streets in [[Center City Allentown|Center City]] on [[Memorial Day]] in 1911]] On April 13, 1861, with tensions between the [[Union (American Civil War)|North]] and [[Confederate States of America|South]] intensifying following the [[Origins of the American Civil War|South's secession]], residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties called a public meeting in [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]] to discuss steps that could be taken to support the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028854201 |publisher=Everts & Richards |date=1884 |first1=Alfred |last1=Mathews |first2=Austin N. |last2=Hungerford}}</ref> In the meeting, citizens voted to establish and equip the [[1st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment|1st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry]], a new military unit, and placed Captain Samuel Yohe of Easton and Thomas W. Lynn in charge of it, awarding them the respective ranks of colonel and major. Tilghman H. Good of [[South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania|South Whitehall Township]], previously captain of Allen Rifles, an Allentown-based militia, and commander of the [[4th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment]], was placed in charge of the 1st Pennsylvania's Company I, which included his former Allen Rifles subordinates and members of Jordan Artillerist, another Allentown-based militia. In April 1861, following the Confederate [[Battle of Fort Sumter|bombardment of Fort Sumter]], these Allentown units were deployed in response to [[President Lincoln's 75,000 volunteers|President Lincoln's call]] for 75,000 volunteers to defend the national capital of [[Washington, D.C.]] from Confederate attack.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A history of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, from the earliest settlements to the present time, including much valuable information for the use of schools, families, libraries |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoflehighc00hause |publisher=Allentown, Pa., Jacks, the printer |date=1902 |first=James Joseph |last=Hauser}}</ref> After protecting the nation's capital from April to July 1861, these volunteers were honorably discharged and returned home, though a significant number reenlisted to defend the Union as the Civil War escalated.<ref name="bicen" /><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Penn Germania ...: A Popular Journal of German History and Ideals in the United States |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SDFEAQAAMAAJ |publisher=P.C. Croll |date=1912 |first1=Philip Columbus |last1=Croll |first2=Henry Addison |last2=Schuler |first3=Howard Wiegner |last3=Kriebel}}</ref> After the Civil War's end, many of these soldiers were named [[Pennsylvania First Defenders]] in recognition of their role as one of the first five units to answer Lincoln's call for volunteers to defend the nation's capital. =====47th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry===== {{Main|47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment}} On August 5, 1861, [[Andrew Gregg Curtin]], the Civil War-era [[Governor of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania governor]], granted Tilghman H. Good authority to create the [[47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment]], a new unit commonly known as the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers.<ref>[https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/officers/roster-field-and-staff-officers-47th-pennsylvania-volunteers/colonel-tilghman-h-good/ "Colonel Tilghman H. Good,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705073151/https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/officers/roster-field-and-staff-officers-47th-pennsylvania-volunteers/colonel-tilghman-h-good/ |date=July 5, 2022 }} ''47th Pennsylvania Volunteers: One Civil War Regiment's Story'', 2014.</ref> Good secured the assistance of William H. Gausler of Allentown, who was commissioned as a major with the regiment's central command staff, and [[John P. S. Gobin|John Peter Shindel Gobin]], a senior officer with Sunbury Guards in [[Northumberland County, Pennsylvania|Northumberland County]], who was repeatedly cited for valor and was promoted to colonel and ultimately as commanding officer of the regiment.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates. |url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ABY3439.0001.001/1172?rgn=full+text;view=image;q1=1150 |website=quod.lib.umich.edu |access-date=January 22, 2016 |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127141334/http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ABY3439.0001.001/1172?rgn=full+text;view=image;q1=1150 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>"[https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/officers/roster-field-and-staff-officers-47th-pennsylvania-volunteers/the-honorable-john-peter-shindel-gobin/ The Honorable John Peter Shindel Gobin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112070013/https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/officers/roster-field-and-staff-officers-47th-pennsylvania-volunteers/the-honorable-john-peter-shindel-gobin/ |date=January 12, 2023 }}," in ''47th Pennsylvania Volunteers: One Civil War Regiment's Story'', 2015.