City history
Once a bustling epicenter of the American anthracite coal industry, Scranton's history is deeply intertwined with the rhythmic progress of the railroads and the precise timekeeping required by industrial expansion.
Chapter one
Earliest documented name
"Place of many springs"
Reliable documentation of a specific indigenous name for the exact Scranton site is unavailable; however, the region was known as the Lackawanna Valley, used by the Lenape people.
Named after George W. Scranton
The city was named in honor of George W. Scranton, a key figure in the development of the local iron and coal industries.
Chapter two
As a major railroad hub for the DL&W, Scranton transitioned from local solar time to the standardized railroad time zones used to coordinate freight and passenger schedules across the nation.
Scranton aligned with federal shifts in daylight saving practices to standardize time changes across the Eastern United States, aiding industrial and commercial consistency.
Chapter three
The discovery and extraction of anthracite coal transformed the Lackawanna Valley from a rural area into a massive industrial powerhouse, driving the city's rapid growth.
The development of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad provided the critical infrastructure needed to transport coal and connect Scranton to major Eastern markets.
At the turn of the century, Scranton reached a pinnacle of industrial production, serving as a vital node in the American energy and transportation networks.