Greater Pittston

Greater Pittston
Region
Aerial view of Greater Pittston. Pittston City can be seen on the right (along the Susquehanna River).
Greater Pittston
Coordinates: 41°19′26″N 75°47′20″W / 41.32389°N 75.78889°W / 41.32389; -75.78889Coordinates: 41°19′26″N 75°47′20″W / 41.32389°N 75.78889°W / 41.32389; -75.78889
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Principal city	Pittston
Settled	around 1770
Government
• Type	Each city and borough is headed by an elected mayor. Each township is headed by an elected board of supervisors or commissioners.
• Mayor	Jason C. Klush (D)
• Other leaders	List • Avoca Borough: Mayor Robert Mullen • Dupont Borough: Mayor Dan Lello • Duryea Borough: Mayor Keith Moss • Exeter Borough: Mayor Cassandra Coleman • Exeter Township: Commissioners Donald Hoffman, Robert Bishop, James Dowse, Richard Overman, and John Ruane • Hughestown Borough: Mayor Wayne D. Quick, Jr. • Jenkins Township: Commissioners Stanley E. Rovinski, Joseph Zelonis, and Russel Arnone • Laflin Borough: Mayor Dorothy Yazurlo • Pittston Township: Supervisors Frank Sciabacucchi, Stephen Rinaldi, and Barbara Attardo • West Pittston Borough: Mayor Tom Blaskiewicz • West Wyoming Borough: Mayor Joseph T. Herbert • Wyoming Borough: Mayor Robert Boyer • Yatesville Borough: Mayor Anthony Lizza, Jr.
Area
• Total	65.35 sq mi (169.25 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	48,020
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	570

Greater Pittston is a 65.35 sq mi (169.25 km²) region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in reference to the area in and around Pittston. As of 2010, the total population of Greater Pittston is 48,020. This region includes Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Exeter Boro, Exeter Township, Hughestown, Jenkins Township, Laflin, Pittston Township, West Pittston, West Wyoming, Wyoming and Yatesville.

History

The Battle of Wyoming in 1778

Pittston as depicted on an 1892 panoramic map

Hundreds gather at the site of the Twin Shaft Disaster immediately after the cave-in (1896).

Child laborers at a Pittston coal mine (in 1911). The photo was taken by Lewis Hine.

Map of Knox Mine disaster showing inundated area and shafts used for escape and dewatering.

