Towns and Places of the Keystone State Quiz

Answer: Easton

Located in Easton, the Crayola company attracts visitors to the town. Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith were the inventors of the Crayola crayon, the first nontoxic child's crayon. The company specializes in manufacturing art supplies that are nontoxic and appealing to children. Interestingly, the company's original trade when it was first founded was manufacturing industrial pigment supplies under the name Binney & Smith. When the company produced the first non-toxic crayon in 1903, the innovation changed the company's business entirely. The name "Crayola" was suggested by teacher Alice Binney, who was also Edwin's wife. Mrs. Binney invented the name by combining the French words "craie" ("chalk") and "ola" ("oily"). The result was a brand name that is universally known for its art supplies aimed at children's creativity. The company has done a huge part of its manufacturing in Pennsylvania, having its headquarter branch in Easton, and another manufacturing center at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Source: Wikipedia

Answer: Johnstown

Johnstown was founded in 1770. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Johnstown was affected by three floods, including the famous Johnstown flood of 1889. The Johnstown flood occurred in 1889, when a 35 ft wall of water rushed downhill from a water dam collapse at a lake 14 miles from the city.

The dam had overflowed and collapsed due to heavy rains. Over 2,000 people died in this flood, and from the fire that raged in the town's wreckage. This town survived two more floods during the years of 1936 and 1977. Johnstown's history of floods gained the town national attention, and the town was nicknamed "Flood City".

Answer: Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes Barre was founded in an area in the Wyoming Valley. It had been a territory of the Delaware and Shawnese Indian tribes. In 1769, the first Europeans to arrive in the area, led by John Durkee, founded the settlement. They named it Wilkes Barre, in honor of John Wilkes and Isaac Barré, British parliament members who supported colonial America.

Anthracite coal, a mineral of high luster, was discovered in the area during the 1800s, earning the town the nickname "The Diamond City". The coal industry lasted in Wilkes Barre until World War II, when coal started to be replaced by other energy sources.

Answer: Pine Creek Gorge

Pine Creek Gorge, known as the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania", is located outside of the town of Wellsboro in the Tioga State Forest. The size and shape of the canyon is thought to have been formed by the melting ice glacier sheets that covered the area during the last Ice Age.

The gorge is over 47 miles long and is cut by Pine Creek, which flows through the center of the gorge. It is over 1000 ft. deep, with the deepest point located at Waterville, Pennsylvania. Pine Creek gorge is surrounded by other state and national parks, allowing it to remain underdeveloped and protected.

Answer: Bethlehem

Bethlehem started out as a Moravian settlement in colonial America. (Moravians are a religious group who follow the religious principals of John Huss, a martyr who was burned at stake by the Catholic Church in 1415.) On Christmas Eve in 1741, the community was christened "Bethlehem", and became an official town, earning it the nickname "The Christmas City".

In its history during the American Revolution, famous visitors to the town included General Washington, Samuel Adams and the Marquis De Lafayette.

When the Industrial Revolution occurred, Bethlehem became an industrious trading city and the home of Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

Answer: Hershey

Hershey, Pennsylvania was originally known as Derry Church. However, the community was renamed in 1906 to honor the Hershey Company, a popular American manufacturer of chocolate candy bars. Hershey produces the Hershey bar and Hershey's Kisses, among others.

It is also the parent company of the H.B. Reese Candy Company, which manufacturers Reese's peanut butter cups. The Hershey Company headquarters attract many tourists throughout the year, earning the town the nicknames "Chocolate Town USA" and "The Sweetest Place on Earth".

Answer: The Appalachian Mountains

The Mount Davis summit is the highest land point in Pennsylvania, towering 3, 213 ft. above sea level. It was named in honor of John Nelson Davis, a US Civil War veteran who studied nature. It is located among the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, which are part of the Appalachian Mountain chain that stretches across the eastern United States.

Answer: Pittsburgh

Downtown Pittsburgh is shaped into a triangle, with the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers flowing around it. The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers flow into each other to form the Ohio River, shaping the city's unique landscape. Pittsburgh became known as the "City of Bridges", because of the many bridges that lead into the downtown area.

The downtown area is also known as the "Golden Triangle". Pittsburgh has many hills and trails by waterfronts, which are adventurous attractions for bikers.

Answer: Crystal Cave

Crystal Cave was discovered in 1871 and is one of Pennsylvania's oldest caves open for tourism. The cave was named for the calcium crystal rock formations on the inside cave walls. Early explorers of the cave thought the formations resembled diamonds.

Although the townspeople were disappointed when a jeweler declared the "diamonds" to be only calcium crystals formed by water, the nature and beauty of the cave attracted many visitors. Indian, Indian Echo, and Woodward are also caves in Pennsylvania.

Indian Caverns is located in Spruce Creek, Indian Echo Caverns is located near Hershey, and Woodward Cave is located in Woodward.

Answer: Philadelphia

Philadelphia, known as the "City of Brotherly Love", was named by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. The city's name came from the Greek words "philos", translated as "love" (or "friendship") and "adelphos", which means "brother". As the geographical center of the thirteen colonies, Philadelphia was an important city of trade, politics, and the American Revolutionary war.

After the American Revolution, Philadelphia became the capital of the United States until Washington D.C was constructed.

It is the largest city in Pennsylvania, and is also nicknamed the "Birthplace of America".