69-859: Southern Lehigh School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania . It serves the borough of Coopersburg and Lower Milford and Upper Saucon townships in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania . Students in ninth through 12th grade attend the district's high school, Southern Lehigh High School in Center Valley . Southern Lehigh Middle School serves 7th and 8th graders. The district's intermediate school for fourth through sixth grades, Joseph P. Liberati Intermediate School, opened in 2009. The district has two elementary schools serving kindergarten through third grades, Hopewell and Liberty Bell. As of
138-522: A semantic shift , in which deutsch was no longer principally a linguistic and cultural term, but was increasingly used to describe all things related to Germany and its inhabitants. This development did not go unnoticed among the Pennsylvania Dutch who, in the 19th and early 20th century, referred to themselves as Deitsche , while calling newer German immigrants Deitschlenner lit. 'Germany-ans'. The Pennsylvania Dutch live primarily in
207-561: A German entrepreneur and artist, had settled in upstate New York and in May 1794, he was able to obtain sixty-four acres in Markham Township, near the current city of Toronto . Berczy arrived with approximately one hundred and ninety German families from Pennsylvania and settled here. Others later moved to other locations in the general area, including a hamlet they founded, German Mills, Ontario , named for its grist mill; that community
276-515: A colony of aliens , who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of us Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion. The Germans who immigrated to the United States saw themselves as related though distinct from later (post-1830) waves of German-speaking immigrants. The Pennsylvania Dutch referred to themselves as Deitsche and would refer to Germans who arrived after
345-679: A love of real freedom to the preserving and hence making of our country. In the town halls in Dutch cities liberty bells were hung, and from the "Liberty Bell" placed in Philadelphia by Pennsylvania Dutchmen, on July 4th 1776, freedom was proclaimed "throughout all the land and to all the inhabitants thereof." These Palatine Dutchmen gave us some of our bravest men in the war of the American Revolution, notably Nicholas Herkimer . Many Hessian prisoners, German mercenaries fighting for
414-590: A platoon of Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers on patrol in Germany was once spared from being machine-gunned by Nazi soldiers who listened to them approaching. The Germans heard them speaking Pennsylvania Dutch amongst each other and assumed that they were natives of the Palatinate. An early group, mainly from the Roxborough -Germantown area of Pennsylvania, emigrated to then colonial Nova Scotia in 1766 and founded
483-550: A rural agricultural area dominated by German -speaking people into an urbanized industrialized area and expanded the city's commercial and industrial capacity greatly. With this, Lehigh County underwent significant industrialization , ultimately becoming a major 20th century center for heavy industry and manufacturing and one of several hubs for the Industrial Revolution . Following the Union Army 's defeat at
552-752: A variety of Rhine Franconian , with the Palatine German dialects being most closely related. Geographically, Pennsylvania Dutch are largely found in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Ohio Amish Country . The main division among Pennsylvania Dutch is that between sectarians (those belonging to the Old Order Mennonite , Amish or related groups) and nonsectarians, sometimes colloquially referred to as ″Church Dutch″ or ″ Fancy Dutch ″. Notable Americans of Pennsylvania Dutch descent include Henry J. Heinz , founder of
621-1523: Is Lehigh Valley International Airport ( IATA : ABE , ICAO : KABE ), located in Hanover Township in the county. The county is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport , a two-runway general aviation facility located off Lehigh Street in Allentown used predominantly by private aviation. Public bus service in Lehigh County is available through LANta . Several private bus lines, including Trans-Bridge Lines , provide bus service from Allentown to New York City 's Port Authority Bus Terminal , Philadelphia 's Greyhound Terminal and 30th Street Station , Atlantic City 's Bus Terminal , and other regional locations. The Morning Call (in Allentown ), The Express-Times (in Easton ), and The Times News (in Lehighton ) each cover Lehigh County. Lehigh County-area radio stations include WAEB-AM in Allentown ( talk and news ), B104 in Allentown ( contemporary hits ), WZZO in Bethlehem ( classic rock ), WHOL in Allentown ( rhythmic contemporary ), and others. Some major New York City stations and every major Philadelphia station are received in
