Scranton, Pennsylvania
132862
225423318
2008-07-13T16:46:38Z
24.78.102.140
{{Redirect-otherplaces|Scranton}}
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = Scranton, Pennsylvania
|nickname = Electric City
|motto = Embracing Our People, Our Traditions, and Our Future
|image_skyline = DowntownScranton2003.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption =
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|image_map =
|mapsize =
|map_caption =
|pushpin_map =Pennsylvania
|pushpin_label_position = left
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Lackawanna County, [[Pennsylvania]]
|pushpin_mapsize =
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
|subdivision_name = {{USA}}
|subdivision_name1 = [[Image:Flag of Pennsylvania.svg|22px]] [[Pennsylvania]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna]]
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = Christopher A. Doherty ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
|established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_title1 =
|established_date = [[February 14]], [[1856]] (borough)
|established_date1 = [[April 23]], [[1866]] (city)
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_sq_mi = 25.44
|area_total_km2 = 65.89
|area_land_sq_mi = 25.23
|area_land_km2 = 65.33
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.21
|area_water_km2 = 0.55
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_urban_km2 =
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km2 =
|population_as_of = 2000
|population_note =
|population_total = 76415
|population_metro = 624776
|population_urban =
|population_density_km2 = 1169
|population_density_sq_mi = 3029
|timezone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
|utc_offset_DST = -4
|latd=41 |latm=24 |lats=38 |latNS=N
|longd=75 |longm=40 |longs=03 |longEW=W
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =
|website = http://www.scrantonpa.gov
|footnotes =
}}
The '''City of Scranton''' is the [[county seat]] of [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna County]]{{GR|6}} in [[Northeastern Pennsylvania|Northeastern]] [[Pennsylvania]], [[United States|USA]]. As of the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]], the city had a total population of 76,415 (2003 estimate: 74,320) (2006 estimate: 72,861). After [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], and [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], Scranton is [[Pennsylvania]]'s sixth most populous city.
Scranton is the geographic and cultural center of the [[Lackawanna River]] valley. It is the largest city located in a contiguous quilt-work of former [[anthracite coal]] mining communities including the smaller cities of [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]], [[Pittston, Pennsylvania|Pittston]], and [[Carbondale, Pennsylvania|Carbondale]]. Scranton was incorporated as a [[borough]] on [[February 14]], [[1856]] and as a [[city]] on [[April 23]], [[1866]].
==History==
===Humble beginnings (1776-1865)===
Present-day Scranton and the surrounding area had been inhabited by the native [[Lenape]] [[tribe]], from whose language "Lackawanna" (or "le-can-hanna", meaning "stream that forks") is derived. Gradually, settlers from [[New England]] came to the area in the late 1700s, establishing mills and other small businesses, and their village became known as Slocum Hollow. Isaac Tripp, known as the first settler, built his home here in 1778 which still stands in the Providence section of the city as a testament to this era.
[[Image:Scranton-1.jpg|thumb|450px|right|'''Scranton, Pennsylvania''', as depicted on an 1890 panoramic map.]]
===Industrial foundations established: iron, coal and railroads (1846-1899)===
Though [[anthracite coal]] was being mined in Carbondale to the north and Wilkes-Barre to the south, the industry that precipitated the city's growth was [[iron]] and [[steel]]. Iron [[T-rail]]s were first manufactured in America at the Montour Iron Works in [[Danville, Pennsylvania]], on October 8, 1845. Prior, they were made in England and shipped overseas. In 1847, brothers Seldon T. and George W. Scranton began producing iron T-rails for the [[Erie Railroad]] in New York state. Soon after, Scranton became a major producer of these rails. The [[Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad]] (DL&W) was founded in 1851 by the Scrantons to transport iron and coal products from the Lackawanna valley. The Pennsylvania Coal Company built a [[gravity railroad]] here for this purpose as well. In 1856, the Borough of Scranton was officially incorporated and named after its industrious founders. The [[Delaware and Hudson]] (D&H) Canal Company, which had its own gravity railroad from Carbondale to [[Honesdale]], built a [[steam railroad]] that entered Scranton in 1863.
