Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre is the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Formally incorporated in 1871, the city has a population of of 43,123, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The city's economy thrives on health care and manufacturing. A 2003 Census estimate places the population at 41,630.

History

The Wyoming Valley was first inhabited by the Shawanese and Delaware Indian tribes in the early 1700s. By 1768, 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 politicians who supported colonial America.

Related Topics:
1768 - John Durkee - John Wilkes - Isaac Barre

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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.

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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.

Related Topics:
1919 - World War II - 1959 - Knox Mine Disaster

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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.

Related Topics:
Tropical Storm Agnes - 1972 - Susquehanna River

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Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Wilkes-Barre attempted to repair the damage from Agnes by attracting new businesses to the city. However, by 2000, Mayor Tom McGroarty earned the city a less than dubious reputation with his handling of the city's 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.

Related Topics:
2000 - Mayor - Tom McGroarty - Governor - Mark Schweiker - 2003

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On June 9, 2005, Mayor Tom Leighton unveiled his I believe... campaign for Wilkes-Barre, which was intended to boost the city's spirits. Though many residents were skeptical of the campaign, the city has resumed development on a planned downtown theatre complex, and has sold the landmark Hotel Sterling to a private developer, who plans to renovate the shuttered hotel.

Related Topics:
June 9 - 2005 - Mayor - Tom Leighton - Hotel Sterling

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A handful of American presidents have visited Wilkes-Barre, including Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, all of whom made a stop at Wilkes-Barre on their preisdential campaigns.

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