</ref> Companies A and E of the regiment were recruited primarily from Easton and Northampton County; Companies B, G, I, and K were largely recruited from Allentown; Company C was recruited from Northumberland and [[Juniata County, Pennsylvania|Juniata]] counties; Company F was primarily composed of men from the Allentown suburb of [[Catasauqua, Pennsylvania|Catasaqua]]; and Companies D and H were recruited from [[Perry County, Pennsylvania|Perry County]]. The 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers achieved Union victories at the [[Battle of St. Johns Bluff]] in Florida (October 1β3, 1862) before suffering a costly defeat in the [[Second Battle of Pocotaligo]] in South Carolina (October 21β23, 1862). They were the only Pennsylvania regiment to fight in the [[Union army]]'s [[Red River campaign]] across [[Louisiana]] in 1864.<ref>"[https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/2016/04/09/red-river-campaign-louisiana-march-to-may-1864/ Red River Campaign (Louisiana, March to June 1864)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112070018/https://47thpennsylvaniavolunteers.com/2016/04/09/red-river-campaign-louisiana-march-to-may-1864/ |date=January 12, 2023 }}," in ''47th Pennsylvania Volunteers: One Civil War Regiment's Story'', 2014.</ref> While sustaining numerous casualties during the Red River campaign, the 47th Pennsylvania helped [[Turning point of the American Civil War|turn the Civil War]] in the Union's favor, contributing to influential military victories in [[Philip Sheridan|General Sheridan's]] [[Valley campaigns of 1864|1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign]] across Virginia, including in the Battles of [[Battle of Berryville|Berryville]], [[Third Battle of Winchester|Opequan]], [[Battle of Fisher's Hill|Fisher's Hill]], and [[Battle of Cedar Creek|Cedar Creek]], and then again contributing to the nation's defense following [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's assassination]] on April 15, 1865.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=About the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers |url=https://47thpennsylvania.wordpress.com/about/ |website=47th Pennsylvania Volunteers |access-date=January 22, 2016 |language=en-US |date=May 25, 2014 |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127040008/https://47thpennsylvania.wordpress.com/about/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=A Civil War history of the 47th Regiment of Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers: the wrong place at the wrong time |publisher=L.G. Schmidt |date=1986 |location=Allentown |first=Lewis G |last=Schmidt |oclc=15166408}}</ref> Other known Union military units from Allentown included the 5th, 41st, [[128th Pennsylvania Infantry|128th]], and 176th Pennsylvania Infantries.<ref name="bicen" /><ref name="LCHS1" /> On October 19, 1899, Allentown erected and dedicated Soldiers and Sailors Monument, at Hamilton and S. 7th streets in [[Center City Allentown|Center City]], where it still stands, in honor of these Union soldiers from Allentown and local Lehigh Valley towns and boroughs who were killed in defense of the Union during the Civil War.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/><ref>[http://www.wfmz.com/features/historys-headlines/soldiers-and-sailors-monument-saluting-lehigh-county-veterans-for-over-100-years/16493218 "Soldiers and Sailors Monument Saluting Lehigh County for over 100 years," WFMZ, July 12, 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111005836/http://www.wfmz.com/features/historys-headlines/soldiers-and-sailors-monument-saluting-lehigh-county-veterans-for-over-100-years/16493218 |date=January 11, 2017 }}, retrieved January 10, 2016.</ref> ====Industrialization==== {{further|Industrial Revolution in the United States}} [[File:1889 - Allentown Iron Works.jpg|thumb|Allentown Rolling Mill Company, a sizable 19th and early 20th century iron and steel manufacturer on Washington Street in Allentown, in 1889]] [[File:1910 - Adelaide Silk Mill.jpg|thumb|Adelaide Silk Mill in Allentown, which opened in 1881 and was one of the world's largest [[silk mill]]s throughout the early 20th century, in 1910]] [[File:1910 - Center Square Looking West.jpg|thumb|Allentown's Center Square at N. 7th and [[Hamilton Street|Hamilton]] streets in present-day [[Center City Allentown|Center City]], in 1910]] [[File:1945 Mack Trucks Plant 5C.jpg|thumb|[[Mack Trucks]]' assembly plant in Allentown in 1945; the company was headquartered in Allentown from 1905 until to 2008, when it relocated to [[Greensboro, North Carolina]].]] [[File:1950 Hamilton Street 500 Block looking West.jpg|thumb|West Hamilton and 6th streets in Allentown in 1950]] In the late 18th century, Allentown began growing slowly as a hub for commerce and industrialization and as a [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial era]] population center. Prior to the American Revolution, there were 54 homes and approximately 330 residents. In 1782, there were 59 houses and over 100 cows. In 1783, the town was described by a visitor, "One gets a glimpse of many good stone houses, many of them very neat, and everything about the premises shows good order and attention. The people are mainly [[Germans|German]] who speak bad English and distressing [[German language|German]]." In 1795, ''[[Gazette of the United States]]'' described Allentown as: <blockquote>A handsome and flourishing town of Northampton County, pleasantly situated on the point of land formed by the junction of the [[Jordan Creek (Pennsylvania)|Jordan Creek]] and [[Little Lehigh Creek|Little Lehigh]]. It is regularly laid out and contains about ninety dwellings, a [[Protestantism in Germany|German Lutheran]] and a [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] (Zion) Church, an Academy and three merchant mills.