690-485: Is 82.3 centimetres (32.4 in) per year, with the months of January and February receiving the most now with just over 22.86 centimetres (9.00 in) in each of these months. Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year with eight to twelve wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 110.54 centimetres (43.52 in). The hardiness zone in the majority of the county has increased from 6b to 7a. 6b still exists in some northern and higher areas. [1] As of
759-743: Is corroborated with evidence, such as one of the oldest German newspapers in Pennsylvania being the High-Dutch Pennsylvania Journal in 1743. An alternative interpretation commonly found among laypeople and scholars alike is that the Dutch in Pennsylvania Dutch is an anglicization or "corruption" ( folk-etymological re-interpretation) of the Pennsylvania German autonym deitsch , which in
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#1732797823272828-1433: Is held annually in May on the campus of Cedar Crest College in Allentown. Lehigh County is home to multiple golf courses, including Brookside Country Club in Macungie , Lehigh Country Club on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown , Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli , Saucon Valley Country Club in Upper Saucon Township , Shepherd Hills Golf Club in Wescosville , and Wedgewood Golf Course in Coopersburg . The county has several museums, including Allentown Art Museum , America on Wheels , Da Vinci Science Center , George Taylor House , Lehigh County Historical Society at Trout Hall , Museum of Indian Culture , The 1803 House , and others. Lehigh County also has 25 acres (100,000 m ) of public parks, including: Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities , boroughs , townships , and, in only one case, towns . The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Lehigh County: Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by
897-472: Is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km ) (0.9%) of which is water. Lehigh County borders two Appalachian mountain ridges. To the north, the county borders Blue Mountain , which has an altitude of 1,300 to 1,604 feet (396 to 489 m). To the south, it is bordered by South Mountain , which has an altitude of 700 to 1,100 feet (210 to 340 m) and cuts through the southern portions of both Lehigh and Northampton counties. The Lehigh County's highest point
966-650: Is more integrated into broader American society and is more likely to adopt modern conveniences and technologies. While they may still preserve some Pennsylvania Dutch traditions and language, English is predominantly used in daily life and religious practices. The Church Dutch exhibit a higher degree of assimilation into American culture, while still retaining elements of their Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. The primary differences between these groups lie in their religious practices, lifestyle, language use, and cultural integration. The Plain Dutch are more conservative and focused on maintaining their distinct cultural identity, whereas
1035-799: Is mostly spoken by Old Order Mennonites . From 1800 to the 1830s, some Mennonites in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania moved north to Canada, primarily to the area that would become Cambridge , Kitchener / Waterloo and St. Jacobs / Elmira in Waterloo County, Ontario, plus the Listowel area adjacent to the northwest. Settlement started in 1800 by Joseph Schoerg and Samuel Betzner Jr. (brothers-in-law), Mennonites, from Franklin County, Pennsylvania . Other settlers followed mostly from Pennsylvania typically by Conestoga wagons . Many of
1104-691: Is near Germansville at Bake Oven Knob , a mass of Tuscarora conglomeratic rocks that rise about 100 feet (30 m) above the main Blue Mountain ridge in northwestern Heidelberg Township . Lehigh County is part of the Delaware River watershed . Most of the county is drained by the Lehigh River and its tributaries, though the Schuylkill River also drains regions in the county's south through Perkiomen Creek and (in
1173-632: Is now called Thornhill, Ontario , in the township that is now part of York Region . In Canada , an 1851 census shows many Black people and Mennonites lived near each other in a number of places and exchanged labor; the Dutch would also hire Black laborers. There were also accounts of Black families providing childcare assistance for their Dutch neighbors. These Pennsylvania Dutch were usually Plain Dutch Mennonites or Fancy Dutch Lutherans. The Black-Mennonite relationship in Canada soon evolved to
1242-418: Is still politically competitive. Lehigh County and neighboring Northampton County are part of Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional district . The 7th Congressional district is a contentious swing district with neither Republicans nor Democrats winning the district consistently. Voters elected Republican Charlie Dent in 2004, 2006, and 2008 and, previously, Republican Pat Toomey in 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2004,
