Berks County
Posted by: 
Gosffo
N 40° 20.189 W 075° 55.552
18T E 421356 N 4465515
It all started with a lie!
Waymark Code: WM6AK
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/20/2006
Views: 32
Formed March 11,1752 from parts of Chester, Lancaster and Philadelphia Counties. Named for Berkshire, England. The county seat of Reading was made a borough in 1783 and a city in 1847. The county's early iron works gave rise to Pennsylvania's iron industry. Conrad Weiser wanted a new county, so he created a fake city ( Reading) and petition the Assembly to make a county. They where tired of traveling long distances to Lancaster and could they please have their own county seat. So, site unseen, they allowed Berks County and Reading to be thrieving couty seat. Oh! Yes, the thrieving town of Reading! It had 100 well built homes (1952) and another hundred to be built within the year! After 14 years of starting the process Weiser got his wish. Berks County! (oh, yea, that thriving town had 7 homes)
After the surveryors had the lines draw for Berks it had 2 1/2 million acres. Then, in 1759, after another survery the lines where redrawn to iron out some disputes. Then, in the 1990's the lines where redrawn again and so far there they have stayed. But don't tell the guy who's property is almost all in Berks county expect for his bedroom which is in Lancaster. So, to go to bed he must cross the county lines. I hope he doesn't get in trouble with the law and has a parlor officer. He'd have to get permission to go to bed!
Marker Name: Berks County
County: Berks
Date Dedicated: 05/12/1982
Marker Type: City
Location: Courthouse, N. 6th & Court Sts., Reading
Category: Government & Politics, Government & Politics 18th Century
Website: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location.