Jasper mines Prior to its settlement, the area that is present-day Vera Cruz was inhabited by the
Lenape Indian tribes. Vera Cruz was the location of the earliest
jasper mines on the
North American continent, dating back to
8000 BC. At the height of Lenape Indian 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 1680s. The jasper mines of Vera Cruz supported tool production for the Lenape in the area, including arrowheads and other small tools used in both hunting and battle. The jasper from Jasper Park has since been found as far away as
New England, supporting claims that the Vera Cruz area played a key role in supporting early jasper production and trade. The Jasper Park jasper pits are part of a key 35-mile long stretch of nine pits in the Vera Cruz area, stretching from the
Delaware River to
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. These jasper pits in Vera Cruz represent some of the oldest known mining operations in the United States. Today, the jasper pits in Jasper Park are a local attraction, which support small hiking and biking trails. Removal of jasper from Jasper park is a crime. 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
Mexico. After a sound of angry voices outside, the loungers rushed outside to see the commotion and saw two citizens engaged 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. ==Geography==