Scranton was incorporated as a city of 35,000 in 1866 when the surrounding boroughs of Hyde Park (now part of the city's West Side) and Providence (now part of North Scranton) were merged with Scranton. The nation's first successful, continuously-operating electrified [[streetcar]] (trolley) system was established in the city in 1886, giving it the nickname "The Electric City". In the late 1890s Scranton was home to a series of early [[International League]] baseball teams. By 1890, three other railroads had built lines to tap into the rich supply of coal in and around the city, including the Erie Railroad, the [[Central Railroad of New Jersey]] and finally the [[New York, Ontario and Western Railroad]] (NYO&W). Underneath the city, a network of coal veins was mined by workers who were given jobs by the wealthy coal barons with low pay, long hours and unsafe working conditions. Children as young as 8 or 9 worked 14-hour days separating slate from coal in the [[coal breaker|breakers]].
===Growth and prosperity (1900-1945)===
By the [[United States Census]] of 1900, the population of Scranton was about 102,026<ref>{{cite web| url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4269000.html | title=Scranton(city) QuickFacts| accessdate=2007-07-24 }}</ref>, making it the 38th largest city in the United States. The turn of the 20th century saw many beautiful homes of [[Victorian architecture]] built in the Hill and Green Ridge sections of the city. In 1901, the dwindling local iron ore supply took the Lackawanna Steel Company away to [[Lackawanna, New York]], where iron ore from [[Minnesota]] was more readily available by ships on the Great Lakes. The city lost the industry on which it was founded.
Scranton forged ahead as the center of Pennsylvania's anthracite coal industry. During the first half of the 20th century, it became home to many groups of newly arrived immigrants from [[Eastern Europe]]. This patchwork still survives and is represented by the [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] churches that primarily dot the North Scranton, West Side and South Side neighborhoods of the city. In 1903, an electric [[interurban]] railroad known as the [[Laurel Line]] was started, and two years later connected to nearby Wilkes-Barre, 20 miles southwest. Working conditions for miners were improved by the efforts of labor leaders like [[John Mitchell (United Mine Workers)|John Mitchell]], whose is honored with a statue on the downtown Courthouse Square. By the mid-1930s, the city population had swelled to over 140,000<ref>{{cite web| url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4269000.html | title=Scranton(city) QuickFacts| accessdate=2007-07-24 }}</ref> due to the extensive growth of the mining and [[silk]] textile industries. [[World War II]] created a great demand for energy, which was satisfied by expanded [[strip mining]] operations throughout the area.
===The end of an era (1946-1984)===
After World War II, it became clear that coal was losing favor to other energy sources such as oil and natural gas. In contrast to other cities in the United States that prospered in the post-war "boom", the fortunes and population of Scranton (and the rest of Lackawanna and [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne]] Counties) began to diminish. Coal production and rail traffic declined rapidly throughout the 1950s. In 1952, the Laurel Line ceased passenger service. The trolleys of the Scranton Transit Company that gave the city its nickname transferred all operations to buses as the 1954 holiday season approached. In 1955, some eastern and southern parts of the city were destroyed by the floods of [[Hurricane Diane]], and 80 lives were lost in the area. The NYO&W Railroad, which depended heavily on its Scranton branch for freight traffic, was completely abandoned in 1957
The [[Knox Mine Disaster]] of January 1959 all but erased the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The event terminated thousands of jobs as the waters of the [[Susquehanna River]] flooded the mines.<ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10845647&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=460522&rfi=8 The Citizens Voice - Knox mine disaster remains in our memory because it is a story of right and wrong<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.msha.gov/District/Dist_01/Reports/Knox/cover.htm cover<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The DL&W Railroad, nearly bankrupt by the drop in coal traffic and the effects of Hurricane Diane, merged with the Erie Railroad in 1960. Scranton had been the hub of its operations until the [[Erie Lackawanna]] merger, when it was no longer needed in this capacity; it was another severe blow to the labor market. Mine [[subsidence]] was a spreading problem in the city as pillar supports in abandoned mines began to fail; cave-ins sometimes consumed entire blocks of homes. The area was then scarred by abandoned coal mining structures, strip mines and massive [[culm dump]]s. During the 1960s and 1970s, the silk and other textile industries also shrunk as jobs moved south or overseas. During the 1970s and 1980s, many of the downtown storefronts and theaters became vacant as suburban shopping malls became the dominant venues for shopping and entertainment.
