| Luzerne County, Pennsylvania | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | September 25, 1786 |
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| Seat | Wilkes-Barre |
| Largest city | Wilkes-Barre |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
907 sq mi (2,349 km²) 891 sq mi (2,308 km²) 16 sq mi (41 km²), 1.80% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
319,250 357/sq mi (138/km²) |
| Website: www.luzernecounty.org | |
| Luzerne County Heads of State | |
|---|---|
| Government | |
| - Commissioner Chairperson | Maryanne Petrilla (D) |
| - Commissioner | Greg Skrepenak (D) |
| - Commissioner | Stephen A. Urban (R) |
Luzerne County is the most populated county in northeastern Pennsylvania, with a total population of 319,250 (as of the 2000 census). It is located in the northern Anthracite area called "The Coal Region". Its county seat is Wilkes-Barre.[1]
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History
The Luzerne County Historical Society maintains the storehouse for the collective memory of Luzerne County and its environs. It records and interprets the history, traditions, events, people and cultures that have directed and molded life within the region.[2]
18th century
- 1769: The Pennamite-Yankee War (or the Yankee-Pennamite Wars) began when settlers from Connecticut and Pennsylvania fought over land claims along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in the present Wyoming Valley.
- July 3, 1778: A force of British and Tories led by John Butler, with the assistance of about 700 Indians, attacked and killed nearly 300 Wyoming Valley settlers. Today in Wyoming, PA a monument marks the grave site of the victims from the Battle of Wyoming.
- September 11, 1780: Reports of Tory activity in the region caused Captain Daniel Klader and a platoon of 40 to 50 men from Northampton County, Pennsylvania to investigate. Captain Klader's men made it as far north as present-day Conyngham, when they were ambushed by the Seneca nation and by the Tories. 18 of Klader's men were killed in what is known as the Sugarloaf Massacre.
- September 25, 1786: Luzerne County was formed from part of Northumberland County.
19th century
- September 6, 1869: A mine fire killed 179 people in Avondale, an unincorporated community in Plymouth Township.
- June 28, 1896: An explosion in the Newton Coal Company's Twin Shaft Mine in Pittston City resulted in a massive cave-in that killed 58 miners.[3][4]
- September 10, 1897: Sheriff James Martin formed a posse and fired on a group of unarmed miners in what is known today as the Lattimer massacre. Luzerne is infamous for being the last county whose sheriff legally formed a posse to restore order in a time of civil unrest.
20th century
- 1915: A mine fire in Laurel Run, Pennsylvania caused a section of the town to be relocated.
- June 5, 1919: An explosion at the Baltimore Colliery in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania killed 92 miners.
- 1934: The right arm of Hughestown, Pennsylvania resident, Harry Tompkins, was crushed by an Erie Railroad train. This resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins, which laid the foundation for a large part of modern American civil procedure.
- January 22, 1959: The Knox Mine disaster in Port Griffith, Jenkins Township claimed the lives of 12 people and essentially shut down the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
- June 1972: Hurricane Agnes was responsible for massive flooding in and around Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
- 1974 – 1989: Alleged ghost hauntings took place in the home of Jack and Janet Smurl in West Pittston. This resulted in the 1991 film The Haunted.
- 1992: The opening scenes from the movie School Ties was filmed in West Pittston; it shows David Green, the hero of the movie (played by Brendan Fraser), hanging out with friends in the streets of the tiny town.
21st century
- May 21, 2000: A plane crash in Bear Creek Township, PA near the intersection of Bear Creek Boulevard (PA-Route 115) and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike killed the pilot as well as all 19 passengers.
- December 1, 2006: The first December tornado in Pennsylvania history left a path of destruction approximately 15 miles (24 km) long (this included parts of Mountain Top).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,349 km²), of which, 891 square miles (2,307 km²) of it is land and 16 square miles (42 km²) of it (1.80%) is water. The Wyoming Valley in the North and Mid part of the county is flat at the Susquehanna Basin and rises from 700 feet to 2000 feet in some places. Bear Creek, on the eastern side of the valley, has a mean elevation of about 2000 feet, while Pittston, on the Susquehanna Basin, is about 700 feet. The Valley goes as north as Exeter Township-Dallas Township to as on the west side from Plymouth Township-Bear Creek Township and as on the east side from Duryea to Bear Creek Township; South as Hanover Township to Bear Creek Township. The county is crossed by a series of east-to-west mountains. The Susquehanna River drains most of the county while the Lehigh River drains some eastern and southeastern portions and forms part of its southeast boundary.
