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Dauphin County Planning Commission
Dauphin County History What is now Dauphin County was originally part of Chester County and then in 1729 portions became part of Lancaster County. On March 4, 1785 an act of the General Assembly established Dauphin County as a separate entity, provided that the seat be located near Harris’s Ferry. John Harris Jr. accomplished this when he appealed to the General Assembly that the trip to Lancaster was too far to travel to conduct legal business and court sessions. Dauphin County was named in honor of the eldest son of the King of France who had come to the aid of the American colonies during the American Revolution. Harrisburg was named after John Harris Jr. the founder of the county. Harrisburg has been the county seat since 1785 and Pennsylvania’s capital since 1812. Dauphin County offers the best of all worlds to its inhabitants. The upper portion of the county consists of a quiet country setting with small towns within rolling mountain valleys. On the other hand, the lower portion of the county is the urban core of the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, the 3rd most populous in the state. Dauphin County is a natural location for the state capital being approximately 100 miles from Philadelphia and 200 miles from Pittsburgh. The county’s centralized location and access to a major waterway, the Susquehanna River, made it an ideal area for the lumber industry. Dauphin County’s location also allows it to serve as a hub for all other forms of transportation, with the Pennsylvania Railroad’s first spikes driven into the ground from Harrisburg to Lewistown. Transportation routes have encouraged Dauphin County as a nucleus for all types of industries. During the 190’s Dauphin county experienced a 5.95 population increase, the greatest percentage increase since the 1950’s; the population grew from 237,813 in 1990 to 251,798 in 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, Dauphin County employment figures rose by 21,926 an increase of 14.5%. Between 1991 and 2000, 11,339 dwelling units were added to the housing stock in Dauphin County, 1009 dwelling units were demolished, for a net gain of 10,300 units. This history of Dauphin County was taken in whole or in part from the following: Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan August 1992 Technical planning support for the Dauphin County Planning Commission is provided by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission staff.
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