===Stabilization and restoration (1985-Present)===
There has been an emphasis on revitalization since the mid-1980s. Local government and much of the community at large have adopted a renewed interest in the city's buildings and history. Aged and empty properties are being redesigned and marketed as tourist attractions. The [[Steamtown National Historic Site]] captures the area's once-prominent position in the railroad industry.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/stea/ Steamtown National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The former DL&W train station is restored as the [[Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel]].<ref>[http://www.nationalhistoricalregister.com/pa/Lackawanna/state.html National Register of Historical Places - PENNSYLVANIA (PA), Lackawanna County<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[Electric City Trolley Museum]] was created next to the DL&W yards that "Steamtown" occupies.<ref>[http://www.ectma.org/ Electric City Trolley Museum Association<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The two-story [[Mall at Steamtown]] was built in 1993 and has advanced the downtown business district's return as a regional shopping destination. Developers and brokers are beginning to descend on dilapidated buildings and vacant lots to further sculpt a new downtown to be characterized by modern and attractive office, residential and retail space. [[Nay Aug]] Park has been a particular target for current Mayor Chris Doherty, having seen numerous renovations after many years of disrepair.
In spite of this progress, a 2001 ''[[Washington Post|Washington Post Magazine]]'' column described Wilkes-Barre as "awful" and Scranton as "awfuler" and named it a contender for the "armpit of America." There has since been an attempt to renew pride among Scrantonians by elected officials.<ref>[http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19331311&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8 The Times-Tribune - Mayor to tout ‘State of the City’<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11375446&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8 The Times-Tribune - CityPride program springing into action<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11342045&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8 The Times-Tribune - Resurrecting Scranton<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Other attractions responsible for recent popularity and favorable attention to Scranton include the [[Snö Mountain]] ski resort (formerly Montage Mountain), the [[Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees]] (formerly the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons), [[Minor league baseball#Today's Farm System|AAA affiliate]] of the [[New York Yankees]], and their [[PNC Field]], and the [[Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain]] concert venue.
In addition, the hit [[NBC]] sitcom [[The Office (US TV series)|The Office]] has brought attention to Scranton, culminating in the Office Convention, and a ''[[Washington Post]]'' article titled "Scranton, Making All the Dwight Moves."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092501819.html Scranton, Making All the Dwight Moves - washingtonpost.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Geography==
Scranton is located at {{coor dms|41|24|38|N|75|40|3|W|city}} (41.410629, -75.667411){{GR|1}}. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 25.4 square miles (65.9 km²). The city has 25.2 square miles (65.3 km²) of land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of water. The total area is 0.83% water.
The elevation of "Center City" is approximately 750 feet (229 m) above sea level. Generally, the city is hilly, with its inhabited portions ranging approximately from 650 feet (220 m) to 1400 feet (425 m). The city is flanked by mountains to the east and west whose elevations range from 1900 feet (580 m) to 2100 feet (640 m).
===Neighborhoods===
Scranton is broken up into four major sections: West Side, South Side, the Hill Section and North Scranton. Two major subsets are Green Ridge, an area two miles from downtown Scranton between the Hill Section and North Scranton, and Minooka, in the southwest part of South Scranton, bordering on neighboring boroughs Taylor and Moosic. The Hill Section is located in the eastern part of the city. Other sections include: East Mountain, an off shoot of South Scranton; West Mountain, an off shoot of West Side; Tripp Park, a small area located between West Scranton and North Scranton; the Plot, a flood prone neighborhood at the foot of the hills of Green Ridge; Bull’s Head, a largely Portuguese and Italian neighborhood between North and West Scranton; Pine Brook which is between downtown Scranton and Green Ridge, and Bellevue, a section bridging lower North Scranton, West Scranton, and South Scranton. Green Ridge is known to be the wealthiest of the neighborhoods. It is in Green Ridge and the Hill Section that the mansions built by former coal barons still stand. As with most cities and neighborhoods, boundaries can be ambiguous and are not always uniformly defined.
