Vera Cruz, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Vera Cruz is a small village in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to the south of Emmaus, Pennsylvania
, in the Lehigh Valley
region of Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. It uses the Emmaus zip code of 18049.
. Historically, Vera Cruz was the location of one of the earliest jasper
mines on the continent. The jasper mines date to 8000 BC . At the height of the Delaware Indians jasper mining activities, more than 100 small jasper pits were operated in the area of Vera Cruz, primarily in what is now Jasper Park. The quarries were eventually abandoned in the 1680's .
. After a sound of angry voices outside, the loungers rushed outside to see the commotion and saw two citizens engaging in a fight. Alexander Weaver jokingly remarked, "Now we have a name for our village. Why not call it Vera Cruz?" Ever since that incident, the name Vera Cruz has remained .
. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Emmaus High School
. Students in grades six through eight attend either Eyer Middle School
or Lower Macungie Middle School
.
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
, in the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It uses the Emmaus zip code of 18049.
Early jasper mines
The area near Vera Cruz was originally inhabited by the LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
. Historically, Vera Cruz was the location of one of the earliest jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
mines on the continent. The jasper mines date to 8000 BC . At the height of the Delaware Indians jasper mining activities, more than 100 small jasper pits were operated in the area of Vera Cruz, primarily in what is now Jasper Park. The quarries were eventually abandoned in the 1680's .
The naming of Vera Cruz
Prior to 1851, Vera Cruz was an unnamed village at a prominent crossroad, located in what was then Milford Township, Pennsylvania. While a group of regular loungers were sitting at what was previously Alexander Weaver's store, their eyes turned to a newspaper with the title of "Revolt in Vera Cruz (Mexico): 12 Killed, 20 Injured," which led to their conversation turning to the topic of MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. After a sound of angry voices outside, the loungers rushed outside to see the commotion and saw two citizens engaging in a fight. Alexander Weaver jokingly remarked, "Now we have a name for our village. Why not call it Vera Cruz?" Ever since that incident, the name Vera Cruz has remained .
Public education
Vera Cruz is part of the East Penn School DistrictEast Penn School District
The East Penn School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Originally known as the East Penn Union School District, the district was established in 1952...
. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
. Students in grades six through eight attend either Eyer Middle School
Eyer Middle School
Eyer Middle School is a public middle school located in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located at 5616 Buckeye Road, on the Macungie side of Buckeye Road, which connects Macungie with west-side Emmaus.The school is part of the East...
or Lower Macungie Middle School
Lower Macungie Middle School
Lower Macungie Middle School is a public middle school located in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located at 6299 Lower Macungie Road in Macungie....
.