Scranton, Pennsylvania
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- For other places named Scranton, see Scranton.
Template:US City infobox Scranton is a city located in Lackawanna County in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,415 (2003 estimate: 74,320). It is the county seat of Lackawanna CountyTemplate:GR. After Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie and Reading, Scranton is Pennsylvania's sixth most populous city.
Scranton is nestled in the Lackawanna River valley. It sits directly between the Pocono Mountains to the east and the Endless Mountains to the west. It is the largest city located in a contiguous quilt-work of former anthracite coal mining towns including Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Carbondale. Scranton was incorporated as a borough on February 14, 1856, and as a city on April 23, 1866.
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History
Humble beginnings (1776-1845)
The present-day city of Scranton was originally occupied by the Lenape tribe of Native Americans. The name of the Lackawanna river valley in which it sits is derived from a Lenape phrase "le-can-hanna" meaning "stream that forks". Gradually, settlers from New England began to inhabit the area in the late 1700s, setting up mills and other small businesses, and the village became known as Slocum Hollow. The home of Isaac Tripp, built in 1778, still stands in the Providence section of the city as testament to this era.
Industrial foundations established: iron, coal and railroads (1846-1899)
Though anthracite coal was being mined in Carbondale to the north and Wilkes-Barre to the south, the industry that precipitated the city's growth was iron and steel. In 1847, brothers Seldon T. and George W. Scranton, began producing iron T-rails for the Erie Railroad in New York state. These were the first rails manufactured in the United States; prior to this they were made in England and shipped overseas. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) was founded in 1851 by the Scrantons to transport iron and coal products from the Lackawanna valley. A gravity railroad built by the Pennsylvania Coal Company also entered the city to transport the black diamonds. In 1856, the borough of Scranton was officially incorporated and named after its industrious founders. The Delaware and Hudson (D&H) Canal Company, which had its own gravity railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale, built a steam railroad which entered Scranton in 1863. Scranton was incorporated as a city of 35,000 in 1866 when the surrounding boroughs of Hyde Park (the present-day west side) and Providence (the present-day north side) were merged with Scranton borough. One of the first successfully electrified streetcar (trolley) lines was established in the city in 1886, giving it the nickname "The Electric City". In the late 1890s Scranton was home to a series of early International League baseball teams. By 1890, three other railroads had built lines to tap into the rich supply of coal in the city, including the Erie Railroad, the Central Railroad of New Jersey and finally the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad (NYO&W). Underneath the city, a network of coal veins was mined by workers who were exploited by the wealthy coal barons with low pay, long work days and horrendous, unsafe working conditions. Children as young as 8 or 9 worked 14 hour days separating slate from coal in the coal breakers.
Growth and prosperity (1900-1945)
With the United States Census of 1900, the population of Scranton passed the 100,000 mark, making it the 38th largest city in the United States at the time. The turn of the 20th century saw many beautiful homes of Victorian architecture built in the Hill and Green Ridge sections of the city. In 1901, the local iron ore supply was dwindling and the Lackawanna Steel Company moved operations to Lackawanna, New York, where iron ore from Minnesota was more readily available by ships on the Great Lakes. Despite the loss of the industry on which the city was founded, Scranton forged ahead as the center of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal industry. During the first half of the 20th century it was home to many groups of newly arrived immigrants from Europe. The remnants of this patchwork can still be seen in some of the Catholic and Orthodox churches that dot the city's south, north and west sides. In 1903, an electric interurban rail line known as the Laurel Line was built to connect sister city Wilkes-Barre 20 miles to the southwest. Working conditions for miners were improved by the efforts of such labor leaders as John Mitchell, whose statue is on the Lackawanna County Courthouse grounds in the city's center. By the mid 1930s, the city population had swelled to around 150,000 people due to the extensive growth of the mining and silk textile industries. During World War II, the country's insatiable need for energy to supply the war machine was cause for extensive strip mining operations throughout the area.
