March 2013 |
With the advent of early forms of photography, many Monroe County citizens lined up to have a remembrance of themselves taken. Unlike today when we experience being photographed regularly, folks living in the mid-19th century would dress in their best attire for portraits, knowing that this would perhaps be the one and only likeness taken of them in their lifetime. Read More... May 2010 |
On March 9, 1970, by an act of Legislature, the brook trout was named the official state fish of Pennsylvania. In 1902, a Monroe County business created an industry to sell this native fish species to the public. The Paradise Brook Trout Co. was the first licensed trout hatchery in Pennsylvania. Founded by a group of businessmen from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the hatchery is still operating today on Route 191 in Paradise Township.
Read More... April 2010 |
On Easter Sunday in 1898, a special edition of the Stroudsburg Daily Times was printed, and in the process, a world record was broken. Only hours before, the paper used for the newspaper had been a living tree. It was all done to commemorate the Stroudsburg Daily Times’ fourth anniversary. Read More... April 2009 |
In 1897, Richard Slee established Pocono Biological Laboratories in Swiftwater — his first client was the U.S. Army. Slee’s lab was the first and only company in the United States to produce France’s improved smallpox vaccine. Only one year later, Slee provided all of the vaccines used in Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Read More... April 2008 |
Monroe County has had its share of individuals who have worked to make life a little better, or easier, for everyone. Warren R. Van Vliet was one such individual. During his inventive career, Van Vliet engineered canning jars that were better able to preserve foods than the other canning jars of his day. Read More... December 2007 |
Sebastian Spering Kresge was raised on the family farm in Kresgeville, named for Kresge’s ancestors, and had a strong Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing consisting of a belief in hard work, thrift, and religion. By the age of 10, Kresge had already developed a strong sense of business. He started with a handful of such small stores called Kresge’s Five and Dime, and through profitable business practices, he went on to form the well-known retail company, K-Mart. Read More... September 2007 |
The tanning industry has been a part of Monroe County’s history since the early 1800s, thanks to the rich supply of both hemlock and oak trees. Monroe County residents would often take their animal skins to local tanners to be turned into workable leather ready for market. Read More... January 2007 |
One hundred years ago, Monroe County was a leader in northeastern Pennsylvania’s ice production and distribution business. The ice was initially harvested from our lakes for use locally by both residents and resorts catering to tourists. Read More... September 2006 |
Along Business Route 209 in Hamilton Township stands a mill centuries old. Built by Jacob Brinker in 1730, this old mill was originally a log structure. By 1800, the mill had been replaced by the stone structure which stands today. Jacob Brinker and his mill played an early role in the shaping of America. Read More... February 2006 |
Thomas Kitson, owner of the Stroudsburg Woolen Mill, had his eye on an unusual prize. He felt he could lower the world-time-record for manufacturing a full suit of clothing, beginning with shearing sheep and ending with someone donning the attire. At the time, the record of 8 hours and 0 minutes was held by a mill in Scotland. On May 18, 1898, Kitson set out to break that record. Read More... January 2006 |
In 1893, the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad was built to haul coal, transport ice from various Pocono lakes, and carry passengers eager to visit Wilkes-Barre, New York or places in-between. The railroad boasted the shortest route out of the Lackawanna Valley – 14 miles shorter than competing rail lines. The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern rail line climbed over 1100 feet onto the Pocono Plateau before descending 1400 feet into Stroudsburg. Read More...