<ref name="bicen"/></blockquote> In 1792, land north of Allentown was purchased by [[Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company]] for [[coal mining]], but it initially proved difficult to transport the region's high quality [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] over what was then a primitive trail system. Only a limited amount of anthracite was mined until 1818, when the company began constructing [[Lehigh Canal]], which allowed coal to be transported from Mauch Chunk, later renamed [[Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania|Jim Thorpe]], down the [[Lehigh River]] to the river's confluence with the [[Delaware River]] in [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]]. In the late 18th century, Allentown's industrial development accelerated. David Deshler, Allentown's first shopkeeper, opened a [[sawmill]] in the city in 1782. By 1814, industrial plants in Allentown included flour mills, sawmills, two saddle makers, a tannery and tan yard, a woolen mill, a card weaving plant, two gunsmiths, two tobacconists, two clockmakers, and two printers.<ref name="bicen"/> In 1818, the opening of Lehigh Canal transformed Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh Valley from a rural agricultural area dominated by German-speaking people into one of the nation's first urbanized industrialized areas, expanding the city's commercial and industrial capacity. Allentown underwent significant [[Industrialisation|industrialization]], and the city began evolving into a major national center for heavy industry and [[manufacturing]]. In the 1840s, [[iron ore]] beds were discovered in hills around Allentown, and a furnace was constructed in 1846 by Allentown Iron Core Company for production of [[pig iron]], a [[intermediate good|vital component]] used in the [[Steelmaking|manufacturing of steel]]. The furnace opened in 1847 under supervision of Samuel Lewis, an expert in [[Ferrous metallurgy|iron production]], and was followed by the opening of other Allentown plants for production of a wide variety of metal products. In 1860, several smaller iron companies merged to create Allentown Rolling Mill Company, which became Allentown's largest iron company and contributed to the region's emergence as a major national source for iron ore.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/> In 1850, [[Leh's]], a shoe and [[ready-to-wear]] clothing store, was opened in the city by Henry Leh. By 1861, as the Civil War commenced, Leh's emerged as a major source of military boots for Union troops. In addition to Leh's, eight brick yards, a saw mill, a paint factory, two additional shoe factories, a piano factory, flour mills, breweries, and distilleries opened in Allentown during the Civil War era.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> In 1855, the first railroads to reach Allentown opened, representing direct competition to Lehigh Canal for coal transport. [[Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad]] ordered four locomotives, and train stations were built in Allentown, [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]], and Mauch Chunk. In September 1855, the railroad became operational with [[Central Railroad of New Jersey]] providing transport between Allentown and [[New York City]]. Transport between Allentown and Philadelphia also became available over Perkiomen Railroad, which operated between [[Norristown, Pennsylvania|Norristown]] and [[Freemansburg, Pennsylvania|Freemansburg]].<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/> With industrialization, Allentown emerged as a major regional and national center for banking and finance. In 1860, William H. Ainey founded Allentown Savings and served as its first president. In 1864, Second National Bank of Allentown was formed, and Ainey was elected its first president, a position he held until his death. Ainey contributed to Allentown's industrial and retail growth, helping finance Iowa Barb Wire Company, which was later absorbed by [[AK Steel Holding|American Steel & Wire]], Pioneer Silk Factory, Palace Silk Mill, and Allentown Spinning Company.<ref name="LCHS1"/> In the late 1870s, however, Allentown's iron industry collapsed, leaving the city economically depressed. Efforts were made to diversify the city's industrial base, including convincing [[Phoenix Manufacturing Company]] to open a [[silk]] mill in the city. In 1886, Adelaide Mill at Race and Court streets prompted the opening of Pioneer Silk Mill, and the city quickly emerged as a national leader in silk manufacturing. By the late 19th century, the silk industry emerged as Allentown's largest industry, and it remained the city's largest industry through the end of the 20th century. In 1914, there were 26 silk mills in the city. By 1928, with the introduction of [[rayon]], the number of Allentown silk mills grew to 85. In the 1940s, during the height of Allentown's silk industry, over 10,000 people were employed in the industry in the city.