The symbols on this map show the locations where 50 different discoveries and inventions were made in Pennsylvania. Anything that was created in Pennsylvania that took some amount of scientific work or other form of experimentation in order to bring it about was considered a discovery or invention. If patent records had been investigated instead of the sources identified in the Credits below, there would likely be hundreds if not thousands of potential innovations.
Pennsylvania was critical to the "industrial revolution" in the US. Not only does the state's geology and vegetation provide a wide range of valuable resources, but the state's (and colony's) population of immigrants--especially then--from all over Europe, which was already industrializing, knew what to do with those resources.
Though the map includes discoveries from all over the state, the majority of them are located in or around major cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown-Bethlehem. The dates range from as early as 1741 to as recently as 1961.
| Category | How Many | Earliest | Most Recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 10 | Franklin Stove: 1741 | Electric Watch: 1957 |
| Natural Science/Medical | 6 | Lightning Rod: 1749 | Polio Vaccination: 1955 |
| Mechanical/Transportation | 15 | Early Steamboat Technology: 1765 | Retractable Dome Roof: 1961 |
| Electrical/Electronic | 10 | Commercial Telegraph: 1845 | Weather Satellite: 1960 |
| Industrial | 9 | Steel Wire Cable: 1832 | Electrolytic Mfg. of Aluminum: 1888 |