1311-532: Is the oldest continuously occupied structure in both Lehigh County and Lehigh Valley and among the oldest still-standing building structures in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . Some of the first resistance to British colonialism , which led ultimately to the American Revolutionary War , began in present-day Lehigh County. On December 21, 1774, patriots in the area formed one of the colonies ' first Committee of Observations . Following
1380-449: Is widely spoken among them, both in daily life and religious settings. The Plain Dutch adhere strictly to their religious and community norms, emphasizing a strong cultural and religious identity with minimal integration into mainstream American culture. The Church Dutch, in contrast, belong to more mainstream Protestant denominations such as Lutheran, Reformed, United Church of Christ, and some Methodist and Baptist congregations. This group
1449-587: The 2020 census , the county's population was 374,557. The county's population growth of 7.2% since 2010 is among the fastest in the state. The racial makeup of the county, as of the 2020 census, was 60.8% White , 26% Hispanic or Latino , 6.12% Black or African American , 3.66% Asian , 3.33% from other or mixed races , 0.02% Pacific Islander , and 0.1% Native American . As of March 4, 2024, there were 243,427 registered voters in Lehigh County: Lehigh County leans Democratic, but
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#17327978232721518-634: The 27th Infantry Division broke through the Hindenburg Line in 1917. Before World War II, the Nazi Party sought to gain the loyalty of the German-American community, and established pro-Nazi German-American Bunden , emphasizing German-American immigrant ties to the "Fatherland". The Nazi propaganda effort failed in the Pennsylvania Dutch community, as the Pennsylvania Dutch felt no sense of loyalty to Germany. During World War II,
1587-598: The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment . On October 19, 1899, a monument in honor of the Lehigh County men killed in their volunteer service to preservation of the Union , the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, was erected at Seventh and Hamilton streets in Center City Allentown , where it still stands. Lehigh County has a total area of 348 square miles (900 km ), 345 square miles (890 km ) of which
1656-512: The Alsace–Lorraine region of France . The Pennsylvania Dutch are either monolingual English speakers or bilingual speakers of both English and the Pennsylvania Dutch language, which is also commonly referred to as Pennsylvania German. Linguistically it consists of a mix of German dialects which have been significantly influenced by English, primarily in terms of vocabulary. Based on dialect features, Pennsylvania Dutch can be classified as
1725-735: The Battle of Fort Sumter and Lincoln's April 15, 1861, proclamation calling for state militia to provide 75,000 volunteer troops to defend the nation's capital of Washington, D.C. , Allentown deployed the Allen Infantry, also known as the Allen Guards and composed of volunteers from Allentown and its surrounding suburbs. The unit mustered in for duty on April 18, 1861. As the Civil War progressed, multiple Union Army units were drawn from Lehigh County, including roughly seventy percent of
1794-572: The Battle of Springfield . The Marechausee also provided security for Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Yorktown , acted as his security detail, and was one of the last units deactivated after the Revolutionary War. The Marechaussee Corps was often not well received by the Continental Army, due in part to their defined duties but also due to the fact that some members of the corps spoke little or no English. Six of
1863-577: The Declaration of Independence , patriot militas pressured Tories out of Allentown and the surrounding area, and the colonial government in the area began to break down. After Washington and the Continental Army were defeated at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was left defenseless and Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council ordered that eleven Philadelphia bells, including
1932-684: The Delaware Valley and in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a large area that includes South Central Pennsylvania , in the area stretching in an arc from Bethlehem and Allentown in the Lehigh Valley westward through Reading , Lebanon , and Lancaster to York and Chambersburg . Smaller enclaves include Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking areas in New York , Delaware , Maryland , Ohio , West Virginia , North Carolina , Indiana , Illinois , Wisconsin , Virginia , and