The end of an era (1946-1984)
After World War II, it became clear that coal was losing favor to other energy sources such as oil and natural gas. At the same time, the supply of coal in area mines was dwindling. In contrast to other cities in the United States which prospered in the post-war expansion, Scranton (and all of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties) saw its fortunes and population beginning to diminish. Coal production and rail traffic began to decline rapidly throughout the 1950s. In 1952, the Laurel Line ceased transporting passengers. The trolleys of the Scranton Transit Company that gave the city its nickname yielded all operations to buses as Christmas 1954 approached. In 1955, the east and south sides of the city were devastated by the floods of Hurricane Diane, and a total of 80 lives were lost in the area. The NYO&W Railroad, which depended heavily on its Scranton branch for freight traffic, was completely abandoned in 1957. January 1959 saw the Knox Mine Disaster, and almost immediately all mining in the area ended and thousands of jobs evaporated as mines became flooded by the waters of the Susquehanna River. The DL&W Railroad, nearly bankrupt by the drop in coal traffic and the effects of Hurricane Diane, merged with the Erie Railroad in 1960. Scranton had been the hub of DL&W operations; with the Erie Lackawanna merger, the city was no longer an important hub and many jobs left the area. Mine subsidence became a common problem in the city, as pillar supports in abandoned mines gave way; entire blocks of homes were consumed by these cave-ins. The area had become scarred by abandoned coal mining structures, strip mines and massive culm dumps, some of which burned for years until federal and state intervention put the fires out. During the 1960s and 1970s, the silk and other textile industries also saw a decline as jobs moved south or overseas. During the 1970s and 1980s, the center city area saw many of its stores and theaters close as suburban shopping malls began to dominate the scene.
Stabilization and restoration (1985-Present)
Image:DowntownScranton2003.jpg Since the mid 1980s, the center city has seen an upswing due to renewed interest in the city's rich architecture and the creation of new tourist attractions, such as the Steamtown National Historic Site, which celebrates the city's railroad history. The former DL&W train station was renovated into what is today a luxurious hotel for visitors, the Radisson at Lackawanna Station. The Steamtown National Historic Site occupies the former DL&W Railroad yards, with the Electric City Trolley museum adjacent to it. Built in 1993, the two-floor Steamtown Mall was built as an attempt to revive downtown shopping, and many new businesses have renovated old buildings, or have built new buildings where abandoned buildings or vacant lots once stood. The University of Scranton campus borders the downtown area in the city's Hill Section. Nay Aug Park was, in the past, a destination for residents throughout the Scranton area, but has fallen into disrepair in recent years. Efforts have been made to refurbish Nay Aug Park, and it is slowly returning to being a destination for city residents. Not far from the downtown, the Montage Mountain Ski Resort, the Lackawanna County Stadium of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons AAA Minor League baseball team, and the Toyota Pavilion Amphitheater at Montage Mountain have added to the city's cultural activities. The coal scarred land is disappearing, and is being replaced with parks, businesses and homes. Despite a culture of political corruption, the city maintains a small-town atmosphere in friendly neighborhoods.
Geography
Scranton is located at 41°24'38" North, 75°40'3" West (41.410629, -75.667411)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 65.9 km² (25.4 mi²). 65.3 km² (25.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.83% water.
The center city area sits at about 750' (229m) above sea level. Generally, the city is hilly, with inhabited portions of the city ranging from about 650' (220m) above sea level to about 1150' (350m) above sea level. The city is hemmed in by mountains to the east and west ranging in height from 1900' (580m) to 2100' (640m) above sea level.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 76,415 people, 31,303 households, and 18,124 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,169.4/km² (3,029.2/mi²). There were 35,336 housing units at an average density of 540.8/km² (1,400.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.54% White, 3.02% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 2.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 31,303 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,805, and the median income for a family was $41,642. Males had a median income of $30,829 versus $21,858 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,174. 15.0% of the population and 10.7% of families were below the poverty line. 18.9% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The local dialect of American English is "Northeast Pennsylvania English".
Transportation
Highways
- Interstate 81 (North to New York State, Southwest to Harrisburg and Tennessee)
- Interstate 84 (East to New England)
- Interstate 380 (Southeast to Northern New Jersey/New York City)
- Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 476) (South to Philadelphia)
- U.S. Highway 6 (Parallels I-84 to East, West to Erie)
- U.S. Highway 11 (Parallels I-81)
Public Transportation
- Scranton is served by the County of Lackawanna Transportation System (COLTS), which provides bus service to the city and other communities within Lackawanna County.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located in nearby Avoca. The airport is serviced by eight airlines.
- Martz Trailways and Greyhound Lines provide transportation to New York City, Philadelphia and other points in the northeast.
Railroads
- The Canadian Pacific (Delaware and Hudson division) operates the former DL&W line between Scranton and Binghamton, New York, with frequent through trains often jointly operated with Norfolk Southern
- The Delaware-Lackawanna operates the former Delaware and Hudson line from Scranton to Carbondale, and the former DL&W line east to the Delaware Water Gap, serving local industries.
- The Reading and Northern services the former DL&W Keyser Valley branch on the city.
