Scranton, Pennsylvania
Situated in the Pennsylvanian State of the US, Scranton is the sixth most populous city in the State. It holds the honor of being considered the hubbub of all cultural activities of the entire Lackawanna River valley. Despite its humble beginnings, the industrial revolution bought immense fame to the city, which today attracts more than its fair share of settlers and tourists.
The four distinct seasons allow one to experience the various shades of the city throughout the year. Sports and media also combine to make the city very popular with tourists, though it would be right to say that its real charm lies in its vast and intriguing historical places.
The ethnic diversity of the population here allows one to peek into the culture and cuisine of various different communities. Experience the age old iron and coal production techniques or check out the steam locomotives that were used by the miners at that time. The museums and parks of the city are great attractions too, while the shrine here holds a special religious value and attracts thousands of pilgrims to the city each year.
Welcome to the city of Scranton, where you will be able to make just about anything happen. It has something to appeal to everyone's senses. Many businesses in the city also thrive.
Scranton History
The first white settler to build his home in Scranton is said to be Isaac Tripp. His home was built in 1778 and still stands today. It can be seen in the Providence section of the city. Settlers from New England filtered in over the 18th century and set up small commercial industries here and soon formed a small village that went by the name of Slocum Hollow.
The city saw its growth by riding on the iron and steel industries. The first and most prominent company founded here was the Lackawanna Steel Company that was set up in 1840. In 1851 the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was established and it helped transport products from the region. It was with this rise that the borough of Scranton also rose into attaining a city status.
In 1866, the borough was merged with Hyde Park and Providence in order to establish the city of Scranton. However, at that time the city was to be a part of the Luzerne County and it was not till 1878 that Scranton was declared the county seat of Lackawanna County.
It was in the early 20th century that the city lost its glory due to a downfall in the iron ore supply of the region. The Lackawanna Steel company moved back to New York and Scranton had nothing but coal to depend on from then on. In 1903, the electric interurban railroad was started and this bought a huge revolution to the city as the conditions of work became significantly better.
It was in the 1920s that Scranton Button Company launched into making phonograph records and did work for several big names like Emerson, Regal, Domino, etc. However, later in 1946 the company was bought over by Capitol and they stayed in business till the records industry became redundant.
Sadly, after the Second World War, coal was no longer given importance and with the downfall of coal, the city began its decline too. The hardest blow came from the Knox Mine Disaster of 1959, which lead to several jobs being lost and labor began to move away from the city. This affected the silk and textile trades too.
Thankfully, in the 1980s a renewed interest has been generated in the city, with the government taking special pains to restore the place to its former glory. Historical buildings and monuments are being restored and the hospitality industry is also being supported. Encouraged by these benefits, the tourism inflow of the city has risen significantly in the last few decades.
About Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is the county seat for Lackawanna County and is also the largest city in the Scranton/Wilkes/Barre metropolitan area. The city was initially incorporated as a borough in 1856 on the 14th of February. However, ten years later it was given the status of a city on the 23rd of April.
According to the 2010 census, the city covers an area of 25.4 square miles and boasts of a population of 76,089. The median income of a household in the city was said to be $28,805 by the census. Most of the older generation folks of the city speak the Northeast Pennsylvania English, which is a huge charm for visitors here.
Scranton has its own special place in the sports circuit with the minor-league Scranton Indians becoming the first professional baseball team of the city in the year 1887. Since then there has been no stopping this city's sports enthusiasm and today Scranton boasts football, basketball, and ice hockey teams. The winter snow opens up the city to all types of snow sports of which skiing is very popular. The Sno Mountain Ski Resort offers a delightful skiing opportunity of varying difficulties.
The city has seen its fair share of ups and downs and thus offers a wide variety of historically significant building and parks. The Steam Town National Historic Site allows visitors a glimpse into the various steam engines used by miners. The Electrical City Trolley Museum is dedicated to the history of streetcars of this area. The DL&W passenger station that has been converted into the Radisson Hotel is no doubt a huge crowd puller too.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann lends the city a religious angle. Pilgrims from all over the country travel to Scranton on the novena which is held once a year. The national seat of the Polish National Catholic Church of North America, the St. Stanislaus Church is also located in the city.
The three day Italian festival by the name of La Festa Italiana draws a huge crowd too and makes for a packed Labor Day weekend in the city. The St. Patrick's Day parade that is being held here since 1862 sees several thousand participants and a much larger number of spectators.
About Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Located at the northern edge of the Coal Region, the Lackawanna County lies in the state of Pennsylvania. The county was established on the 13th of August in the year 1878 and takes its name after the mighty Lackawanna River. It is the most recently created county of the state of Pennsylvania.
The County occupies an area of 465 square miles of which only 1.2% is water. The 2010 census indicated a population of 214,437, which is a slight rise from the 2000 census of 213,295 people. The 2010 census also declared that there were 146,383 registered voters in the county.
Apart from the prominent Scranton city, the county also houses Carbondale. It has its fair share of boroughs of which Dalton, Taylor, Jessup, Mayfield, Moscow and Dickson City, are a few. When it comes to townships, the Lackawanna County has a huge collection to offer. The Benton Township, Clifton, Fell, Waverly, Scott and Newton are some of the townships of the county. Belin is the single village in the county and a must see for those looking to see the country side of the region.
Education wise, Lackawanna County provides well for its residents with over seven universities and several schools in the area. Keystone College, Marywood University, Johnson College and of course the University of Scranton are few of the prestigious colleges in the county. There are 12 public school districts of which Valley View, Scranton, Riverside, Old Forge and Lakeland, are a few.
There is also the option of Diocesan schools in Lackawanna County. There are four regional systems of this school to be found here, and these function via seven elementary schools and one secondary school. There is no lack of private schools in the county either with prominent names like DePaul, Milton Eisner Yeshiva, Howard Gardner School for Discovery and Abington Christian School being a few.