2001-697: The Heinz food conglomerate, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , and the family of businessman Elon Musk . Differing explanations exist on why the Pennsylvania Dutch are referred to as Dutch , which typically refers to the inhabitants of the Netherlands or the Dutch language . Several authors and etymological publications consider the word Dutch in Pennsylvania Dutch , which in medieval times could also be used to refer to speakers of various German dialects, to be an archaism specific to 19th-century American English, particularly in its colloquial form. This
2070-659: The Liberty Bell (then known as the State House Bell), be taken down and moved to present day Allentown (then called Northampton Towne) and hidden in the basement of Zion Reformed Church on present day West Hamilton Street to protect them from being melted down by the British Army for use as munitions. The opening of the Lehigh Canal beginning in 1827 transformed Allentown and Lehigh County from
2139-606: The Township of Monckton , site of present-day Moncton, New Brunswick . The extensive Steeves clan descends from this group. After the American Revolution, John Graves Simcoe , lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, invited Americans, including Mennonites and German Baptist Brethren, to settle in British North American territory and offered tracts of land to immigrant groups. This resulted in communities of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers emigrating to Canada, many to
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2208-399: The U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. Lehigh County's largest cities, townships, boroughs, and other communities, based on the 2020 census , include: † county seat Since its founding in 1812, Lehigh County has been
2277-640: The United States and Canada , most predominantly in the US Mid-Atlantic region. They largely originate from the Palatinate region of Germany , and settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While most were from the Palatinate region of Germany, a lesser number were from other German-speaking areas of Germany and Europe, including Baden-Württemberg , Hesse , Saxony , and Rhineland in Germany, Switzerland , and
2346-563: The 2021–22 school year, the district had 3,078 students across its five schools, according to National Center for Education Statistics . Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County ( Pennsylvania Dutch : Lechaa Kaundi ) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . As of the 2020 census , the county's population was 374,557. Its county seat is Allentown , the state's third-largest city after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh . Along with Northampton County to its east,
2415-672: The American colonies. The availability of fertile land was a significant draw for the immigrants, who were mainly farmers and craftsmen, for whom the chance to own and cultivate their own farms was highly appealing. Positive reports from early settlers as well as active recruitment by William Penn encouraged friends and family to join them, fostering tightly knit communities. About three fourths of all Germans in Pennsylvania were subject to several years of indentured servitude contracts. These indentured servants, known as redemptioners , were made to work on plantations or perform other work to pay off
2484-484: The British, were held in camps at the interior city of Lancaster, home to a large German community known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Hessian prisoners were subsequently treated well, with some volunteering for extra work assignments, helping to replace local men serving in the Continental Army. Due to shared German heritage and abundance of land, many Hessian soldiers stayed and settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country after
2553-590: The Canadian province of Ontario . The Pennsylvania Dutch, primarily German-speaking immigrants from Germany (particularly the Palatinate region ), Switzerland, and Alsace, moved to the USA seeking better opportunities and a safer, more tolerant environment. Many, including Amish and Mennonites, faced religious persecution in Europe. Pennsylvania, established by William Penn as a haven for religious minorities, promised
2622-647: The Church Dutch are more assimilated and open to modern influences. In time the Fancy Dutch came to control much of the best agricultural lands, ran many newspapers and maintained their German-inspired architecture when founding new towns in Pennsylvania. There is little evidence specifically of Black Pennsylvania Dutch speakers during the early 19th century; following the Civil War, some Black Southerners who had moved to Pennsylvania developed close ties with