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> In 1883, Allentown Boiler Works was founded in Allentown by Charles Collum, whose partner, John D. Knouse, built a large facility at 3rd and Gordon streets in Allentown's First Ward near [[Lehigh Valley Railroad]]'s yard, which later became Kline's Island. The company manufactured iron products, some of which were used in high-profile construction projects, including construction of the [[White House]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], and the [[United States Military Academy|U.S. Military Academy]] at [[West Point, New York|West Point]]. The company's boilers and [[kilns]] were used in the production of iron products, which were sold nationally and internationally to customers in [[Canada]], [[Cuba]], and the [[Philippines]].<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/> Through the end of [[World War I]], [[brickworks]] flourished in Allentown. Clay unearthed in various sections of the city and its suburbs was used in manufacturing building brick and [[fire brick]], the first Allentown products shipped by rail and sold nationally.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="BOT"/> A vibrant food processing industry also began emerging, due largely to the arrival of predominantly [[Germans|German]] immigrant bakers, who were among the city's first settlers. In 1887, Wilson Arbogast and Morris C. Bastian formed Arbogast and Bastian, which provided large scale commercial slaughtering.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> In 1896, Max Hess, a retailer from [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey]], visited Allentown and began developing the city's first department store. He and his brother Charles opened [[Hess's|Hess Brothers]] at 9th and [[Hamilton Street|Hamilton]] streets. Hess's developed a reputation for flamboyance, offering the latest European fashion apparel. Hess's opening was followed by the opening of the city's second major department store, Zollinger-Harned Company, located in the [[Zollinger-Harned Company Building]] on Hamilton Street.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> Allentown also began emerging as a major national center for beer [[brewing]]. Notable Allentown-based breweries included Horlacher Brewery (founded 1897, closed 1978),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.falstaffbrewing.com/horlacher.htm |title=Horlacher Brewing Company |access-date=June 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607155057/http://www.falstaffbrewing.com/horlacher.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Neuweiler Brewery]] (founded 1875, closed 1968),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pabreweryhistorians.tripod.com/neuweiler.html |title=Neuweiler Brewery |access-date=June 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622190943/http://pabreweryhistorians.tripod.com/neuweiler.html |archive-date=June 22, 2008}}</ref> and [[Schaefer Beer]], whose brewery was later acquired by [[Pabst Brewing Company|Pabst]] and [[Guinness]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/pwatch/pw011203.htm |title=$44 Million Guinness Investment Will Create 250 Jobs at Pennsylvania Brewery |access-date=June 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629111341/http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/pwatch/pw011203.htm |archive-date=June 29, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> and is now owned by [[Boston Beer Company]], brewer of [[Samuel Adams (beer)|Samuel Adams beer]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.pennlive.com/lvbreakingnews/2007/08/sam_adams_purchases_upper_macu.html |title=Sam Adams purchases Upper Macungie Twp. plant for $55 M |access-date=January 12, 2011 |date=August 3, 2007 |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322014027/http://blog.pennlive.com/lvbreakingnews/2007/08/sam_adams_purchases_upper_macu.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ===20th century=== In 1905, Jack and Gus Mack moved [[Mack Trucks]], their motor company, from [[Brooklyn]] to Allentown, taking over the foundries of Weaver-Hirsh on S. 10th Street. By 1914, Mack Trucks developed a global reputation for manufacturing sturdy and reliable trucks and vehicles. Many were sent to [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] battlefields in France just before the [[American entry into World War I|U.S. entered]] [[World War I]] in April 1917. The [[British Army]] nicknamed [[Mack AC]]'s five and seven-ton trucks the "Bulldog", which was later adopted as the company's corporate brand. Throughout the 20th century, Mack Trucks grew substantially, ultimately including eight Allentown-based manufacturing plants.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> In the early 20th century, largely as a result of Pennsylvania missionaries, Christians from [[Wadi al-Nasara]] in [[Syria]] began settling in Allentown. Syrian Christians ultimately developed a significant presence in the city, based largely in Allentown's Sixth Ward.