==Demographics==
{{USCensusPop
| 1870= 35092
| 1880= 45850
| 1890= 75215
| 1900= 102026
| 1910= 129867
| 1920= 137783
| 1930= 143333
| 1940= 140404
| 1950= 125536
| 1990= 81805
| 2000= 76415
| estimate= 74320
| estyear= 2003
| estref=
| estimate= 72861
| estyear= 2006
| estref=
| footnote= US Census Bureau<ref>{{cite web| url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4269000.html | title=Scranton(city) QuickFacts| accessdate=2007-07-24 }}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 76,415 people, 31,303 households, and 18,124 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 3,029.2 per square mile (1,169.4/km²). There were 35,336 housing units at an average density of 1,400.8 per square mile (540.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.54% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.02% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.16% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.07% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race make up 2.62% of the population.
There were 31,303 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. The city had 36.7% of its households with single occupancy and 18.1% whose individual was aged at least 65. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.01.
The population's age is distributed with 20.8% under 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% at least 65. The median age was 39. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females aged at least 18, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,805, and the median income for a family was $41,642. Males had a median income of $30,829 versus $21,858 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,174. Found below the [[poverty line]] are 15.0% of the population, 10.7% of families, 18.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those at least age 65.
Ancestries: [[Irish people|Irish]] (30.3%), [[Italian people|Italian]] (19.4%), [[Germans|German]] (15.7%), [[Polish people|Polish]] (14.8%), [[Welsh people|Welsh]] (6.9%), [[English people|English]] (5.8%) (City-Data.com).
Scranton has a notably large [[Irish American]] population. According to the census of 2000, over 30% of the total population reported Irish ancestry, which is the highest percentage of Irish ancestry for a city of this size.
The local [[dialect]] of [[American English]] is "[[Northeast Pennsylvania English]]", at least for the older generations of Scranton residents.
As of the 2006 American Community Survey the average family size is 2.95. Of the population that's 25 years old and over 83.3% of them have graduated from High School. 18.7% of them have a [[Bachelor's degree]] or higher. In labor force (population 16 years and over) 57.6% of them work. The [[per capita income]] (in 2006 inflation-adjusted dollars) is 17.187.
==Public Safety==
===Fire Service===
Incorporated as a paid service in 1901, the Scranton Fire Department services the city 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The fire department is a full-time service consisting of approximately 140 firefighters. Scranton's Fire Headquarters is located on Mulberry Street in Central City. The fire department also has stations in the city's South Side, the Pinebrook section, West Side, North Scranton, Bull's Head, the Petersburg section and on East Mountain.<ref>[http://www.scrantonpa.gov Scranton, PA - Official Website<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Police===
The Scranton Police Patrol Division is broken down into three shifts. Each shift has a minimum of 26 officers. Police headquarters is located on South Washington Avenue near the border between downtown Scranton and the city's South Side. Special Units include Arson Investigations, Auto Theft Task Force, Child Abuse Investigation, Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Investigation, Juvenile Unit, Special Investigations Unit, Canine Unit, Community Development and Highway Unit.<ref>[http://www.scrantonpa.gov Scranton, PA - Official Website<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Emergency Medical Services===
Emergency medical services are provided by two private companies, Community Life Support and Lackawanna Ambulance. The city requires that only Advanced Life Support units respond to emergencies, which include a crew of a Paramedic and an EMT. Ambulances are dispatched by an advanced GPS system which allows the 911 dispatcher to send the closest ambulance to the scene of the emergency.