2691-708: The Civil War, the federal government took steps to replace Pennsylvania German schools with English-only schools. The Pennsylvania Dutch fought to retain German as an official language in Pennsylvania to little success. Literary German disappeared from Pennsylvania Dutch life little by little, starting with schools, and then to churches and newspapers. Pennsylvania Dutch became mainly a spoken language, and as education came to only be provided in English, many Pennsylvania Dutch became bilingual. The next blow to Pennsylvania Dutch came during World War I and World War II. Prior to
2760-482: The Mennonites in the same area. Pennsylvania Dutch English retains some German grammar and literally translated vocabulary, some phrases include "outen or out'n the lights" (German: die Lichter loeschen ) meaning "turn off the lights", "it's gonna make wet" (German: es wird nass ) meaning "it's going to rain", and "it's all" (German: es ist alle ) meaning "it's all gone". They also sometimes leave out
2829-693: The Pennsylvania Colony. Below is a quotation of Benjamin Franklin 's complaints about the Palatine refugees in his work Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind (1751) : Why should the Palatine boors be suffered to swarm into our settlements, and by herding together establish their language and manners to the exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become
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2898-594: The Pennsylvania Dutch community, adopting the language and assimilating into the culture. An 1892 article in The New York Sun noted a community of "Pennsylvania German Negroes" in Lebanon County for whom German was their first language. Today Pennsylvania Dutch culture is still prevalent in some parts of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Dutch speak English, with some being bilingual in English and Pennsylvania Dutch. They share cultural similarities with
2967-465: The Pennsylvania German language refers to the Pennsylvania Dutch or Germans in general. However, some authors have described this hypothesis as a misconception. The migration of the Pennsylvania Dutch to the United States predates the emergence of a distinct German national identity, which did not form until the late 18th century. The formation of the German Empire in 1871 resulted in
3036-709: The area called the German Company Tract, a subset of land within the Haldimand Tract , in the Township of Waterloo, which later became Waterloo County, Ontario . Some still live in the area around Markham, Ontario , and particularly in the northern areas of the current Waterloo Region . Some members of the two communities formed the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference . Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch language
3105-403: The birthplace or home to several notable Americans, including: 40°37′N 75°35′W / 40.61°N 75.59°W / 40.61; -75.59 Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania German : Pennsylvanisch Deitsche ), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans , are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania (U.S.), Ontario (Canada) and other regions of
3174-426: The conflict with Britain. Frederick Muhlenberg (1750–1801), a Lutheran pastor, became a major patriot and politician, rising to be elected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania Dutch contribution to the war effort was notable: In the marked influence for right and freedom of these early Hollanders and Palatines , in their brave defense of home, did such valiant service in promoting
3243-424: The costs of the sponsor or shipping company which had advanced the cost of their transatlantic voyage. In 1764, the German Society of Pennsylvania was founded to protect the German redemptioners. The bulk of German migration to the American colonies began in 1683 but concentrated on the first half of the 18th century. Overall, the historian Marianne Wokeck estimates that just under 81,000 German-speakers entered
3312-455: The county narrowly voted for John Kerry over George W. Bush for President . In 2008, all statewide Democratic candidates won the county with significant leads and, in the presidential election , Barack Obama won the county, 57.1% to 41.5%, over John McCain . In the 2012 presidential election , Obama again carried the county but by a narrower margin, 53.17% to 45.52%. School districts include: Lehigh County's primary commercial airport
3381-421: The county's north and South Mountain to its south. Lehigh County borders Montgomery County to its south, Bucks County to its southeast, Northampton County to its east, Carbon County to its north, Schuylkill County to its northwest, and Berks County to its southwest. The county is located 64 miles (103 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 93 miles (150 km) west of New York City . Lehigh County
3450-546: The county's northwest) through Maiden Creek . Lehigh County's climate falls in the humid continental climate zone. The variety is hot-summer ( Dfa ) except in the county's higher elevation areas, where it is warm-summer ( Dfb ). Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year. In Allentown , January lows average −6 °C (21 °F) and highs average 1.3 °C (34.3 °F). The lowest officially recorded temperature
