Oldest Wooden Merry-Go-Round in the U.S.

In 1905, the Kit Carson County Carousel, the oldest wooden merry-go-round in the U.S., opened at Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado. It was later moved to Burlington, Colorado in 1928. It is the only antique carousel in America that still has the original paint on the scenery and animals.

Address: Kit Carson County Carousel Association, P O Box 28, Stratton, Colorado 80836; 719-348-5562. Web: http://www.kitcarsoncountycarousel.com.

Pinto Bean Capital of the World

Dove Creek, Colorado is the Pinto Bean Capital of the World. Pinto Beans are the most widely produced bean in the United States and is one of the most popular in the Americas.

Address: Dove Creek Chamber of Commerce, P O Box 613, Dove Creek, Colorado 81324-0613; 970-677-2272; Fax: 970-677-2271.

World's First Rodeo

The world's first rodeo was held on July 4, 1869 in Deer Trail, Colorado.

Address: Town of Deer Trail, P O Box 217, Deer Trail, Colorado 80105; 303-769-4464; Fax: 303-769-4466. Email: dttownhall@aol.com. Web: http://www.deertrailcolorado.org.

Movie Star: Durango & Silverton Railroad

Established in 1881, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has appeared in more than a dozen movies including Colorado Territory (1949), Ticket to Tomahawk (1950), Denver & Rio Grande (1952), Viva Zapata (1952), Three Young Texans (1954), Run for Cover (1955), Maverick Queen (1956), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Night Passage (1957), How the West Was Won (1963), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1970), Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (1984), The Tracker (1987), Rebirth of a Locomotive (1992), Tracks Through Time (1999), Durango Kids (1999), Golden Dreams (2000), and The Claim (2000).

 
Address: Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 479 Main Street, Durango, Colorado 81301; 970-247-2733; 877-TRAIN-07. Email: info@durangotrain.com. Web: http://www.durangotrain.com.

World's Largest Natural Hot Springs Pool

The world's largest natural hot springs pool, over two blocks long, is located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.


Address: Hot Springs Lodge and Pool, P O Box 308, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81602; 970-945-6571; 800-537-SWIM; Fax: 970-947-2950. Web: http://www.hotspringspool.com.

Oldest State-Funded Archival Agency in the U.S.

The Alabama Department of Archives is the oldest state-funded archival agency in the U.S.

Address: Alabama Department of Archives, 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-0100; 334-242-4435. Web: http://www.archives.state.al.us.

World's Only Monument Dedicated to an Insect Pest

The Boll Weevil Monument was dedicated on December 11, 1919, at Enterprise, Alabama. It is the world's only monument dedicated to an insect pest.

Address: Boll Weevil Monument, Intersection of Main and College, Enterprise, Alabama 36331-0577; 334-347-0581; 800-235-4730; Fax: 334-393-8204. Web: http://www.enterprisealabama.com.

Even More Pennsylvania Firsts

1831: The Oxford Provident, the first building and loan association in America, was established at Frankford, Pennsylvania on January 31, 1831.

1831: On April 25, 1831, Matthias Baldwin tested the first locomotive which established the largest locomotive building works in the world.


1834: The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began the first systematic study of meteorology in the aid of agriculture.

Address: The Franklin Institute, 220 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; 212-448-1200. Web: http://www.fi.edu.

1835: The city of Philadelphia began laying the first gas pipes in the U.S.

1848: The first regularly published comic paper, the John-Donkey, was published in Philadelphia.



1852: The Female Medical College of Philadelphia (later Woman's Medical College) granted the first medical degree for women in America. In recent years, the college has joined with Drexel University's college of medicine.

"Drexel University College of Medicine ... is the consolidation of two venerable medical schools with rich and intertwined histories: Hahnemann Medical College and Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Established in 1848 and 1850, respectively, they were two of the earliest medical colleges in the United States, and Woman's was the very first medical school for women in the nation."

