Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

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Not to be confused with Luzerne, Pennsylvania.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Seal
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded September 25, 1786
Named for Chevalier de la Luzerne
Seat Wilkes-Barre
Largest city Wilkes-Barre
Area
 • Total 907 sq mi (2,349 km2)
 • Land 891 sq mi (2,308 km2)
 • Water 16 sq mi (41 km2), 1.80%
Population (Est.)
 • (2012) 321,027
 • Density 360/sq mi (139/km²)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.luzernecounty.org
Luzerne County Head of State
Government
 • Chairperson Tim McGinley (D)

Luzerne County is the largest county in northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 320,918.[1] Its county seat is Wilkes-Barre.[2] It is located in the northern anthracite area called The Coal Region, and is included in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area.

History

The Luzerne County Historical Society maintains the storehouse for the collective memory of Luzerne County and its environs. It records and interprets the history, traditions, events, people and cultures that have directed and molded life within the region.[3]

18th century

Battle of Wyoming in 1778
  • 1769: The Pennamite-Yankee War (or the Yankee-Pennamite Wars) began when settlers from Connecticut and Pennsylvania fought over land claims along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in the present Wyoming Valley.
  • July 3, 1778: A force of British and Tories led by John Butler, with the assistance of about 700 Indians, attacked and killed nearly 300 Wyoming Valley settlers. Today in Wyoming, PA a monument marks the grave site of the victims from the Battle of Wyoming.
  • September 11, 1780: Reports of Tory activity in the region caused Captain Daniel Klader and a platoon of 40 to 50 men from Northampton County, Pennsylvania to investigate. Captain Klader's men made it as far north as present-day Conyngham, when they were ambushed by the Seneca nation and by the Tories. 18 of Klader's men were killed in what is known as the Sugarloaf Massacre.
  • September 25, 1786: Luzerne County was formed from part of Northumberland County.

19th century

Mine workers began their protest march near Harwood and many were eventually killed by the Luzerne County sheriff in Lattimer in 1897.
  • September 6, 1869: A mine fire killed 110 people in Avondale, an unincorporated community in Plymouth Township.
  • June 28, 1896: The Newton Coal Company's Twin Shaft Mine in Pittston City caved-in and killed 58 miners.[4][5]
  • September 10, 1897: Sheriff James Martin formed a posse and fired on a group of unarmed miners in what is known today as the Lattimer massacre. Luzerne is infamous for being the last county whose sheriff legally formed a posse to restore order in a time of civil unrest.

20th century

Remnants of Agnes over Pennsylvania. This resulted in major flooding

21st century

  • May 21, 2000: A plane crash in Bear Creek Township, Pennsylvania near the intersection of Bear Creek Boulevard (PA-Route 115) and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike killed the pilot as well as all 19 passengers.
  • December 1, 2006: a tornado left a path of destruction approximately 15 miles (24 km) long (this included parts of Mountain Top).
  • 2008: The Kids for Cash scandal resulted in federal convictions and sentences of juvenile court judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan.
  • September 2011: Luzerne County witnessed historical flooding from Tropical Storm Lee. The Susquehanna River reached a record high of 42.6 feet (13 meters) in Wilkes-Barre. The river topped the 40.9-foot (12.5 meters) level in flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The Greater Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, and Nanticoke areas were hit the hardest.[6][7][8]

Geography

Lehigh Gorge State Park in Luzerne County during the fall
Nescopeck State Park in Dennison Township, Luzerne County
Ricketts Glen State Park

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 891 sq mi (2,307 km²) is land and 16 sq mi (42 km²) (1.80%) is water.[9] The Wyoming Valley in the North and Mid part of the county is flat at the Susquehanna Basin and rises from 700 feet (210 m) to 2,000 feet (610 m) in some places. Bear Creek, on the eastern side of the valley, has a mean elevation of about 2,000 feet (610 m), while Pittston, on the Susquehanna Basin, is about 700 feet (210 m). The Valley goes as north as Exeter Township-Dallas Township to as on the west side from Plymouth Township-Bear Creek Township and as on the east side from Duryea to Bear Creek Township; South as Hanover Township to Bear Creek Township. The county is crossed by a series of east-to-west mountains. The Susquehanna River drains most of the county while the Lehigh River drains some eastern and southeastern portions and forms part of its southeast boundary.

