By GERALD L. MOLLOY _Manager, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce_ Lancaster has long been noted for its unusually stable economy. The factors which contribute to this stability are numerous but perhaps can best be summarized by pointing out that in this historic area one finds a unique balance between agriculture, commerce and industry. Lancaster County ranks in the first five of the 3,073 Counties in the United States in the value per acre of its agricultural production; more than 600 industrial plants provide employment for approximately 55,000 industrial workers; and Lancaster City, strategically located in the center of this prosperous agricultural-industrial County, serves as the commercial trade center for more than 318,400 persons. Thus with commerce, industry and agriculture complementing each other, Lancastrians traditionally have enjoyed a particularly healthy economic climate. Since the days prior to the American Revolution, Lancaster has been famed for its skilled industrial workers and the wide diversity of precision products manufactured in its factories. With its workers largely drawn from fourth and fifth generation Lancaster families of English and German origin, local industry has established a far-flung reputation for the uniformly high quality of its labor. Among the products manufactured in Lancaster plants are such nationally distributed items as Alcoa screw machine products, Armstrong floor coverings, Black & Decker tools, R. R. Donnelley & Sons printing, Eshelman feeds, Hamilton watches, Howmet aluminum products, Hubley toys, Lambert-Hudnut cosmetics, New Holland Farm Machinery, R.C.A. television and electronic tubes, Raybestos asbestos products, Schick electric shavers and Trojan power boats. Side by side with industry in Lancaster County, retail trade and wholesale distribution has grown and prospered since Colonial times. There are now 450 wholesale firms and over 3,000 retail outlets serving this thriving area. Attesting to the stability of the local economy is the fact that included among the retail groups are the oldest department store and oldest tobacco store in America, each of which is still operated by the same family interests which founded them and each is still situated at its original location. The traditional stability and prosperity of Lancaster industrial and commercial enterprises form a sound economic base upon which to build a fine community. This becomes apparent as the visitor views the excellent schools and hospitals, the recreational and cultural facilities, the beautiful residential areas and other community assets which are a hallmark of the good living in Lancaster County. Covered Wooden Bridges By J. RICHARD GAINTNER _Local Authority and Lecturer on Covered Wooden Bridges See Official Pennsylvania Dutch Guide Map for locations of covered bridges._