Scranton Tickets

Scranton is a hilly area which is approximately 750 feet (229m) above sea level. It is surrounded by the mountains in east and west whose elevation range from 1900 feet to 2100 feet. Scranton was incorporated as a city in 1866 when the boroughs of Hyde Park and Providence were merged with Scranton.

The city is majorly divided into four sections West side, South side, the hill section and the North Scranton. South Scranton borders with neighbouring Taylor and Moosic borough. The hills section of the city lies in the east. Others sections connected to the city are mountains in the east which is an offshoot of South Scranton and West mountains which are off shoot of West side Scranton.

Tripp Park is located between West Scranton and North Scranton. Foot hills of Green Ridge is prone to heavy floods. It is here you will find majority of Portuguese and Italian neighbourhoods. Green Ridge is also known for being wealthiest of the neighbourhoods in Scranton. You will pass by mansions built by former coal barons in the foothills.

First settlers of the city of Scranton were native Lenape tribesmen who in there native language called the city Lackawanna or le-can-hanna which means stream that forks. People from New England started settling in Lackawanna in late 1700s. They introduced the city to mills and small business and in a little time town was known as Slocum hollow. It is said that Isaac Tripp was the first Englishman to build his house in Scranton, house which still stands tall in the Providence section of the city.

Pennsylvanias sixth most populous city Scranton is the geographical and cultural centre of Lackawanna River Valley. Scranton is known for its largest anthracite coal mining communities. Though coal has been mined from Carbondale in north to Wilkes barre in Osuth but other major industries which contributed towards the growth of the city is iron and steel manufacturing.

Scranton is the first city to manufacture T-rails in America. Soon Scranton became the major producer of T-rails. In 1851, Delaware Lackawanna and Western railroad (DL&W) was founded to transport Scrantons coal and steel products out of Scranton. Scranton was named the Electric city for it established first successfully working electrified street car trolly system.

Scranton has established various important railroads which include Erie Railroad, central railroad of New Jersey and New York Ontario and Western Railroads. These rail tracks are the result of hard work of workers who were employed by the rich barons on low pay rates, long working hours and hazardous working conditions. Industry employed children as young as 8 or 9 years of age ho worked 14 hours a day. There main task was to separate slate from coal in the breakers.

After the World War II, Scratons booming coal industry and rail tracks saw the downfall. It was the time when other natural resources were becoming more popular as compared to coal so when other cities and counties were seeing the boom Scranton met a huge economic downfall.

Hurricane Diane hit the city and some eastern and southern parts ere completely destroyed, causing around 80 deaths in the area. Almost all the railroad services lost their businesses. NYO&W railroad was closed down because major economic share of the company was dependent on its Scranton branch.

Mid 1980s citys local government and community started working on the restoration of the town as a tourist attraction. Citys cultural heritage is renovated and in most cases redesigned to form tourist attractions.

The former DL&W train station is turned into the Radisson Lackawanna station Hotel. Electric City trolley Museum is created next to DL&W station. In 1993 a two story shopping mall at Steam town was built which restored citys downtown business districts.

Scranton still has to go a long way to restore its former glory. Some recognisable steps are building of; Sno Mountain Ski resort, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, Toyota pavilion at montage Mountain and shooting of the NBC hit sitcom The Office. Restoration is on its way but Scrantonians have promises to keep and miles to go before they sleep.