Kroonstad
Kroonstad (Afrikaans for Crown City, pronounced [krūn'stät]) is the third-largest town in the Free State province of South Africa and lies two hours drive from Gauteng.
Kroonstad was established in 1855 by the Irish pioneer Joseph Orpen, and was the first town founded after the independence of the Orange Free State. While "Kroon" means crown, this was in fact the name of a horse that had drowned in the nearby ford. A lover of animals, Orpen had witnessed the incident, and named the infant settlement in honour of the unfortunate creature. Similarly, the ford in question came to be known as Kroondrift.
During the Second Boer War, from 13 March to 11 May 1900, the town became the capital of the Orange Free State, and subsequently the site of a British concentration camp to accommodate Boer women and children.
It is the second largest urban center in the Northern Free State, and an important railway junction on the main line from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
Economy
Kroonstad is the centre of a rich agricultural district, producing maize, wheat, dairy and meat products and wool. The main industry is agriculture. The Bloemhoek Dam lies just east of the city and supplies much of its water needs. A caravan park and many more camp sites on the banks of the willow-lined Vals River (Valsrivier) are frequented by anglers and watersport enthusiasts.
Latest News for: kroonstad
Free State hosts #100MenMarch in Kroonstad, 11 Jul
Public Technologies 11 Jul 20189 Kroonstad train crash victims laid to rest
Eye Witness News 03 Feb 2018Free State hosts Nkgono Khoarai 100 year’s birthday celebration in Kroonstad, 3 Feb
Public Technologies 30 Jan 2018Prasa hopes to have all Kroonstad train crash victims identified soon
Eye Witness News 29 Jan 2018DNA tests match 19 of 21 Kroonstad train crash bodies to family members
Eye Witness News 28 Jan 2018Families of Kroonstad train crash victims to receive DNA results
Eye Witness News 27 Jan 2018Kroonstad train accident: Families of victims to receive DNA test results
Eye Witness News 26 Jan 2018Father's agony over death of daughter, grandchildren in Kroonstad train crash
News24 21 Jan 2018Death toll in Kroonstad train accident rises to 21
Eye Witness News 19 Jan 2018Kroonstad crash death toll rises to 21 after burnt bodies of 2 children found in ...
News24 19 Jan 2018South Africa:Kroonstad Crash Death Toll Rises to 21 After Burnt Bodies of 2 Children Found in Mom's Arms During Autopsy
All Africa 19 Jan 2018Kroonstad train crash: ‘Truck driver should be charged with murder’
Eye Witness News 11 Jan 2018Regulator: Kroonstad train met all safety requirements
Eye Witness News 10 Jan 2018- 1
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