6/4/2014
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is still the largest city in the anthracite coal mining region of Northeastern Pennsylvania in spite of having lost almost half of it's population since 1930. The Anthracite region boomed from the late 1800s to the great depression. From the depression until recently the area experienced a uniformly steep decline. Since around 2000 however, regional populations and economies have stabilized. Scranton has seen several waves of industry pass through and leave. It was the original home of the Lackawanna Steel Company which was founded in the mid 19th century and became one of the largest steel producers in the country in the late 1800s early 1900s. The people of Scranton changed the name of their town to honor the Scranton family who had founded Lackawanna Steel. Between 1899-1902 Lackawanna Steel moved all of it's operations to a new mill and company town in Lackawanna NY. Scranton continued to grow though as a commercial center for the surrounding mining region and as an industrial center. Coal mining in the region slowed to almost nothing by the 1980s and almost all of the industrial employers in Scranton closed or moved. Today Scranton seems to be doing quite well. It currently has a largely white collar services economy, it's population has stabilized and it's downtown is lively. Over the years Scranton has lost almost all of it's historic industrial buildings but has retained many or most of it's historic residential and commercial buildings. The Steamtown National Historic Site preserves Scranton's once busy railroad shops and has been successfully incorporated into the revival of downtown Scranton.
Scranton, Pennsylvania
The Scranton Lace Company factory (above and below) was built around 1900. Operations at the plant ceased in 2002. The Scranton Lace Company facility is in a relatively isolated location surrounded by residential neighborhoods. It's popular with urban explorers and unfortunately seems destined for the wrecking ball. Indications are that the current owner has begun scrapping it.
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Taylor, Pennsylvania
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