Adjacent counties
- Wyoming County (north)
- Lackawanna County (northeast)
- Monroe County (east)
- Carbon County (southeast)
- Schuylkill County (south)
- Columbia County (west)
- Sullivan County (northwest)
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Sullivan County | Wyoming County | Lackawanna County | |
| Columbia County |  |
Monroe County | ||
 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania  |
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| Schuylkill County | Carbon County |
Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 319,250 people, 130,687 households, and 84,293 families residing in the county. The population density was 358 people per square mile (138/km²). There were 144,686 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile (63/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.63% White, 1.69% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.2% were of Polish, 15.6% Italian, 13.8% Irish, 12.1% German and 5.3% Slovak ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 130,687 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.
Luzerne Country is the only county in the United States with a plurality of citizens reporting Polish as their primary ancestry; the majority of Pennsylvanians report German or Pennsylvania Dutch.
Politics
As of November 2008, there are 187,849 registered voters in Luzerne County [6].
- Democratic: 111,317 (59.26%)
- Republican: 61,085 (32.52%)
- Other Parties: 15,447 (8.22%)
While the Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics, on the statewide and national levels Luzerne County leans toward the Democratic Party but only slightly. In 2000 Democrat Al Gore won 52% of the vote and Republican George W. Bush won 43%. In 2004 it was much closer with Democrat John Kerry winning 51% to Republican George Bush's 47%. In 2006 both Democrats Governor Ed Rendell and now Senator Bob Casey Jr. won 67.5% and 60.6% of the vote in Luzerne County, respectively. In 2008 all four statewide winners carried it, with Barack Obama receiving 53.6% of the county vote to 45.2% for John McCain.
Luzerne County is represented by three County Commissioners [7] and all county row offices have been held by Democrats since the 2007 election [8], when Republican incumbents Recorder of Deeds Mary Dysleski and Sheriff Barry Stankus lost re-election.
County commissioners
- Gregory A. Skrepenak, Democrat
- Maryanne C. Petrilla (Second female Commissioner Chairperson in Luzerne County's History), Democrat
- Stephen A. Urban, Republican
Other county offices
- Clerk of Courts, Robert F. Reilly
- Coroner, John P. Corcoran
- District Attorney, Jacqueline Musto Carroll
- Prothontary, Elizabeth Bernstein Decker (acting) [9]
- Recorder of Deeds, James O'Brien
- Register of Wills, Dorothy Stankovic
- Sheriff, Michael A. Savokinas
- Treasurer, Michael L. Morreale
United States Senate
United States House of Representatives
- Chris Carney, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district
- Paul E. Kanjorski, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district
Pennsylvania State Senate
- Raphael J. Musto, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 14th Senatorial District
- Lisa Baker, Republican, Pennsylvania's 20th Senatorial District
- Robert J. Mellow, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 22nd Senatorial District
- John Gordner, Republican, Pennsylvania's 27th Senatorial District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Jim Wansacz, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 114th Representative District
- Todd A. Eachus, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 116th Representative District
- Karen Boback, Republican, Pennsylvania's 117st Representative District
- Michael B. Carroll, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 118th Representative District
- John Yudichak, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 119th Representative District
- Phyllis Mundy, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 120th Representative District
- Eddie Day Pashinski, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 121st Representative District
Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in one case Bloomsburg, the only town, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Luzerne County:
Cities
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Boroughs
Townships
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
Recreation
There are four Pennsylvania state parks in Luzerne County:
- Frances Slocum State Park (northern Luzerne County)
- Lehigh Gorge State Park (eastern Luzerne County)
- Nescopeck State Park (southern Luzerne County)
- Ricketts Glen State Park (western Luzerne County)
Education
Public School Districts
- Berwick Area School District (also in Columbia County)
- Crestwood School District
- Dallas School District
- Greater Nanticoke Area School District
- Hanover Area School District
- Hazleton Area School District (also in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties)
- Lake-Lehman School District (also in Wyoming County)
- Northwest Area School District
- Pittston Area School District
- West Side Area Vocational Technical School WSAVTS
- Wilkes-Barre Area School District
- Wyoming Area School District (also in Wyoming County)
- Wyoming Valley West School District
Private Schools
- Holy Redeemer High School
- Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School
Colleges and Universities
- Luzerne County Community College
- King's College
- Misericordia University
- Penn State Hazleton
- Penn State Wilkes-Barre
- Wilkes University
See also
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Luzerne County Historical Society
- ^ "Twin Shaft Disaster Marker". Hmdb.org. 2008-08-19. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=10470. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Pittston, PA Twin Shaft Mine Cave In, June 1896
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Current voter statistics
- ^ Luzerne County Commissioners
- ^ "Luzerne County Municipal Election Results - November 2007". Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. http://www.webcitation.org/5iRPR4j7h.
- ^ "Prothonotary". Luzernecounty.org. http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/row_offices/prothonotary. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
- Luzerne County official site.
- "Luzerne County Library System.". Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20080212070523/http://www.luzerneco.lib.pa.us/.
- Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- The Luzerne Foundation - Luzerne County's Community Foundation
- Luzerne County Community College.
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