Address: Drexel University College of Medicine, Queen Lane Medical Campus, 2900 W. Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129; 215-991-8100. Web: http://www.drexelmed.edu.

Still More Pennsylvania Firsts

1807: Joseph Hawkins of Philadelphia created the first carbonated water made in America.

1809: In September, Scotch millwright Somerville constructed the first experimental rail track in the U.S. near Bulls Head Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Thomas Leiper.

1810: The first savings fund society in America was established at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1818: Joseph Lancaster started the Model School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first normal school in the U.S.

1819: The Philadelphia Analectic Magazine printed the first lithograph in America.

1819: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania erected the first water power works in the U.S.

1824: The first American manufacturer's trade show was held at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


1827: The first horticultural society in America, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, was founded in November, 1827, under the leadership of Dr. James Meade of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Address: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; 215-988-8800; Fax: 215-988-8810. Email: programreg@pennhort.org. Web: http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.

1829: G.A. Shyrock of Philadelphia became the first to make paper and boards from straw and grass by using machinery.

1830: C.C. Conwell published the first penny newspaper in the U.S., the Cent, in Philadelphia.

1830: Louis Godey of Philadelphia published the first successful women's magazine, Godey's Lady Book.

More Pennsylvania Firsts

1791: The first public canal company, the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Canal Company, was chartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1791: The first carpet factory in the U.S. was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


1792: The first U.S. Mint was established in Philadelphia by the U.S. Congress.

Address: United States Mint, 151 N. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106-1886; 215-408-0110. Web: http://www.usmint.gov.

1794: Charles Wilson Peal, Joseph Cerrachi, William Rush, and others formed the first society for the promotion of fine arts in the U.S., the Columbianum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1796: Binney & Ronaldson formed the first type foundry in America at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1804: Charles Eneu Johnson established the first printing ink factory in the U.S. at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


1805: The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the first arts institution in the U.S., was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was chartered on March 28, 1806.

Address: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts,
118 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102; 215-972-7600; Fax: 215-569-0153. Web: http://www.pafa.org.

Some Pennsylvania Firsts -- More

1780: Dr. Benjamin Rush published the first American work on medicine.

1780: The Pennsylvania Assembly passed the first abolition act in America.

1780: Robert Morris organized the first public bank in the U.S., the Pennsylvania Bank.

1781: On May 26, 1781, the Bank of North America was established by resolution of the U.S. Congress as the first lasting corporate banking institution in the U.S. It opened on January 7, 1782.


1784: The first zoological garden in the U.S. opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in July.

Address: Zoological Society of Philadelphia,
3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-1196; 215-243-1100. Email: publicprograms@phillyzoo.org. Web: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org.

1784: The Pennsylvania Packet or General Advertiser, the first daily newspaper in the United States, was published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 21, 1784, by John Dunlap and David Claypoole.

1785: Dr. Benjamin Rush, Robert Morris, Richard Peters, and others established The Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, the first agriculture society in North America.

1786: John Fitch operated the first steam vessel on water on July 20, 1786, on the Delaware River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On August 22, 1787, he operated the first steamboat in the same location. In 1790, the he operated the first regularly scheduled passenger and freight steamboat in the world.

1790: The oldest law school in America, the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, was founded by James Wilson at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1790: The first stock exchange in America was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Some Pennsylvania Firsts

1753: Pass & Stowe cast the first bell made in the U.S. for use in the State House located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1753: On March 4, 1753, Captain Charles Swaine took off in the schooner Argo in the first North American expedition for Arctic exploration.

1762: Dr. William Shippen opened the first North American school of anatomy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1762.


1765: On May 30, 1765, Dr. John Morgan opened the first medical school in the U.S. at the College of Philadelphia.

Address: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2002 Penn Tower, 399 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4385; 215-662-4000. Web: http://www.med.upenn.edu.

1766: The first permanent theater house in America was built in Southwark, Pennsylvania.

1773: The American Medical Society was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1774: The first Anti-Slavery Society in the U.S. was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1775: Johann Behrent built the first piano in the U.S. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He named it Piano Forte.