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=E. Allen |title=Strangers in This Land: Religion, Pluralism and the American Dream |date=2010 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina and London |isbn=978-0-7864-3539-5 |page=18 |edition=Revised |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TiNAgAAQBAJ}}</ref> As of 2015, there were an estimated 5,200 [[Syrian Americans]] in Allentown and surrounding Lehigh Valley cities and towns.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. In America's Little Syria, a divide on accepting refugees |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/syria-refugees-syrians-allentown-pennsylvania-americas-little-syria/ |access-date=4 November 2024 |work=CBS |agency=Associated Press |date=20 November 2015}}</ref> Like several other regions in Pennsylvania, [[Pennsylvania Dutch language|Pennsylvania German]]-speaking residents existed in Allentown into the early 20th century. [[American Guide Series|Pennsylvania Guide]], compiled during the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] by the [[Federal Writers' Project|Writers' Project]] of the [[Works Progress Administration]], described the impact of the [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] on Allentown's linguistic landscape, reporting in 1940 that:<ref>{{Cite book |title=Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State |last=Federal Writers' Project |date=1940 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=1st |page=182 |location=New York}}</ref>{{Blockquote |text=Allentown is among the few large Pennsylvania cities where newspapers still carry columns written in the dialect. Although English predominates on the streets, there is a tendency to enunciate the 'v' with open lips, to soften the hard 'g' into 'ch,' and to use too frequently such words as 'already,' 'yet,' and 'once.' Here also are heard such colloquialisms as 'the pie is all,' (all gone) and 'it wonders (mystifies) me.' |author=[[Federal Writers' Project]]|title="Part II: Cities and Towns" |source=''Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State'' (1940)}} In October 1945, following the end of [[World War II]], [[Western Electric]] opened a plant on Union Boulevard in Allentown. Six years later, in October 1951, the company manufactured and released the world's first [[transistor]], produced at the Allentown-based plant, and the Allentown-based company emerged as a leader in the nation's [[Aftermath of World War II|post-war]] electronics revolution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.mcall.com/1995-10-08/business/3069670_1_new-location-western-s-electric-s-50th-full-story |title=At&t Decided To Bring High Tech 50 Years Ago |website=mcall.com |access-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117013920/http://articles.mcall.com/1995-10-08/business/3069670_1_new-location-western-s-electric-s-50th-full-story |url-status=dead}}</ref> By the mid-20th century, Allentown was a major retailing and entertainment center distinct and separate from [[Philadelphia]] and [[New York City]]. Hess's, Leh's, and Zollinger department stores led to retail sector growth in the city, and dozens of smaller retail stores, restaurants, hotels, banks, and professional offices emerged in present-day [[Center City Allentown|Center City]], which was then referred to as downtown Allentown. At least seven cinemas and stage theaters were developed on Hamilton Street between 5th and 10th streets.<ref name="bicen"/><ref name="LCHS1"/> ====Deindustrialization and Rust Belt==== {{Further|Deindustrialization|Rust Belt}} [[File:1974 - Hamilton Mall Postcard.jpg|thumb|A 1974 postcard of Hamilton Mall in [[Center City Allentown|Center City]], an ultimately failed attempt to redevelop Allentown's central business district as residents began fleeing the city for its suburbs in the 1970s]] [[File:2018 - Center Square - Looking Northeast - 12 Oct - Allentown PA.jpg|thumb|The entrance to [[PPL Center]] (on left) in Center City in October 2018]] By the mid-1960s, Allentown's economy was booming for decades, but the city's rising taxes and regulations prohibited the city's expansion, leading many Allentown residents, especially those from the post-[[World War II]] [[baby boomers|baby boom generation]], to flee Allentown for its suburbs. [[Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania|Salisbury]], [[South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania|South Whitehall]], and [[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania|Whitehall]] townships each had large areas of farmland, which were prime locations for residential real estate development. A significant portion of Allentown's [[working class]] began migrating to the newer and more affordable housing developments in these suburbs, which offered lower taxes, more green space, less crime, and newer schools. Throughout the late 20th century, the departure of Allentown residents for its suburbs began representing a major challenge to the city's government and [[Allentown School District|school district]], both of which began experiencing significantly diminished resources. Allentown School District's financial challenges, in turn, further increased working class flight to the city's suburbs, creating a sea change in the city's demographics. With the departure of many working class families from older [[Center City Allentown|Center City]] [[List of Allentown