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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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