Lackawanna Heritage Valley

The Engine of Industry

Theme

The Lackawanna Valley embodies the American experience. The region's anthracite coal, railroads, and iron works fueled the nation's massive industrial expansion.  The unique people, the thousands of immigrants who came here to build a new life, ended up building a new nation. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority plays a vital role in promoting and preserving our region’s proud heritage and its important contributions to the history of the United States.

 

The Lackawanna Valley was transformed into a manufacturing hub overnight with the erection of mills and coal mines.

 

“We changed the course of…”

1. Transportation– Honesdale is the home of America’s first locomotive run, Scranton is home to the first successful electric trolley in the world.

2.  Freedom– The area was an integral part of the underground railroad and helped many slaves to freedom.

3.  American Life– Scranton’s trolley system was so successful and affordable to anyone that it revolutionized the way Americans traveled.

4.  Baseball– The town of Factoryville, just north of Scranton, is home to Hall of Fame Pitcher, Christy Mathewson.

5.  The New World– The area’s coal mines, factories, and railroad yards provided jobs for the masses of immigrants who made the Lackawanna Valley their new home.

6.  Education- Thomas J. Foster created the International Correspondence School (ICS) in 1891. This provided miners with the opportunity to work their way out of the mines and on to new things.

7.  Medicine– Dr. Matthew J. Shields figured out a way to treat injuries for coal miners, thus pioneering the concept of First Aid.

8.  Labor Relations– The Anthracite Strike of 1902 was the first instance in which the federal government entered a labor dispute.

9.  American City Planning– Jane Jacobs, a Scranton native, studied ways in which city life could be improved. She wrote “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, which is now an important resource for city planners.

10.  Entertainment– In 1995, Cinram Manufacturing LLC of Olyphant helped develop the first DVD and other DVD technology.

“The Engine of Industry”

Scranton Furnaces played a vital role in the Lackawanna Valley’s industry.

John Mitchell, a native of Scranton, led the historic Anthracite Strike of 1902 that changed U.S. labor laws. His statue stands in Scranton’s Courthouse Square.

The Northern Electric Trolley had a popular route from Scranton north to the towns of Clarks Summit, Dalton, and Lithia Valley.