neighborhoods|neighborhoods]], many of the city's homes were sold to landlords who converted them into inexpensive multifamily apartments, a considerable portion of which were transformed into [[Section 8 (housing)|government-subsidized housing projects]], which was then permitted under the city's lax zoning and city codes. With Allentown's neighborhoods and school system declining, the city focused on attempting to develop its [[Hamilton Street]] retail district, largely ignoring Allentown neighborhoods not located in Center City. This, in turn, further increased the flight of Allentown residents to the city's suburbs, leading to the development of a growing number of suburban shopping centers and services, which were built to accommodate these expanding suburban communities. In 1966, [[Whitehall Mall]], the first closed shopping mall north of Philadelphia, opened in Whitehall Township. Ten years later, in 1976, [[Lehigh Valley Mall]], a second suburban closed mall even larger than Whitehall Mall, opened north of [[U.S. Route 22 in Pennsylvania|U.S. Route 22]] in [[Fullerton, Pennsylvania|Fullerton]]. Stores in Allentown's downtown shopping district began closing, replaced with stores whose customers were less affluent and large downtown areas that were razed and replaced with parking lots. In an attempt to compete with fast-growing and newer suburban shopping areas, the downtown Allentown business district was rebuilt with a multiblock row of stores known as Hamilton Mall, featuring newly covered sidewalks and managed traffic patterns. The city's economic plight began being citing as a prominent example of a [[Rust Belt]] city. In 1982, [[Billy Joel]] released the single "[[Allentown (song)|Allentown]]", the lead song on ''[[The Nylon Curtain]]'' album, which addressed the city's economic plight in the late 20th century. The effort to rebuild the downtown shopping district ultimately proved unsuccessful, and two of the city's major department stores, Leh's and Zollingers, closed by 1990. The third, [[Hess's]], was sold to [[The Bon-Ton]] in 1994, which closed its Hamilton Mall location two years later, in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allentownpa.gov/Play/History |title=History |website=allentownpa.gov |access-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024154418/https://www.allentownpa.gov/Play/History |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1993, Corporate Center, the city's new flagship business center on N. 7th Street, fell victim to a large [[sinkhole]], leading to its condemnation and ultimate demolition. Combined with challenges confronting Center City, Allentown also was heavily impacted by a significant downturn in manufacturing throughout the [[Northeastern United States|U.S. Northeast]], which began undergoing and suffering from [[deindustrialization]], a product of foreign competition, trade policies, and relatively higher U.S.-based manufacturing costs. Many Allentown factories and corporations began closing or relocating. ===21st century=== {{See also|Economy of Allentown, Pennsylvania|Neighborhood Improvement Zone}} Responding to the late 20th century economic downturn in the city, Allentown began seeking to diversify its economy in the early 21st century. [[Economy of Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown's economy]] saw growth in its service, health care, transportation, warehousing, and some manufacturing industries. In 2009, the [[Neighborhood Improvement Zone|Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ)]], created by the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]], sought to address Allentown's economic challenges and encourage the city's development and revitalization. The NIZ includes approximately {{convert|128|acres|abbr=off}} in Center City and the city's riverfront district on the west side of the [[Lehigh River]]. In 2006, [[Agere Systems]], formerly [[Western Electric]], was acquired by [[LSI Corporation]], and the company relocated to [[San Jose, California]]. Three years later, in 2009, [[Mack Trucks]] relocated to [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], and many Allentown-based factories downsized considerably or ceased operations entirely. In 2014, Center City underwent major restructuring, including constructing and opening [[PPL Center]], a 10,500-capacity indoor arena, which hosts the [[Lehigh Valley Phantoms]], a professional [[American Hockey League]] ice hockey team, and other sports, entertainment, and concert events. A full-service [[Renaissance Hotels|Renaissance Hotel]] also opened in Center City, and older office buildings were redeveloped.<ref name="NIZ">{{cite web |url=http://www.allentownpa.gov/Neighborhood-Improvement-Zone |title=Neighborhood Improvement Zone |website=allentownpa.gov |access-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024154423/https://www.allentownpa.gov/Neighborhood-Improvement-Zone |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranked Allentown as one of the "150 Best Places to Live in the U.S." and the nation's fifth-best city to retire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Places to Retire in the U.S. 2024-2025 |url=https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-retire |website=realestate.usnews.com}}</ref>
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