Situated beside the beautiful Susquehanna river, Harrisburg , the capital of Pennsylvania is the 4 th most populous city in the state although recent statistics have indicated a sharp decline in the population of the area. Located in Dauphin county, Harrisburg is also the county's highest seat of administration. Harrisburg, although a capital city cannot be considered a major metropolis, but its proximity to Philadelphia has increased the city's worth.
Historically too the city of Harrisburg is quite significant which has partly contributed to the city being named as the state capital. One of the oldest cities in US, Harrisburg has had a major role to play during the Civil War, in the Industrial Revolution and also was crucial in creating the Westward Migration. The historical worth of the city and its cultural heritage had made it the capital city within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. One of the most progressive cities during the 19 th century, industry found a sound footing here due to Harrisburg connectivity with the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsylvania Canal.
Even with such a stable industrial origin, Harrisburg could not sustain this position for long and during the 20 th century witnessed some of the worst commercial setbacks.
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The industrial scenario at one point grew so bleak that Harrisburg was even named the 2 nd most distressed city in 1981. Miraculously after this the city made a dramatic turn and became one of the most economically stable cities in the US, this could happen mostly due to the efforts of Mayor Stephen Reed who unyieldingly tried to attract big business houses in the city and also shaped up its tourism sector.
Today, Harrisburg is a city where job opportunities are burgeoning by the day as industry and agriculture are developing at par. In the field of agriculture, the reason for which Harrisburg is most famous throughout the US is for its annual farm show by the name of The Pennsylvania Farm Show . The show was started in 1917 and has ever since not stopped, it is held every year in January. Harrisburg's geographical location has provided it with wonderful agricultural land suitable for any kind of farming and so for quite a long time the city's economy was highly based on agriculture. The annual Auto Show in Harrisburg is also quite famous because of its large display of classic cars.
Harrisburg has many prestigious educational institutions within its vicinity and is often considered the cultural hub of Pennsylvania.
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