In the hundred and forty-eight years since its formation as a city, Lancaster has been the scene of widespread activities. It has developed into a progressive modern city under the leadership of men, many of whom have exerted a nation-wide influence. Foremost among these men was President James Buchanan, who first came into prominence as a young Lancaster lawyer in 1814, through a speech he delivered at a public meeting in this city after the city of Washington had been captured by the British. He was among the first to register as a volunteer with a company of dragoons, who marched from here for the defense of Baltimore. He represented this community in Congress when he was barely 29 years of age. From here he went to St. Petersburg under an appointment of President Jackson as Minister to Russia. Upon his return, he was chosen United States Senator and filled that office for ten years, after which he became Secretary of State under President Polk and later United States Minister to England under President Pierce. At the time of his election as the 15th President of the United States, he lived in the fine old colonial mansion known as “Wheatland” built in the suburbs of Lancaster. Few persons visit Lancaster for the first time without getting a glimpse of this historic spot, which has lost none of its generous hospitality. In Woodward Hill Cemetery, South Queen Street, five blocks from Penn Square, rests the remains of James Buchanan. The recently restored gravesite includes an exact replica of the marble tomb in granite. It is now a worthy shrine for Pennsylvania’s only native President. School children throughout the State contributed to the restoration, which was sponsored by the Pilot Club. [Illustration: WHEATLAND Restored Home of President Buchanan _A National Historic Landmark_ Open to Visitors Built 1828] Lancaster has many associations with the Civil War. The first bloodshed in the United States caused by the Fugitive Slave Law, occurred in Christiana, Lancaster County.