Adjacent counties

 Sullivan County Wyoming County Lackawanna County
Columbia County Monroe County
   Luzerne County, Pennsylvania  
Schuylkill County Carbon County

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
17904,892
—
180012,839162.4%
181018,10941.0%
182020,02710.6%
183027,37936.7%
184044,00660.7%
185056,07227.4%
186090,24460.9%
1870160,91578.3%
1880133,065−17.3%
1890201,20351.2%
1900257,12127.8%
1910343,18633.5%
1920390,99113.9%
1930445,10913.8%
1940441,518−0.8%
1950392,241−11.2%
1960346,972−11.5%
1970342,301−1.3%
1980343,0790.2%
1990328,149−4.4%
2000319,255−2.7%
2010320,9180.5%
Est. 2012321,0270.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
2012 Estimate[1]

As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[11]

According to the census of 2000, there were 319,250 people, 130,687 households, and 84,293 families residing in the county. The population density was 358 people per square mile (138/km²). There were 144,686 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile (63/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.63% White, 1.69% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.2% were of Polish, 15.6% Italian, 13.8% Irish, 12.1% German and 5.3% Slovak ancestry according to the 2000 census.

There were 130,687 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.

Luzerne County is the only county in the United States with a plurality of citizens reporting Polish as their primary ancestry[12]; the majority of Pennsylvanians report German or Pennsylvania Dutch.

Politics

Luzerne County Courthouse

As of November 2008, there are 187,849 registered voters in Luzerne County.[13]

While the Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics, on the statewide and national levels Luzerne County leans toward the Democratic Party only slightly. In 2000 Democrat Al Gore won 52% of the vote and Republican George W. Bush won 43%. In 2004 it was much closer with Democrat John Kerry winning 51% to Republican George Bush's 47%. In 2006 both Democrats Governor Ed Rendell and now Senator Bob Casey Jr. won 67.5% and 60.6% of the vote in Luzerne County, respectively. In 2008 all four statewide winners carried it, with Barack Obama receiving 53.6% of the county vote to 45.2% for John McCain.

The Luzerne County Council is the governing body of the county. It was established on November 2, 2010 when voters adopted a home rule charter by a margin of 49,343 to 40,394.[14] This move abolished the previous county board of commissioners.

Current County Council

The following members have been duly elected to the county council by the voters of Luzerne County.

Council Member Time in Office Party Notes
Jim Bobeck 2012–present Democratic
Edward A. Brominski 2012–present Democratic
Elaine Maddon Curry 2012–present Democratic
Harry Haas 2012–present Republican
Eugene L. Kelleher 2012–present Republican
Linda McClosky Houck 2012–present Democratic
Tim McGinley 2012–present Democratic Chairperson
Rick Morelli 2012–present Republican
Stephen A. Urban 2012–present Democratic
Stephen J. Urban 2012–present Democratic
Rick Williams 2012–present Independent

List of Chairpersons

List of Chairpersons Time in Office Party Notes
1 Jim Bobeck 2012 Democratic
2Tim McGinley 2012–present Democratic

Other county officials

  • Controller, Walter L. Griffith, Jr., Republican
  • District Attorney, Stefanie J. Salavantis, Republican
  • Director of Elections, Leonard C. Piazza, III, Appointed

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

Pennsylvania State Senate

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Municipalities

Wilkes-Barre, the county seat and largest city of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Hazleton, the second largest city in Luzerne County
Map of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in the case of Bloomsburg, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Luzerne County:

Cities

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.

Other places

  • Wapwallopen

Recreation

Frances Slocum State Park

There are four Pennsylvania state parks in Luzerne County:

Other recreation

The Susquehanna Warrior Trail is in Luzerne County.[15]

Education

Public school districts

Map of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Charter schools

  • Bear Creek Community Charter School

Public vocational technical schools

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Luzerne County Public Library Braches

The Luzerne County Library System includes the following locations:

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  3. ↑ Luzerne County Historical Society
  4. ↑ "Twin Shaft Disaster Marker". Hmdb.org. August 19, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2009. 
  5. ↑ Pittston, PA Twin Shaft Mine Cave In, June 1896
  6. ↑ Mandatory Evacuation of Wyoming Valley by 4 p.m., Times-Leader, September 8, 2011
  7. ↑ Eckert, Paul (September 9, 2011). "UPDATE 3-Pennsylvania hit by huge flooding, towns submerged". Reuters. 
  8. ↑ Luzerne officials issue mandatory evacuation in footprint of Agnes flood, Times Tribune, September 8, 2011
  9. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  10. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved November 17, 2013. 
  11. ↑ Census data, USA Today
  12. ↑ US Census Bureau. "2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates." American FactFinder <http://factfinder2.census.gov>.
  13. ↑ Current voter statistics, Website of Pennsylvania Department of State
  14. ↑ Voters say 'yes' to home rule - News. Standard Speaker (2010-11-03). Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
  15. ↑ Susquehanna Warrior Trail, PA - Google Maps. Maps.google.com (1970-01-01). Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
  16. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Licensed, Private Academic Schools in Pennsylvania". 

External links

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Coordinates: 41°11′N 75°59′W / 41.18°N 75.99°W / 41.18; -75.99

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