3519-1058: The county. Lehigh County is part of the Philadelphia broadcast media market, the nation's fourth-largest media market . Numerous New York City radio and television stations are also carried in the county. Three television stations are based in the county, WBPH-TV Channel 60 , WLVT Channel 39 (the Lehigh Valley 's PBS affiliate), and WFMZ Channel 69 (an independent television station). The four major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Lehigh County are KYW-TV (the CBS affiliate), WCAU (the NBC affiliate), WPVI (the ABC affiliate), and WTXF (the Fox affiliate). The four major New York City -based network stations serving Lehigh County are WABC (the ABC affiliate), WCBS-TV (the CBS affiliate), WNBC (the NBC affiliate), and WNYW (the Fox affiliate). The four major Scranton-Wilkes-Barre -based network stations serving Lehigh County are WNEP-TV (the ABC affiliate), WBRE-TV (the NBC affiliate), WYOU (the CBS affiliate), and WOLF-TV (the Fox affiliate). From 1947 until 1994, Lehigh County
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#17327978232723588-415: The habit of labeling anyone who did not speak Pennsylvania Dutch "English.") Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers who fought in the Civil War were recruited and trained at Camp Curtin , Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Dutch regiments composed a large portion of the Federal Forces who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Immediately after
3657-427: The instructions of his father: "Don't ever call yourself "Dutch" or "Pennsylvania German." You're just American." Many Pennsylvania Dutch have chosen to assimilate into Anglo-American culture, except for a significant number of Amish and Mennonite plain people who chose to remain insular, which has added to the modern misconception that "Pennsylvania Dutch" is synonymous with "Amish." Palatine Dutch of New York in
3726-435: The largest amusement and water parks on the U.S. East Coast, is located in South Whitehall Township in the county. It is open May through the end of October. The Great Allentown Fair , one of the nation's largest and longest ongoing city fairs, is held annually at Allentown Fairgrounds on North 17th Street in Allentown the end of August and beginning of September. Mayfair Festival of the Arts , an arts and festival fair,
3795-715: The level of church membership. Pennsylvania Dutch society can be divided into two main groups: the sectarian "Plain Dutch" and the nonsectarian "Church Dutch" also known as "Fancy Dutch". These classifications highlight differences in religious practices, lifestyle, and degrees of assimilation into broader American society. The Plain Dutch consist of Anabaptist sects, including the Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren. They are known for their conservative, simple lifestyle, characterized by plain dress and limited use of modern technology. These communities typically reside in rural areas, maintaining traditional farming practices and close-knit communal living. Pennsylvania Dutch (a dialect of German)
3864-510: The majority of whom were Fancy Dutch. Some regiments like the 153rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry were entirely composed of Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers. The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment also had a high percentage of German immigrants and Pennsylvania-born men of German heritage on its rosters; the regiment's K Company was formed with the intent of it being an "all-German company." Pennsylvania Dutch companies sometimes mixed with English-speaking companies. (The Pennsylvania Dutch had
3933-560: The nation. The county is named for the Lehigh River , a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River , which flows through Lehigh County. During the Industrial Revolution , the Lehigh River served a vital role in the nation's development by offering one of the first transportation and trading routes for mining products, including anthracite , iron , manganese , limestone , and ultimately manufactured steel products . Lehigh County falls geographically between two Pennsylvania Appalachian mountain ridges, Blue Mountain to
4002-419: The period of almost non-existent emigration between 1760 and 1830 from the German lands as Deitschlenner , literally "Germany-ers", compare German : Deutschländer . The Pennsylvania Dutch composed nearly half of the population of the Province of Pennsylvania . The Fancy Dutch population generally supported the Patriot cause in the American Revolution ; the nonviolent Plain Dutch minority did not fight in
