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(ex. H.R. 14 or H.Res 396)

10 Facts About the 10th District

In 1992, my wife Jennifer and I moved to Northeast Pennsylvania and fell in love with the area. We could not have chosen a better place to raise our five children. Here are some unique facts about northeast Pennsylvania and the 10th District:

1) Horse races in Camptown were the inspiration for Stephen Foster's famous song, "The Camptown Races," written in 1850. While living in Northeast PA, Foster wrote several other American classics, including "Old Folks at Home" and "Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair."

2) Little League Baseball was founded in Williamsport in 1939 with three original teams. Since then, millions of children around the world have participated.

3) The district has a rich industrial and coal-mining history: 95% of the anthracite coal in the western hemisphere is mined in Northeast PA.

4) In 1883, Sunbury's City Hotel (now the Hotel Edison) became the first building to be lit with Thomas Edison's three-wire lighting system.

5) Several Underground Railroad stations were located throughout the district. In the 1840s and '50s, many escaped slaves were smuggled up the Susquehanna River to Williamsport. Many others were transported through the mountains north of Scranton where they eventually secured passage to New York and Canada.

6) Pocono Plateau has been named one of the world's "last great places" by the Nature Conservancy.

7) In the aftermath of the French Revolution in 1793, French exiles came to America and settled near Towanda. Marie Antoinette was expected to relocate to Towanda as well, and a large mansion was built in anticipation of her arrival.

8) The Endless Mountains Maple Festival has been held in Troy each year since 1981. (Pancake breakfast served continuously!)

9) The district is home to some of the best white-tailed deer and black bear hunting in the U.S.

10) Scientist, philosopher and  teacher Joseph Priestley built his home in Northumberland in 1794. It is believed to be the United States' first scientific laboratory.

What makes the 10th District unique to you? Let me know and I will publish some of your responses!