Professional sports
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA Minor League Baseball International League)
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (American Hockey League)
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (Arena football)
- Pocono Raceway NASCAR and Indy style racing
- Scranton Miners (Atlantic Basketball Association) 1993-95
- Scranton Apollos & Scranton Miners, Continental Basketball Association
- Scranton Indians (1887-unknown) Minor League Baseball, defunct
- Unknown Team (1892-1894) Minor League Baseball, Pennsylvania State League
- Unknown Team (1894-1897) Minor League Baseball, Eastern League
- Unknown Team (1899-1900) Minor League Baseball, Atlantic League
- Scranton Miners (1904-1917), Class B Minor League Baseball, New York State League
- Scranton Miners (1923-1937), Class A & B Minor League Baseball, New York-Pennsylvania League
- Scranton Red Sox (1939-1953), Class A Eastern League (a renamed version of the New York-Pennsylvania League)
Colleges and universities
- Lackawanna College
- Marywood University
- Penn State Worthington Scranton Campus (in the suburb of Dunmore)
- University of Scranton: A Jesuit University
- Johnson College
Notable natives and residents
- Joe Biden, U.S. Senator.
- P.J. Carlesimo, professional basketball coach, San Antonio Spurs.
- Robert P. Casey, former Governor of Pennsylvania.
- Robert P. Degan & Joseph P. Brier, in 1996 the U.S. Copyright Office confirmed that these Scrantoians wrote and copyrighted the original version of the Hokey Pokey, the classic, silly and unforgettable dance song which has been imprinted as a part of American culture since 1944.
- Cy Endfield, film and theatre director.
- Howard Gardner, Created Theory of Multiple Intelligences, MacArthur Prive Winner, Harvard Professor, author of dozens of books.
- Jane Jacobs, sociologist, author.
- Rosalie Joseph, Vice-President of Casting, ABC Network American Broadcasting Company
- Jean Kerr, author.
- Ralph Lomma, Pennsylvania entrepreneur and so-called "King of Mini Golf".
- W.S. Merwin- author who won the 2005 National Book Award for his collection of "new and selected poems."
- Jason Miller - Pulitzer Prize winning playright, "That Championship Season", and actor, "The Exorcist."
- Russ Morgan, Big Band Musician (Trombone, Piano), Songwriter.
- Mike Munchak, Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, professional football coach, Tennessee Titans, former professional football player, Houston Oilers.
- Bill O'Reilly, began as a reporter on Scranton's local WNEP-TV and today is the right-wing host of FOX's popular The O'Reilly Factor
- Karen Ann Quinlan, Comatose women who became a figure in the Right to Die Movement.
- George A. Reihner, current city attorney who formerly was an NFL player for the Houston Oilers
- Lizabeth Scott, Movie actress who starred with such actors as Humphrey Bogart. She was born Emma Matzo in the Pine Brook Section of Scranton.
- William Scranton, former Governor of Pennsylvania, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and 1964 candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
- William Scranton, III, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and two-time gubernatorial candidate.
- Ned Washington, Academy Award-winning Disney songwriter
- Amy Wilson, actress.
Landmarks and attractions
- The city is home to the University of Scranton, Marywood University, and a campus of The Pennsylvania State University.
- Scranton is also home of the Steamtown National Historic Site, a museum that seeks to preserve the history of steam locomotives
*Lackawanna Trolley Museum, adjacent to the Steamtown Site, preserves pieces of Pennsylvania streetcar history.
- The Lackawanna Coal Mine tour is open for those who desire to learn about the history of mining and railroads in the Scranton area. The tours are conducted inside a part of a former working mine.
- The DL&W Passenger Station, now a Radisson Hotel with fine dining and several conference and banquet centers.
- The Scranton Iron Furnaces, remnants of the Lackawanna Steel Company founded by the Scranton family.
- The Montage Mountain Ski Resort features a wide array of skiing slopes and is adjacent to an amphitheater, the Ford Pavilion, where musical artists ranging from James Taylor to The Dave Matthews Band have performed.
- The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons baseball home games can be seen at the Lackawanna County Stadium located across from Montage in Moosic, PA. The Red Barons are the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Trolley trips are now available for touring the city, similar to San Francisco.
- The Everhart Museum displays many valuable pieces of "natural history, science and art" in global history, including sculptures from ancient civilizations.
Scranton in popular culture
- The NBC adaptation of the hit BBC show The Office, is set at a fictional paper company in Scranton. Shots of the city are in the opening credits and there have been references to The Steamtown Mall, Farley's Pub, Lake Wallenpaupack, and other area attributes.
- A cartoon in a May 2005 issue of The New Yorker depicts the city in the form of an amusement park ride with the sign advertising the ride reading: "experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Scranton and warning: may cause nausea."
