Philly for the Uninitiated

 

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Ben Franklin

A quick tour round Philadelphia brought my attention to that which I had forgotten about the history of this place. My HS text books and movies such as "Rocky" and "National Treasure" didn't really teach me enough to answer some questions that arose on this recent trip to the City of Brotherly Love. 

• Why does the airport Starbucks sell New Jersey mugs if Philadelphia is in PA?
• Who was the King of Prussia and how does he fit into Philadelphia history?
• Why is the Rocky statue at the bottom of the steps?
• What truth is there is the Valley Forge historic hardships?
• What river runs through Philly?
• What is the difference between a cheesesteak and a hoagie?

So this I have learned in the last three days...

Philadelphia airport lies closer to New Jersey (just across the river Delaware) than the city of Philly. And the scenic river that runs through the city is the Schuylkill , which is surprisingly a Dutch name and not a the original Delaware name.

King of Prussia is a large suburb of Philadelphia and is named after a pub. The pub owners wanted to honor the king who supported the American fight for independence and generously sent Barons to train George Washington's troops. These Prussians are not to be confused with the German Hessian troops that fought with the British in the American Revolution.

I was surprised to learn that most of the story of the hardships of Washington's army at Valley Forge are myth. The site was actually a strategically located fort which could support a large city within reach of the British forces and was easily defensible. There were some losses during the 6 month stay, but most deaths were from disease and not starvation or cold. In actual fact, the soldiers were allowed a ration of 1/2 pound of beef a day. Some soldiers were deemed unfit for duty due to lack of clothing, but were easily replaced by well-equipped units. But the romantic tale of Valley Forge is how we want to remember the suffering, yet heroic troops.



I was also surprised not to find the Rocky statue at the top of the famous museum steps featured in the movies, but in fact it hasn't been there since the 1980's. The Art Museum didn't dignify the statue as art and had it moved off site. It wasn't until 2006 that Stallone asked for the statue to be moved back to a location nearby the steps. That is where I found it, near the base of the steps where everyone likes to stop for a selfie before pretending to run up the stairs and dance at the top.

There is still much to learn. However my short time here will not allow an in depth look at Philly culture and history. There are more streets to wander and more treats to taste. I do know that the Philly Cheesesteak we ordered was authentic, and it is not a hoagie. Hoagies are cold sandwiches, and we waited for over 30 minutes for our sandwich. Unlike French fries, the cheesesteak origins can be traced back to a hot dog vendor in Philadelphia who introduced the beef into a bun. 

On a side note, a Philly resident made our tour slightly more confusing by yelling out tourist information to us as he pedaled by on his bike. He buzzed by us three times with various directions to must-see sights, but we had not idea what he was referring to.