Lancaster is located in the southeastern part of the state of Pennsylvania and a city and seat of Lancaster County and is also part of the metropolitan area that is comprised of several towns and boroughs on the western part of Philadelphia. The area where the present-day Lancaster’s original site along the Conestoga Creek, wherein it is also known as Gibson’s Pasture, or the Hickory Town, was then made the county seat of Lancaster County in 1729. The Continental Congress, who was fleeing from Philadelphia, held a one-day session on the site during the American Revolution, as well as the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, who took refuge for the nine months in the city. Lancaster’s present-day economy is well-diversified as it balances agriculture, services, and industry.