==Culture==
===Media===
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area is the 54th largest television market in the United States.<ref>http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/nmr_static/docs/2007-2008_DMA_Ranks.xls</ref> Local television stations include [[WNEP]], an ABC affiliate, [[WBRE]], an NBC affiliate, [[WYOU]], a CBS affiliate, [[WVIA-TV|WVIA]], a PBS affiliate, [[WOLF-TV|WOLF]], a FOX affiliate and [[WSWB]], a CW affiliate. Additionally, local government and public access programming is aired on Comcast cable channels 61 and 62.
Scranton is headquarters of [[Times-Shamrock Communications]], which publishes the city's major newspaper, [[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]], a [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning broadsheet daily founded in 1870. Times-Shamrock also publishes Electric City, a weekly entertainment tabloid and [[The Citizens' Voice]], a daily tabloid based in Wilkes-Barre. [[The Times Leader]] is a daily paper that primarily covers Wilkes-Barre, but also publishes in Scranton and the Weekender is a Wilkes-Barre based entertainment tabloid with distribution in Scranton. There are also several other print publications with a more narrow focus, including the Union News, La Voz Latina, Melanian News and the Antenna, an arts and culture zine and most recently, the Scranton Post.
Scranton's radio market is ranked #70 by [[Arbitron]]'s ranking system. The following boxes contain all the radio stations in the area:
{{Scranton Radio}}
===Sports===
Scranton has a long history of supporting professional sports, dating back to the late 19th century when minor league baseball first came to the area. The Scranton Indians were the cities first professional baseball team and began play in 1887. The city was host to minor league baseball teams in the Pennsylvania State League, [[Eastern League (U.S. baseball|Eastern League]], [[Atlantic League]], New York State League, New York-Pennsylvania League. Currently the city is home of the [[Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees]]. The Yankees play their home games at [[PNC Field]].
In other sports, the [[Empire Football League]]'s Scranton Eagles are the league's most dominant team, having won 11 championships. The [[af2]] [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers]], who play at [[Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza|Wachovia Arena]] in [[Wilkes-Barre]] have made the playoffs for 4 years straight and contended for the [[Arena Cup VIII|Arena Cup]] in 2007. The North East Pennsylvania Miners of the [[North American Football League]] have recently started play in the area. [[Syracuse Orange|Syracuse]] men's basketball coach, [[Jim Boeheim]] played professional basketball in Scranton before his career as a coach. The city's former basketball teams include the Scranton Apollos and the Scranton Miners. Hockey came to the area in 1999 when the [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]] began play at the Wachovia Arena. The team has since won conference championships in 2001, 2004, and 2008.
===Landmarks and attractions===
[[Image:Historical.jpg|thumb|275px|The [[Steamtown National Historic Site]] showcases steam era railroading that gives visitors tours through '''Scranton''' and portions of the [[Pocono Mountains]].]]
Many of Scranton's attractions celebrate its heritage as an industrial center in iron and coal production as well as its ethnic diversity. The [[Scranton Iron Furnaces]] are remnants of the city's founding industry and of the Scranton family's Lackawanna Steel Company.<ref>[http://www.anthracitemuseum.org/iron%20furnaces.htm Iron Furnaces<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[Steamtown National Historic Site]] seeks to preserve the history of steam locomotives.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/stea/ Steamtown National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[Electric City Trolley Museum]] preserves and operates pieces of Pennsylvania streetcar history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ectma.org/ |title=The Electric City Trolley Museum Association|accessdate=2007-04-14}}</ref> The [[Lackawanna Coal Mine]] Tour at [[McDade Park]] is open for those who desire to learn about the history of mining and railroads in the Scranton area. The tours are conducted inside a part of a former working mine.<ref>[http://www.theminegame.com/ Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The DL&W Passenger Station is now a [[Radisson]] hotel with dining and banquet and conference facilities called [[Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radisson.com/scrantonpa|title=Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel|accessdate=2007-04-14}}</ref>.
