York, known as the White Rose City (after the Wars of the Roses), is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. The population was 40,862 at the 2000 census. York is the county seat of York County, and is located at .

History

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York was founded in 1741 by settlers from the Philadelphia region, and named for the English city of the same name. It was incorporated as a borough on September 24, 1787, and as a city on January 11, 1887. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), York served as the temporary capital of the Continental Congress. The Articles of Confederation were drafted and ratified in York. The Conway Cabal, a political intrigue against General George Washington, had its origins in the Golden Plough tavern in York.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), York became the largest Northern town to be occupied by the Confederate army when the division of Major General Jubal Anderson Early spent June 28–30, 1863, in and around the town while the brigade of John B. Gordon marched to the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville and back. Early laid York under tribute and collected food, supplies, clothing, shoes, and $28,000 in cash from citizens and merchants before departing westward obeying the revised orders of Robert E. Lee. The sprawling York U.S. Army General Hospital on Penn Commons served thousands of Union soldiers wounded at the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg.

In the Postbellum era (1865–1877), York remained a regional center for local agriculture, but increasingly became an important industrial center, with such industries as steam engines, railroad manufacturing, and papermaking coming to the forefront. York also features some unique architecture ranging from colonial era buildings to large gothic churches.

In 2001, York mayor Charlie Robertson was arrested for his part in the 1969 race riot murder of Lillie Belle Allen, a young black woman.

Today

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York is a center for manufacturing of barbells and other equipment for weight training and bodybuilding, and is the home of the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame. A large Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory, which employs roughly half of Harley's production workforce, is located in York.

York is home to two major manufacturers of modern hydro-power water turbines, Voith Siemens Hydro and American Hydro, both of which manufacture enormous parts in their plants.

York is headquarters to York International, a Johnson Controls Company and one of the largest suppliers of HVAC systems in the United States.

On February 2, 1998, a massive explosion occurred at the York International plant. A spark had set off a leak in the nearby propane storage house. The blast was felt up to 25 miles away, and blew out windows nearby as well as knocking down doors. About 20 people were injured in the blast but only one person was killed, as the explosion fortunately occurred during a shift change.

A major regional department store company, The Bon-Ton, is another corporation headquartered in York, as is the large Kinsley Construction company. York is home to one of only four Starbucks roasting facilities...