• 1770s: English men, women, and children (European-Americans) started to settle in the Wyoming Valley of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• 1 July 1778: During the Revolutionary War, Fort Jenkins (a patriot stockade in present-day West Pittston) was surrendered to the British (under Major John Butler). It was later burned to the ground. In 1928, a bridge connecting West Pittston and Pittston City was constructed and named in its honor.
• 3 July 1778: A force of British soldiers, led by John Butler, with the assistance of about 700 Indians, attacked and killed nearly 300 Wyoming Valley settlers. Today in the Borough of Wyoming, a monument marks the gravesite of the victims from the Battle of Wyoming.
• 4 July 1778: Fort Pittston (located in what is now Pittston City) surrendered to the British and some of it was partially destroyed. It was later restored and used until the end of the Revolutionary War.
• September 1778: Revenge for the Wyoming defeat was taken by American Colonel Thomas Hartley who, with 200 soldiers, burned nine to twelve Seneca, Delaware and Mingo villages along the Susquehanna River in northeast Pennsylvania, including Tioga and Chemung.
• 1833: The Wyoming Monument was constructed in Wyoming to commemorate the 1778 battle and the gravesite of the victims from the massacre.
• 28 June 1896: The Newton Coal Company's Twin Shaft Mine in Pittston City caved-in and killed 58 miners.^[1][2]
• 1908 – 1912: The anthracite coal mining industry, and its extensive use of child labor in the early part of the 20th century, was one of the industries targeted by the National Child Labor Committee and its hired photographer, Lewis Hine. Many of Hine's subjects were photographed in the mines and coal fields in and around Pittston during this time. The impact of the Hine photographs led to the enactment of child labor laws across the country.
• 1930s – 1980s: Pittston City emerged as a national center for clothing manufacturing. Thousands of workers, mainly women, labored in many factories throughout the Greater Pittston area. One such woman was Susan Sebastianelli of Pittston Township. Most were members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) that gained higher wages, workplace health & safety improvements, and employee rights. The ILGWU was active in civic and political life throughout Pennsylvania.
• 1934: The right arm of Hughestown resident, Harry Tompkins, was crushed by an Erie Railroad train. This resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins, which laid the foundation for a large part of modern American civil procedure.
• 1945 – 1947: Construction of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport took place near the Borough of Avoca.
• 22 January 1959: The Knox Mine Disaster in Port Griffith, Jenkins Township, claimed the lives of 12 people and essentially shut down the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• June 1972: Hurricane Agnes was responsible for massive flooding in and around the Greater Pittston area.
• 1974 – 1989: Alleged ghost hauntings took place in the home of Jack and Janet Smurl in West Pittston, inspiring the 1991 film The Haunted.
• 25 September 1982: George Banks kills 13 people in a shooting rampage in Wilkes-Barre and Jenkins Township.
• 1992: The opening scenes from the movie School Ties was filmed in West Pittston; it shows David Green, the hero of the movie (played by Brendan Fraser), hanging out with friends in the streets of the tiny town.
• 15 March 1993: Two Pittston firefighters (John Lombardo and Len Insalaco) were killed while fighting a blaze in the city's downtown. A monument was built and the nearby Water Street Bridge was renamed to commemorate their sacrifice.
• 2008: The "kids for cash scandal" unfolded over judicial kickbacks at the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Two judges, President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan, were convicted of accepting money from Robert Mericle, builder of two private, for-profit youth centers for the detention of juveniles. One center was PA Child Care (in Pittston Township).
• 2011: The Borough of Duryea received national attention for its role in the landmark Supreme Court case Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, in which the court stated that "a government employer's allegedly retaliatory actions against an employee do not give rise to liability under the Petition Clause unless the employee's petition relates to a matter of public concern."
• September 2011: The Greater Pittston area, along with the rest of 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.^[3][4][5]

Establishment

Geography

A map of Luzerne County. Greater Pittston makes up the northeastern section of the county.

A map of Luzerne County. Greater Pittston is outlined in yellow.

Greater Pittston is a 65.35 sq mi (169.25 km²) region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, encompassing the Susquehanna River. Jenkins Township is the largest municipality with a total area of 13.98 sq mi (36.20 km²). Yatesville is the smallest community in Greater Pittston. It covers a total area of only 0.62 sq mi (1.60 km²).

Ranking by area

The ranking of the following table is based on the area (or square mileage) of each community within the Greater Pittston region.

† principal city

Demographics

• Demographics of Avoca
• Demographics of Dupont
• Demographics of Duryea
• Demographics of Exeter
• Demographics of Exeter Township
• Demographics of Hughestown
• Demographics of Jenkins Township
• Demographics of Laflin
• Demographics of Pittston City
• Demographics of Pittston Township
• Demographics of West Pittston
• Demographics of West Wyoming
• Demographics of Wyoming
• Demographics of Yatesville

Population

According to the 2010 census, 48,020 people live in and around Pittston City. Pittston has the highest population with 7,739 citizens. Yatesville has the smallest population with around 600 citizens.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of the Greater Pittston region.^[6]

† principal city

Government

The current mayor of Pittston City is Jason C. Klush. Every other borough and township (within the Greater Pittston region) has their own form of governance. Each borough is headed by an elected mayor. Each township is headed by an elected board of supervisors/commissioners. There are ten boroughs and three townships within the Greater Pittston region.

Head(s) of Government

Public safety

There are many fire and police departments scattered throughout Greater Pittston. The firefighters provide fire protection for all of its citizens. The police provide full-time protection to its citizens, visitors, businesses, and public property.

Healthcare

There are many healthcare clinics scattered throughout Greater Pittston. The following list is a small sample of health clinics in the region.