Museums in Scranton include the [[Everhart Museum]] in Nay Aug Park, which houses a collection of "natural history, science and art" exhibits and the [http://www.houdini.org Houdini Museum] features films, exhibits, and a stage show. It is housed in a unique, century-old building. Terence Powderly's [[Terence V. Powderly House|house]], still a private dwelling, is one of the city's many historic buildings and the city's other [[National Historic Landmark]] besides Steamtown. Tripp House was built by the Tripp family in 1771 and is the oldest building in the city.
The city's religious history is evident in the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann]] which draws thousands of pilgrims to its annual [[novena]] and [[St. Stanislaus]] [[Cathedral]] which is the national seat of the [[Polish National Catholic Church]] in [[North America]]. The history of the founding of this [[denomination]] is intricately tied with [[Poles|Polish]] immigration to Scranton in the late 19th century.
Scranton's large Irish population is represented in the annual [[St. Patrick's Day Parade Scranton|Saint Patrick's Day Parade]], first held in 1862. It is organized by the St. Patrick's Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County and is now the nation's fourth largest.<ref>[http://www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/scranton/index.htm 2008 Scranton Pennsylvania Saint Patrick's Day Parade - The Scranton, PA St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 15th, 2008 11:30 am<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Over 8,000 people participate on the Saturday before [[Saint Patrick's Day]] including floats, bagpipe players, high school bands and Irish groups. In 2008, crowds estimated as high as 150,000 people congregated downtown for the event.<ref>[http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19404282&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8 The Times-Tribune - City: Crowds up, rowdies contained at parade<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
For recreational opportunities, there is [[Snö Mountain|Snö Mountain Ski Resort]] (formerly called "Montage Mountain"), which rivals the numerous resorts of the Poconos in popularity and offers a relatively comprehensive range of difficulty levels. The 26.2-mile [[Steamtown Marathon]] has been held each October since 1996 and finishes in downtown Scranton. [[Nay Aug]] park is the largest of several parks in Scranton and was designed by [[Frederick Law Olmsted]], the designer of [[Central Park]] in [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]].
The [[Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain]], a partially covered amphitheater seating 17,500, is Scranton's primary concert venue. In the summer months, musical artists ranging from [[James Taylor]] to [[Dave Matthews Band]] perform.
[[Scranton Cultural Center]] at the Masonic Temple is an impressive piece of architecture which houses several auditoriums and a large ballroom. It plays host to the Northeast Philharmonic, Broadway Theater and other touring performances.
===Scranton in popular culture===
[[Image:Dunder mifflin banner scranton.jpg|thumb|225px|A banner promoting [[Dunder Mifflin]], the fictional paper company on [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Office (US TV Series)|The Office]]'' hangs in downtown Scranton.]]
The city has made numerous appearances in popular culture, notably as the setting of current [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[The Office (US TV series)|The Office]]''. Video of the city filmed by cast member [[John Krasinski]]'s friends is featured in the opening theme. The program makes frequent references to actual attributes of Scranton and the surrounding area, including the [[Mall at Steamtown]], [[Farley's Pub]], Poor Richard's Pub, [[Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain|Montage Mountain]], The Scranton Anthracite Museum, and [[Lake Wallenpaupack]]. In a February 2006 episode, [[Steve Carell]]'s character [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael Scott]] describes [[New York City]] as "Scranton on acid. No, on speed. No, on steroids." In a November 2006 episode called "[[The Merger (The Office episode)|The Merger]]", [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Scott]] creates an orientation video titled "Lazy Scranton" (a parody of "[[Lazy Sunday]]") in which he highlights many popular Scranton attractions. Also many local items are placed around the office like a quilt with the [[University of Scranton]]'s logo on it, a [[WGGY|Froggy 101]] bumper sticker (local radio), and [[bobble head]] dolls from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.
The city also served as the setting of the 1973 [[Pulitzer Prize]]- and [[Tony Award]]-winning play ''[[That Championship Season (1982 film)|That Championship Season]]'' by [[Jason Miller (playwright)|Jason Miller]] was based on the fictional lives of Scranton's 1957 state basketball champions. Miller wrote and directed the 1982 screenplay in which all exterior scenes were filmed in Scranton at his insistence.
