Margo L. Azzarelli Knihy

The green hills and bustling boroughs of Lackawanna County have fostered a remarkable history of pioneering citizens and momentous events. Dr. Mary C. Nivison became the first female physician in the city when she opened her Scranton practice in 1871. Audiences were amazed in 1915, when Harry Houdini escaped from a large cask of beer at the Poli Theatre. The Pennsylvania county had its share of mayhem and tragedy as well. In 1923, the Laurel Line bandits held up the train between Moosic and Avoca, and nineteen years later, the flood of 1942 sent waters rushing down Carbondale's Main Street. From the stories of the Great Riot of 1877 to memories of the Club Burger at Carrol's Restaurant, local author Margo L. Azzarelli chronicles the history of Lackawanna County with this fascinating series of vignettes.

Moosic was incorporated as a borough in 1898 and was followed by Old Forge shortly thereafter in 1899; these communities became a part of the area of Lackawanna County known as the Triboro. Throughout the years, industry and agriculture were the backbone of the local economy, and businesses like the Moosic Powder Company and Dutchess Underwear Company provided many residents with employment. In 1886, Arthur Frothingham purchased land in Moosic and opened Rocky Glen Park, the second oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania. Visitors enjoyed riding on the popular Million Dollar Roller Coaster until it closed its gates in 1987. Julia's Restaurant/Hotel is one of the oldest landmark establishments in Old Forge, and it is still in operation today, serving great food nightly. By the 1960s, Old Forge earned the title of "Pizza Capital of the World." Its trademark "Old Forge"-style pizza is served in many restaurants throughout Pennsylvania.

"On an August morning in 1877, a dispute over wages exploded between miners and coal company owners. A furious mob rushed down Lackawanna Avenue only to be met by a deadly hail of bullets. With its vast coal fields, mills and rail lines, Scranton became a hotbed for labor activity. Many were discontented by working endless and dangerous hours for minimal pay. The disputes mostly ended in losses for labor, but after a strike that lasted more than one hundred days, John MItchell helped win higher wages, a shorter workday and better working conditions for coal miners. The legendary 1902 Anthracite Coal Strike Commission hearings began in Scranton, where famed lawyer Clarence Darrow championed workers' rights. Local authors Margo and Marnie Azzerelli present this dramatic history and its lasting legacy." from the jacket.

Beyond the rustic gates of the Forest Hill Cemetery in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, lies a vast wealth of history. Early in 1870, George Sanderson, Elisha Phinney, William Breck, and J.A. Robertson, with J. Gardner Sanderson and George S. Kingsbury, purchased a 50-acre tract of land from the Pennsylvania Coal Company, which became the last resting place for the cemetery's 18,000 residents. The Civil War section of the cemetery is home to over 300 Union soldiers and two Confederates. Numerous congressmen, lieutenant governors, state representatives, and other elected officials make up Forest Hill's political graveyard. The rich, the poor, the famous, and the unsung all have stories to be told, and this book recounts their tales.