• Garden Village Medical Center, West Pittston
• Geisinger Medical Group, Pittston
• Geisinger Pittston, Pittston
• Geisinger, Wyoming
• Intermountain Medical Group, Dupont
• The Care and Concern Free Health Clinic, Pittston

Education

Pittston Area, Wyoming Area, and Wilkes-Barre Area School Districts are located in the northeastern corner of Luzerne County (they can be seen in green, pink, and blue).

Public school districts

• Pittston Area School District
• Wyoming Area School District
• Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Private schools

• Holy Rosary Elementary School, Duryea
• New Story School, Wyoming
• Wyoming Area Catholic Elementary School, Exeter

Libraries

• Pittston Memorial Library, Pittston City
• West Pittston Library, West Pittston
• Wyoming Free Library, Wyoming

Transportation

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located within the Greater Pittston region.

Highways

US Route 11 passes though Pittston City. Interstate 81 passes near Pittston, heading north to Binghamton and south to Harrisburg. Pittston is also located near the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 476, providing a link to Allentown and Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Route 92 can also be found within the region (going from West Pittston to Tunkhannock).

Air

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located in Pittston Township. The airport is served by eight international airlines and has hosted Air Force One on regional presidential visits several times in the past. In the spring of 2002, the airport began offering an increased number of non-stop flights across the nation. Service is provided by Allegiant, Delta, United Airlines, and US Airways.

Public transportation

Pittston is served by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and COLTS, which provides bus services to the city and other communities within Luzerne County and Lackawanna County. Martz Trailways also provides commuter, tour, and trip service from Pittston, and nearby locations in downtown Scranton and Wilkes-Barre to points east and south, such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Atlantic City.

Rail

At present, the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway (successor to the Delaware and Hudson) and the Luzerne & Susquehanna Railroad (designated-operator of the county-owned shortline) provide freight service within the city and Pittston Township. A proposed nearby commuter train from Scranton to New York City has received government funding.

Notable people

Charles Calvin Bowman: Served as acting mayor of Pittston (1896); served on Pittston's City Council for sixteen terms; served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 11th district (1911-1912)

• George Banks, mass murderer
• Albert K. Bender, UFO writer
• Charles Calvin Bowman, mayor of Pittston and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
• James Joseph Brown, mining innovator
• Lou Butera, professional pool player
• Michael B. Carroll, PA state representative
• Jimmy Cefalo, Penn State football player, Miami Dolphins wide receiver, radio voice of the Miami Dolphins
• William D'Elia, mobster
• J. Harold Flannery, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
• Gene Guarilia, Boston Celtics
• Justin Gustainis, professor and author
• James L. Hallock, Wisconsin state legislator
• Mike Hudock, professional football player
• Hughie Jennings, Major League Baseball player and manager^[7]
• Shawn Klush, Elvis tribute artist
• Marion Lorne, actress, was born in West Pittston.
• John D. MacArthur, businessman and philanthropist
• Tommy McMillan, Major League Baseball outfielder and shortstop
• Joseph Montione, radio personality
• Ray Musto, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
• Jay Parini, professor and author
• Thomas Tigue, Pennsylvania state legislator
• Charley Trippi, University of Georgia football player, 1943 Rose Bowl MVP, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Chicago Cardinals quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. The football stadium at Pittston Area High School in Yatesville is named in his honor.

Gallery

• 
  Pittston City's Downtown
• 
  St. John the Evangelist Church in Pittston City
• 
  Pittston City's Downtown
• 
  Langcliffe Presbyterian Church in Avoca
• 
  Queen of the Apostles Church in Avoca
• 
  Avoca's 1910 Municipal Building
• 
  A home in Exeter Borough
• 
  Harding Church of Christ in Exeter Township
• 
  A home in Jenkins Township
• 
  Inkerman Presbyterian Church in Jenkins Township
• 
  Laflin's Municipal Building
• 
  A home on Luzerne Avenue in West Pittston
• 
  The Wyoming Monument
• 
  A park in Yatesville

References