Hi, EPCOR members! I have had a blast traveling to some of your hometowns and checking out some of the hidden gems within the EPCOR footprint! This week I visited Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. I learned so much! How many of the following fun facts do you know?

Oklahoma:

• The world’s first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935.
• Vinita, Oklahoma was the first town in Oklahoma to have electricity.
• Sylvan N. Goldman of Humpty Dumpty Stores and Standard Food Markets invented the first shopping cart which was unveiled in Oklahoma City on June 4, 1937.
• Musician Bob Dunn, from Beggs, Oklahoma, invented the first electric guitar in 1935.
• In Bartlesville, Oklahoma, it is illegal to own more than two adult cats.

Illinois:

• The first Aquarium opened in Chicago in 1893.
• The Sears Tower, Chicago is the tallest building on the North American continent.
• Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery in 1865.
• Des Plaines is home to the first McDonald's.
• The Illinois state dance is square dancing.

Iowa:

• Quaker Oats, in Cedar Rapids, is the largest cereal company in the world.
• Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels.
• The National Balloon Museum in Indianola chronicles more than 200 years of ballooning history.
• Pigs outnumber the human population in Iowa about 7-to-1.
• Since 1900, the National Hobo Convention has taken place in Britt, Iowa. King and queens are voted on by a special counsel, and the winners then get their portraits immortalized in a painting.

Pennsylvania:

• The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776.
• Indiana County is the Christmas tree capital of the world.
• Hershey is considered the Chocolate Capital of the U.S.
• The Rockville Bridge in Harrisburg is the longest stone arch bridge in the world.
• Actor Jimmy Steward was born and raised in the town of Indiana. Each year at Christmas the downtown area is decorated in the theme of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

West Virginia:

• Nearly 75% of West Virginia is covered by forests.
• According to the crime index for 1997, West Virginia had the lowest crime rate in the country.
• The first electric railroad in the world, built as a commercial enterprise, was constructed between Huntington and Guyandotte.
• William Tompkins used natural gas to evaporate salt brine in 1841, thus becoming the first person in the United States to use natural gas for industrial purposes.
• Mrs. Minnie Buckingham Harper, a member of the House of Delegates by appointment in 1928, was the first African American woman to become a member of a legislative body in the United States.

Here are some postcards I’ve received from YOOOU!

What should I know about your neck of the woods? Does your organization have some unique history? Is there a special landmark in your community? What is that one festival or activity that just can’t be missed in your area?

Click here to send me a “postcard” highlighting a special story, memory or a fun fact about you, your organization or your community to be entered to win one of TEN gift packs filled with gift cards and travel necessities so you will be all set to do a little exploring of your own!