A few years ago there was a popular jingle, and it went like this.

Two key words in that jingle are people and built. This electronic CD-ROM book is Part 1 of a series that is planned to document the engineering and technological achievements that built a mighty state and tell the stories of many of the people who played major parts in its remarkable development.

The technological story is fascinating in its revelation of the human ingenuity that transformed the many natural resources that are abundant in the state into the building blocks of modern society. In fact, the products of Pennsylvania technology played a significant role in the growth and development of the entire nation over the past 350 years.

The human story is equally poignant. The ancestors of many of today's Americans were a part of Pennsylvania's past. Some first settled in the state upon arrival from overseas and used their energies and talents to forge a new life for themselves and their families. Others were born and raised in Pennsylvania, and many followed in their fathers' and mothers' footsteps to toil in the industries of the commonwealth. A great debt is owed to those folks, who through their sweat and labor created the prosperity that is enjoyed by many Americans today. This book is dedicated to them.

In the rush, competition and many distractions of modern life, much of the substance of this work has been relegated to the books found in forgotten corners of libraries. Through the use of an electronic format, this book can bring an important history to life on the computer screens of the rapidly growing computer labs in our schools as well as to the large number of home personal computers. The format also permits the wide use of historical images to convey the artifacts of Pennsylvania technology and the industry that brought them into being. Many of the images are from the private post card collection of the author.