MONROE COUNTY HISTORIC PHOTO ALBUM
Transportation
At first they came by
stagecoach, wagon and on water. Then the railroad arrived
in Monroe County in 1856, and a new era of transportation
began, changing the landscape and opening opportunities.
The first train to come was from the Delaware, Lackawanna
& Western line, traveling from Scranton to New York on
May 13, 1856. The first depot was built that year in
Dansbury Manor, the town that was then renamed “East
Stroudsburg” because of the railroad’s identification. Soon
the county was peppered with train stations.
Tourism thrived as the increased comfort of travel brought more vacationers to the Poconos. The horse was still necessary for local transportation, however. Stagecoach routes laced the Poconos. Trolleys were pulled by mules, then by steam engines called dummies, and eventually by electricity.
Today, the only trolleys in existence are for sightseeing, and some of the old train depots have been turned into museums or a restaurant serving tourists who come by automobile. A high-speed train line is desired by commuters who travel from the Poconos to jobs in metropolitan areas. The existing railroad is used for hauling freight.