Scranton has also been referenced in a cartoon in a May 2005 issue of ''[[The New Yorker]]'', on the Travel Channel's ''Magic Road Trip'' program featured the city's [[Houdini Museum]] as one of the world's top magic attractions, in [[Harry Chapin]]'s 1974 song "[[30,000 Pounds of Bananas]]," which dramatizes the wreck of a truck carrying bananas on [[March 26]], [[1965]] just outside downtown Scranton, the city is also the subject of [[George Inness]]'s 1855 painting the "Lackawanna Valley", which now hangs in the [[National Gallery of Art]] in [[Washington, DC]].
==Transportation==
The main highways that service Scranton are [[Interstate 81]], which runs north to [[Binghamton, New York]] and [[Ontario]] and south to [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] and [[Tennessee]]; [[Interstate 84 (east)|Interstate 84]], which runs east to [[Milford, Pennsylvania|Milford]] and New England; [[Interstate 380 (Pennsylvania)|Interstate 380]], which runs south to [[Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania|Mount Pocono]] and [[Interstate 80]] east to [[New York City]]; [[Interstate 476]]/[[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] Northeast Extension, which runs south to Allentown and Philadelphia; [[U.S. Route 6]], which runs east to Carbondale and parallel to I-84 to New England and west to [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]]; and [[U.S. Route 11]], which runs parallel to I-81.
Scranton's provider of public transportation is the [http://www.coltsbus.com/ County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS)]. COLTS buses provide extensive service within the city and more limited service that reaches in all directions to [[Carbondale, Pennsylvania|Carbondale]], [[Covington Township, Pennsylvania|Daleville]], [[Pittston]], and [[Benton Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Fleetville]].
The [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport]] is located in nearby [[Avoca, Pennsylvania|Avoca]]. The [[airport]] is serviced by [[Continental Airlines|Continental]], [[Delta Air Lines|Delta]], [[Northwest Airlines|Northwest]], [[United Airlines|United]], and [[US Airways]].
Martz Trailways and [[Greyhound Lines]] provide coach bus transportation from its downtown station to New York City, Philadelphia and other points in the northeast.
Private operators such as Posten Taxi and McCarthy Flowered Cabs service the Scranton area. They are hired by telephone through central dispatch and cannot be hailed on the street as in larger cities.
===Railroads===
Rail transportation plays an important part in the city's history and continues to have an impact today. The [[Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority]] is a bi-county creation of both [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania]] and [[Monroe County, Pennsylvania]] to oversee the use of common rail freight lines in [[Northeastern Pennsylvania]], including one formerly owned by [[Conrail]] running from Scranton, through the [[the Poconos|Pocono Mountains]] towards [[New Jersey]] and the [[New York City]] market. One of its primary objectives is to re-establish rail passenger service via [[New Jersey Transit]] between Scranton and [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] by way of the [[New Jersey Cut-Off]], with connecting service into [[Manhattan, New York]].
The [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (Delaware and Hudson division) operates the former [[Delaware, Lackawanna & Western|DL&W]] line between Scranton and Binghamton, with frequent through trains often jointly operated with [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]. The [[Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad]] services the former DL&W Keyser Valley branch in the city.
The [[Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad]], as designated operator of county-owned rail lines, oversees the former Delaware and Hudson line from Scranton north to Carbondale, the former [[Delaware, Lackawanna & Western|DL&W]] line east to the [[Delaware Water Gap]] and the former [[Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad]] third-rail [[interurban streetcar]] line south to Montage Mountain, [[Moosic]]. These are the lines hosting the seasonal passenger trains of both the [[Steamtown National Historic Site]] and the [[Electric City Trolley Museum]] and now under the jurisdiction of the new Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority.