4071-593: The pioneers arriving from Pennsylvania after November 1803 bought land in a sixty thousand-acre section established by a group of Mennonites from Lancaster County Pennsylvania, called the German Company Lands. Fewer of the Pennsylvania Dutch settled in what would later become the Greater Toronto Area in areas that would later be the towns of Altona, Ontario , Pickering, Ontario , and especially Markham Village, Ontario , and Stouffville, Ontario . Peter Reesor and brother-in-law Abraham Stouffer were higher profile settlers in Markham and Stouffville. William Berczy ,
4140-443: The port of Philadelphia between 1683 and 1775, with two thirds of the immigrants arriving before 1755 of whom the majority (ca. 35,000) arrived in the five-year period between 1749 and 1754. In 1790, ethnic Germans comprised 38% of the population of Pennsylvania, or approximately 165,000 people. Of these, over half resided in the counties of Berks, Lancaster, Northampton and York. Anglo-Americans held much anti-Palatine sentiment in
4209-441: The provosts had even been Hessian prisoners of war prior to their recruitment. Because the provost corps completed many of the same functions as the modern U.S. Military Police Corps , it is considered a predecessor of the current United States Military Police Regiment. Nearly all of the regiments from Pennsylvania that fought in the American Civil War had German-speaking or Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking members on their rosters,
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#17327978232724278-404: The religious freedom they sought. Economic hardship, marked by war, famine, and limited land access in 17th and 18th century Germany, pushed many to seek a better life in the New World, which offered abundant land and resources. Europe's, and especially Germany's, political instability, with frequent wars like the devastating Thirty Years' War , contrasted with the relatively stable environment of
4347-405: The two counties combine to form the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, the third-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania with a population of 861,889 as of 2020. Lehigh County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania and the more highly populated of the two counties. Both counties are part of the Philadelphia television market, the fourth-largest television market in
4416-443: The war's end. Pennsylvania Dutch were recruited for the American Provost corps under Captain Bartholomew von Heer, a Prussian who had served in a similar unit in Europe before immigrating to Reading, Pennsylvania , prior to the war. During the Revolutionary War the Marechaussee Corps were utilized in a variety of ways, including intelligence gathering, route security, enemy prisoner of war operations, and even combat during
4485-420: The war. Heinrich Miller of the Holy Roman Principality of Waldeck (1702–1782), was a journalist and printer based in Philadelphia, and published an early German translation of the Declaration of Independence (1776) in his newspaper Philadelphische Staatsbote . Miller, having Swiss ancestry, often wrote about Swiss history and myth, such as the William Tell legend, to provide a context for patriot support in
4554-404: The wars, Pennsylvania Dutch was an urban language spoken openly in the streets of towns such as Allentown, Reading, Lancaster and York; afterwards, it became relegated only to rural areas. There was rampant social & employment discrimination for anyone suspected of being German. Meritt G. Yorgey, a Pennsylvania Dutch descendant who grew up during the height of anti-German sentiment, remembers
4623-422: Was first settled around 1730 and was formed in 1812 when Northampton County was divided into two counties. The county is named after the Lehigh River , a 109-mile-long (175 km) river that runs through the county and whose name is derived from the Lenape Indian term Lechauweki or Lechauwekink, meaning "where there are forks." Shelter House , constructed in Emmaus in 1734 by Pennsylvania German settlers,
4692-540: Was served exclusively by the 215 area code . With the county's growing population, area code 610 was also allocated to the county in 1994. Today, Lehigh County is covered largely by the 610 area code. An overlay area code , 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001. It has since been reintroduced and will begin use once 610 and 484 extensions are exhausted, possibly as early as September 2022. Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom , one of
4761-516: Was −26.7 °C (−16.1 °F) in 1912. July lows average 17.6 °C (63.7 °F) and highs average 29.2 °C (84.6 °F) with an average relative humidity of 82%. The highest temperature on record was 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) in 1966. Early fall and mid-winter are generally driest with October being the driest month with only 74.7 mm of average precipitation. Snowfall is variable with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing numerous significant snowstorms. Average snowfall
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