- In the 2004 Coen Brothers film, The Ladykillers, the character of Garth Pancake (played by J.K. Simmons) proudly states that he is from Scranton, Pennsylvania.
- In 2001, the Disney television show, Lizzie McGuire, mentions Scranton during a scene in which the city is criticized for being chosen as the location for an opening premiere for a middle-school play.
- In a 2000 episode of HBO's The Sopranos, Tony references the city of Boston as "Scranton with clams."
- In the 1999 flick, Never Been Kissed, the main character Josie (portrayed by Drew Barrymore) descends from Scranton.
- In 1996, the movie Kingpin had the lead character, Roy (played by Woody Harrelson), living in Scranton.
- In the 1994 comedy, My Father, the Hero, a tourist husband-and-wife couple from Scranton join Nicole (Katherine Heigl) and her father in one scene.
- In a 1994 episode of the FOX's The Simpsons, Kent Brockman reports that David Crosby's liver was found in Scranton above a drugstore.
- In a 1995 episode of NBC's Friends, Ross mentions the Scranton zoo as the "last hope" to find a home for his pet monkey, Marcel. In the episode, when Ross is informed that the zoo dismissed him, he bellows, "We didn't get into...Scranton?!?!? That was like our safety zoo. They take, like dogs and cows!" Scranton no longer has an operating zoo, as the Nay Aug Zoo fell into serious disrepair over the years.
- In 1992, the movie School Ties had the lead character 'David Green' (portrayed by Brendan Fraser) living in Scranton at the beginning of the film.
- In 1990, the movie Home Alone had Kevin's (played by Macaulay Culkin) mom, Kate (played by Catherine O'Hara) stuck in the Scranton Airport (Avoca International) due to a snowstorm, while trying desperately to get home. She eventually gets help from the leader of a Polka band named Gus Polinski (played by John Candy). He drives Kate all the way to Chicago in the band van.
- In a 1975 episode of the CBS sitcom, All in the Family, Edith attends a friend's wedding in Scranton, despite husband Archie's complaints about the city.
- The 1973 Pulitzer prize and Tony Award winning play 'That Championship Season' by Jason Miller was based on the fictional lives of members of a Scranton basketball team that had won the state championship in 1957. The play was ultimately made into a movie in 1982.
- A 1965 episode of Green Acres is entitled, "What Happened in Scranton?"
- On March 26, 1965, a truck carrying bananas crashed after coming down a two-mile downhill road (Moosic Street) that leads into the downtown area. This incident would lead to the Harry Chapin song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas".
- In James Blish's 1957 novel 'They Shall Have Stars,' the protagonist is captured by a press gang and forced to board the spindizzy city of Scranton as it departs to wander in space, mining minerals and renting out its services.
- In 1855, George Inness painted the "Lackawanna Valley", an early portrait of Scranton at a major DL&W junction; this painting now hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Sister Cities & Twin Cities
Scranton has two official sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International and one unofficial "twin city":
- Template:Flagicon- Ballina (Ireland) (Sister City)
- Template:Flagicon- Trnava (Slovakia) (Sister City)
- Template:Flagicon- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (United States) (Twin City)
External links
Government & Business
- Scranton, Pennsylvania - Official Website
- SurfScranton has over 1000 links to Scranton area businesses, people, churches, schools, history, etc.
- Fun In Scranton Gives information on restauraunts in the Scranton area
- ECR Local Blog that gives information on restauraunts, events, local arts, and items of interest in the Scranton area
Historical Societies
- The Lackawanna Historical Society Preserves the history of the Lackawanna Valley
- The Erie Lackawanna Historical Society Focuses on the history of the DL&W and Erie railroads
- Delaware and Hudson Historical Society Preserves the history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, Railroad and Coal Company
- O&W Railroad Historical Society Preserves History of the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad
- Anthracite Railroads Historical Society
Museums
- Steamtown National Historic Site National Park
- Electric City Trolley Museum
- PA Anthracite Heritage Museum and Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
- Everhart Museum
- Scranton Iron Furnaces Remnants of the city's founding industry
Education
- The University of Scranton
- Marywood University
- Lackawanna Jr. College
- The Pennsylvania State University: Worthington Scranton Campus
- Johnson College
- Scranton School District
- Keystone College
Current News
- The Scranton Times-Tribune
- WNEP TV ABC 16
- WYOU TV CBS 22
- WBRE TV NBC 28
- WOLF TV FOX 56
- DohertyDeceit.com: Scranton Political News
Scranton in Pop Culture
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