1776: The U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


1777: Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

World's Smallest City Park

Measuring only two feet across, Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon is the world's smallest city park. Created in 1948 for the leprechauns, snail races are held there every St. Patrick’s Day.

Address: Mills End Park, Corner of Front Avenue and Taylor Street in the middle of a crosswalk, Portland, Oregon.

Deepest Lake in the United States

Known for its intense blue color and spectacular views, Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the United States.

Crater Lake National Park was created on May 22, 1902. The park receives more snowfall than any other place in the country,
averaging 533 inches a year!

Address: Crater Lake National Park, P O Box 7, Crater Lake, Oregon 97604; 541-594-3100; Fax: 541-594-3010. Web:
http://www.nps.gov/crla.

National 4-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum

This unique museum features America's premier collection of vintage banjos. Inductees include Tim Allen, Mel Bay, Ralph Martin, Jack Canine, Buddy Wachter, Harry Reser, Cathy Reilly-Finn, Bacon & Day, Shakey Johnson, Freddy Morgan, Jubilee Banjo Band, Don Van Palta, Sandy Riner, Roy Smeck, Smokey Montgomery, Eddie Peabody, and many others.

Address: National 4-String Banjo Hall of Fame, The International Banjo College, 116 E. Oklahoma Avenue, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044; 405-260-1323. Email: info@banjomuseum.org. Web: http://www.banjomuseum.org.

Largest Scottish Rite Complex in the World

Completed in 1929, the largest Scottish Rite Complex in the world is located in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The great Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Guthrie is a place in which the glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe is celebrated.

Address: Scottish Rite Temple, 900 E. Oklahoma, P. O. Box 70, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044; 405-282-1281. Web: http://www.guthriescottishrite.org.

North Carolina: Some Special Highlights

North Carolina leads the U.S. in textile production.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in the U.S.

The first drawbridge built in the United States was built over the Cape Fear River.

The University of North Carolina was the first public university in the United States.

North Carolina has the largest state-maintained highway system in the U.S., with 77,400 miles of roads.

The world's smallest daily newspaper is the Tryon Daily Bulletin.

The first miniature golf course was opened in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The first English child born in America, Virginia Dare, was born in Roanoke, North Carolina, in 1587.

North Carolina was the first state to declare independence from England with the Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775.

Cabarrus County, North Carolina, was the site of America's first gold rush.

The first state art museum in the country is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Albemarle Sound is the largest freshwater sound in the world.

Address: North Carolina Tourism Division, 301 N Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825; 919-733-8372; 800-847-4862; Fax: 919-715-3097. Web: http://www.visitnc.com.

World's Oldest Living Bristlecone Pine

Over 5,000 years old, the world's oldest living bristlecone pine was cut down on Wheeler Peak in Nevada in the 1960s. The Bristlecone
Grove in Great Basin National Park now probably hosts the world's oldest living bristlecone pine.

The Great Basin National Park was made a national monument on January 24, 1922 and a national park on October 27, 1986. From the sagebrush at its alluvial base to the 13,063-foot summit of Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park includes streams, lakes, alpine plants, abundant wildlife, a variety of forest types including groves of ancient bristlecone pines, and numerous limestone caverns, including beautiful Lehman Caves.

Address: Great Basin National Park, 100 Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada 89311; 775-234-7331; Fax: 775-234-7269. Web: http://www.nps.gov/grba.

World's Largest Virgin Blackwater Cypress-Tupelo Swamp Forest

Founded in 1969, the Francis Beidler Forest is the largest virgin blackwater cypress-tupelo swamp forest left in the world. This 11,000-acre sanctuary in the heart of Four Holes Swamp covers 1,800 acres of ancient trees.

Address: Francis Beidler Forest, 336 Sanctuary Road, Harleyville, South Carolina 29448-3324; 843-452-2150. Email: beidler@audubon.org. Web: http://www.audubon.org.