Allentown: The History of the Silk City

The city of Allentown is located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is known as the state’s 3rd most populous city, after the cities Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Geographically, Allentown is situated in the Lehigh County and serves as the county’s seat of government. Among the hundreds of cities in the United States of America, Allentown ranks as the 222nd largest city in terms of population, as recorded by the 2010 census. Allentown has a population of 118, 032 and noted as the fastest growing city in the Pennsylvania state. In the metropolitan area called the Lehigh Valley, Allentown is the largest city and also encompasses a portion of the New York Metropolitan Area. The city was founded in 1762, and had celebrated its 250th anniversary in the year 2012. Before getting the name Allentown, the city was called Northampton Town. It was changed in 1838 in honor of the Chief Justice of Colonial Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, William Allen.

Allentown grew from humble beginnings. William Allen is a former mayor of the city of Philadelphia. Upon discovering the piece of land which is occupied by Allentown today, the Chief Justice hoped that the location would become a potential commercial center in the future since it is situated along the Leigh River. However, the low water level did not show any promise in the river trade. William Allen gave the property to his son. James Allen might have taken an interest in it, and built a country home, which he fondly called the Trout Hall there. Allentown was just viewed as a small village until the 1810. Finally, Allentown became a center of marketing among local farmers, and then became the heart of the country’s largest grain-producing regions.

Between the 1830s and 1840s, the industrial revolution in America started near the Lehigh Valley. The opportunity is great for Allentown because the railroad was built and opened the city to the possibility of tourism and a booming economy. By the 1860s, Allentown is already showing a strong potential in the local iron industry. Allentown’s prosperity became stagnant during the Panic of 1873, when the railroad boom collapsed.

The 20th century signaled the rise of the city, particularly because silk mills have replaced the dying iron trade. Allentown recovered from the disasters brought by a shaky economy, and then started the production of various things, such as cigars, parlor furniture and beer. Change is indeed a part of Allentown, and it would continually transform into something better to accommodate the future generations.