==Education==
The city's public school's are operated by the [[Scranton School District]]. The school district operates the two public high schools in the city, [[Scranton High School (Pennsylvania)|Scranton High School]] and [[West Scranton High School]]. Almost 10,000 students are taught in the city's public schools. <ref>http://www.pde.state.pa.us/k12statistics/lib/k12statistics/0607PubEnrCtySchGraGen.xls</ref>The city's other high schools are [[Holy Cross High School (Pennsylvania)|Holy Cross High School]] which is operated by the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton]] and [[Scranton Preparatory School]], a private [[Jesuit]] school. The Pennsylvania Depart of Education provides oversight for the Scranton State School for the Deaf.<ref>[http://www.pdeinfo.state.pa.us/depart_edu/cwp/view.asp?a=13&Q=32588&g=144&depart_eduNav=|116|124|&depart_eduNav=|1919|1927| Dept. Info.: State Owned School Greeting<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
With regards to colleges and universities, [[Lackawanna College]], [[Marywood University]], the [[University of Scranton]] and [[Johnson College]] all make the city their home. [[Penn State]] operates a [[Penn State Worthington Scranton|satellite campus]] in the suburb of [[Dunmore, Pennsylvania|Dunmore]].
The Lackawanna County Library System administers the libraries in Scranton, including the [http://www.albright.org Albright Memorial Library] and the [[First Church of Christ, Scientist (Scranton, Pennsylvania)|Lackawanna County Children's Library]]. As of 2005, Scranton libraries serve a population of more than 120,000 people and have a circulation of over 624,000.<ref>http://www.statelibrary.state.pa.us/libraries/lib/libraries/2005_Statistics_for_printing.xls</ref>
==Notable natives and residents==
Famous politicians from Scranton include [[Joseph Biden]], [[Lisa Caputo]], [[Frank Carlucci]], [[Robert P. Casey]], [[Robert P. Casey, Jr.]], [[Hermann Eilts]], [[Terence V. Powderly]], [[Robert Reich]], [[William Scranton]] and [[William Scranton III]].
In the arts, Scranton has been home to [[Sonny Burke]], [[Bob Degen]], [[Dorothy Dietrich]], [[Cy Endfield]], [[Jane Jacobs]], [[Gloria Jean]], [[Jean Kerr]], [[Gershon Legman]], [[Judy McGrath]], [[W.S. Merwin]], [[Jason Miller (playwright)|Jason Miller]], [[Melanie Smith]], [[Jay Parini]], [[Cynthia Rothrock]], [[Lizabeth Scott]], [[Ned Washington]] and [[Lauren Weisberger]].
[[P.J. Carlesimo]], [[Joe Collins]], [[Jim Crowley]], [[Paul Foytack]], [[Charlie Gelbert]], [[Cosmo Iacavazzi]], [[Ralph Lomma]], [[Gerry McNamara]], [[Mike Munchak]], brothers [[Jim O'Neill|Jim]] and [[Steve O'Neill]] and [[Jackie Paterson]] are among the notable residents who are famous for their contributions to athletics.
Other famous people who lived in Scranton are [[Howard Gardner]], [[Jeffrey Bruce Klein]], [[Gino J. Merli]], [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], [[Karen Ann Quinlan]], [[Hugh Ellsworth Rodham]], [[Mel Ziegler]], Bishop [[Robert C. Morlino]] and [[B.F. Skinner]].
==Sister cities==
Scranton has two official [[town twinning|sister cities]], as designated by [[Sister Cities International]]:
* {{flagicon|Ireland}} - [[Ballina, County Mayo|Ballina]], [[Ireland]]
* {{flagicon|Slovakia}} - [[Trnava]], [[Slovakia]]
==See also==
*[[Polish Cathedral style]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.scrantonpa.gov/ Official website]
*[http://www.scrantonchamber.com/ Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce]
*[http://www.rediscoverscranton.com/ Rediscover Scranton]
*[http://www.scrantontomorrow.org/ Scranton Tomorrow]
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{{Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania}}
{{County Seats of Pennsylvania}}
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[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1778]]
[[Category:Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Scranton, Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:County seats in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania]]
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