Overview

Bethlehem � Pennsylvania's third-largest industrial area and the Lehigh Valley's largest city � has a rich history that predates the American Revolution. In 1741 a group of Moravian missionaries from what is now the Czech Republic arrived in hopes of converting Native Americans to Christianity. On Christmas Eve 1741, the German patron who was financing the mission visited, dubbing the settlement "Bethlehem" because missionaries were sharing their crude, two-room building with their livestock. Bethlehem's growth was slow until the late 1850s, when plans for construction of a massive ironworks drew immigrants from around the world. The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was a major force for the latter half of the 19th century and for most of the 20th century. The market lessened at that point, and now, the former steel-making site is being developed as a retail and entertainment complex. Even so, Bethlehem business isn't all about heavy industry. Another important Bethlehem enterprise is remarkable for other reasons. The Moravian Book Shop is the oldest continually operating bookstore in the United States and is a terrific source of information and goods as related to local life, history, and culture.

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