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Wilkes-Barre (, , or Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary. Third edition, 2001. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster.) is the central city of the Wyoming Valley and county seat of Luzerne County in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1769 and formally incorporated in 1806, the city has a population of 43,123, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The city and valley are framed by the Pocono Mountains to the east and the Endless Mountains to the west with the majestic Susquehanna River flowing through the center.

History

The Wyoming Valley was first inhabited by the Shawanese and Delaware Indian tribes in the early 1700s. By 1769, a group of settlers, led by John Durkee, became the first Europeans to reach the area. The settlement was named Wilkes-Barre, after John Wilkes and Isaac Barre, two British members of Parliament who supported colonial America.

The initial settlers were aligned with Connecticut, which had a claim on the land that rivaled Pennsylvania's. Armed men loyal to Pennsylvania twice attempted to evict the residents of Wilkes-Barre in what came to be known as the Pennamite Wars. After the Revolution the conflict was resolved so that the settlers retained title to their lands but transferred their allegiance to Pennsylvania.

Wilkes-Barre's population exploded due to the discovery of anthracite coal in the 1800s, which gave the city the nickname of "The Diamond City." Hundreds of thousands of immigrants flocked to the city, seeking jobs in the numerous mines and collieries that sprung up.

The coal industry survived several disasters, including an explosion at the Baltimore Colliery in 1919 that killed 92 miners, but it could not survive the gradual switch to other energy sources. Most coal operations left Wilkes-Barre by the end of World War II, and the 1959 Knox Mine Disaster marked the end of King Coal's heyday.

Manufacturing and retail remained as Wilkes-Barre's strongest industries, but the city's economy took a major blow from Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. The storm pushed the Susquehanna River to nearly 41 feet, four feet above the city's levees, and flooded the downtown with nine feet of water. Six people were killed, 25,000 homes and businesses were either damaged or destroyed, and damages were estimated to be $1 billion with President Richard Nixon sending aid to the area.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Wilkes-Barre attempted to repair the damage from Agnes by building a levee system which rises 41 feet and has successfully battled less threatening floods of 1996, 2004, and 2006 with the Army Corps of Engineers praising the quality of the levees. In addition, Wilkes-Barre was attracting new businesses to the city (including the finished construction of the Wyoming Valley Mall and a large downtown Boscov's), though many opted to move to the suburbs. By 2000, Mayor Tom McGroarty earned the city a less than dubious reputation with his handling of the city's fiscal affairs and his confrontational style towards several state and federal officials. Governor Mark Schweiker went so far as to call him "inept." When McGroarty lost the mayoral primary in 2003, Wilkes-Barre was nearly $11 million in debt.

On June 9, 2005, Mayor Thomas M. Leighton unveiled his I believe... campaign for Wilkes-Barre, which was intended to boost the city's spirits. Many residents were skeptical of the campaign, though construction had begun on a planned downtown theatre complex which had a much anticipated grand opening on June 30, 2006, and renovation of the landmark Hotel Sterling was being pursued by CityVest, a nonprofit developer. Also underway is a downtown two-floor Barnes & Noble store (set to open August 5, 2006) and the expansion of Wilkes University and King's College in terms of their reliability. Also, the legendary wornout red street lights in Public Square and across downtown have been replaced with more modern and sufficient green lights. Leighton has however been under pressure to implement measures to tackle city crime, which has risen 39 percent on his watch according to local newspapers Times Leader and Citizen's Voice.

Government

Executive

The city is headed by a mayor, elected to a four-year term. The current mayor is Thomas M. Leighton, a Democrat who was elected in 2003.

Legislative

The legislative branch of Wilkes-Barre is the City Council, comprising seven members who are elected to four-year terms. Current members of Council are: President Tony Thomas Jr.; Vice President Bill Barrett (former Wilkes-Barre Police Chief); Kathy Kane; Phil Latinski; Jim McCarthy; Michael McGinley; and Shirley Vitanovec.

Judicial

The City of Wilkes-Barre is served by two City Attorneys who advise both the Mayor and City Council. The current City Attorney is Timothy J. Henry, Esquire and the Assistant City Attorney is William E. Vinsko, Jr., Esquire.

The Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Wilkes-Barre. Its probation system is divided into two divisions; one for adults, and one for juveniles.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania sits at the Max Rosenn United States Courthouse in downtown Wilkes-Barre on South Main Street.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 43,123 people, 17,961 households, and 9,878 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,430.6/km² (6,296.3/mi²). There were 20,294 housing units at an average density of 1,143.9/km² (2,963.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.30% White, 5.09% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.

The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The local accent of American English is Northeast Pennsylvania English.

Geography

Wilkes-Barre is located at (41.244581, -75.877918).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.6 km² (7.2 mi²). 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.60% water.

Roads and transportation

Interstate 81 passes north-south through Wilkes-Barre, and the city is also located near the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 80.

Public transportation is provided by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority.

Five international airlines fly from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in nearby Avoca. Smaller, private planes use the Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort.

Local attractions

Colleges and universities

Sports teams

Local media outlets

Facts

  • HBO recognizes Wilkes-Barre as the birthplace of modern cable programming. In November 1972, coincidentally the autumn that followed Hurricane Agnes, 365 subscribers of Service Electric Cable were the first to receive HBO's service.
  • Wilkes-Barre was a stop on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War.
  • Louis Philippe, the King of France from 1830 to 1840, stayed in Wilkes-Barre while traveling en route to the French Asylum settlement in 1797.
  • Wilkes-Barre has been a popular stop for many presidential candidates. U.S. presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry have all campaigned in the city.
  • Described by many today as one of America's more "historical cities", Wilkes-Barre has gained considerable bad press (although it is not a major nationally recognized location) since the Knox Mine Disaster. In the 1960 presidential campaign, it garnered attention for its high levels of poverty. In 1972, the damage done by the Agnes flood made international headlines. In the 1990s, the city beacme known for the poor leadership of Mayor McGroarty. In 2001, a Washington Post article described Wilkes-Barre as "awful" and "next-door" Scranton as "awfuler", describing the area as one of the worst metropolitan areas in the United States. In 2006, the city made the front page of national newspapers when 200,000 residents were told to evacuate in the wake of flooding that reached levels near that of '72, although without the damage.
  • Wilkes-Barre is the birthplace of the Planters Peanuts Company, which was founded in 1906 by Italian immigrant Amedo Obici and partner Mario Peruzzi.

Famous residents

References

  • Allabaugh, Denise. Crime watch participation dips. Citizens' Voice. November 13, 2005.
  • Marcy, Brett. McGroarty leaves unhappy legacy in Harrisburg. Times Leader. November 9, 2003.
  • Rubinkam, Michael. Mayor promises the "unbelievable," delivers something else. The Associated Press. June 23, 2005.
  • Walzer, Allison. Wanted: A leader to inject some life into Wilkes-Barre. Times Leader. April 7, 2002.

Notes

See also

External links

Cities in Pennsylvania | Luzerne County, Pennsylvania | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre | Wilkes-Barre | Wilkes-Barre

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania".

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