26 Facts About Scranton

1.

Scranton is a city in the U S state of Pennsylvania.

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2.

Scranton was incorporated on February 14,1856, as a borough in Luzerne County and as a city on April 23,1866.

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3.

Scranton's population dropped from its peak of 143,433 in the 1930 census to 76,089 in the 2010 census.

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4.

Scranton is located 77 miles north of Allentown, 120 miles north of Philadelphia, and 120 miles northwest of New York City.

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5.

Scranton was designated by the state legislature as the county seat of the newly formed county, which was established as a separate judicial district, with state judges moving over from Luzerne County after courts were organized in October 1878.

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6.

In Scranton, mineworkers followed the railroad men off the job, as did others.

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7.

Labor issues and growth of industry in Scranton contributed to Lackawanna County being established by the state legislature in 1878, with territory taken from Luzerne County.

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8.

Scranton forged ahead as the capital of the anthracite coal industry.

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9.

In 1934, Scranton Railways was re-incorporated as the Scranton Transit Company, reflecting that shift in transportation modes.

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10.

Scranton had been the hub of its operations until the Erie Lackawanna merger, after which it no longer served in this capacity.

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11.

Many are individuals who grew up in Scranton, moved to big cities after high school and college, and decided to return to the area to take advantage of its amenities.

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12.

Scranton has a humid continental climate, with four distinct seasons.

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13.

Many of Scranton's attractions celebrate its heritage as an industrial center in iron and coal production and its ethnic diversity.

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14.

Since the 1970s, Scranton has hosted La Festa Italiana, a three-day Italian festival that takes place on Labor Day weekend on the courthouse square.

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15.

Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is an impressive piece of architecture which houses several auditoriums and a large ballroom.

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16.

Tallest building in Scranton is the Scranton Times Tower, a lattice radio tower on the Times building, which is illuminated during Christmas season.

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17.

Lackawanna County Library System administers the libraries in Scranton, including the Albright Memorial Library, the Lackawanna County Children's Library and the Nancy Kay Holmes Library.

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18.

In 2018, the Scranton Shamrocks joined the American Basketball Association, bringing professional basketball to the region.

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19.

Watres Armory in Scranton hosted World Heavyweight Championship fight between titlist Larry Holmes and challenger, European champion Lucien Rodrigues of France on March 27,1983.

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20.

Scranton has two private high schools: Scranton Preparatory School, a private Jesuit school, and Yeshiva Bais Moshe, an Ultra Orthodox school.

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21.

Protestant schools that serve the Scranton area include Abington Christian Academy, Canaan Christian Academy, The Geneva School, Summit Academy, and Triboro Christian Academy.

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22.

The Times Leader publishes Go Lackawanna, a Sunday newspaper serving Scranton and surrounding municipalities, and the Weekender is a Wilkes-Barre-based entertainment tabloid with distribution in Scranton.

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23.

The Scranton Post is a weekly general interest broadsheet which bills itself as the city's first online newspaper.

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24.

Indeed, regular passenger train service to Scranton is slated to be restored under a plan to extend NJ Transit service from Hoboken via the Lackawanna Cut-Off.

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25.

The Scranton branch is the setting for the majority of the show's episodes.

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26.

City is imagined as a member of the class of interstellar Okies in James Blish's 1962 novel, A Life for the Stars, in which 2273 AD Scranton, equipped with a space drive, flies away and leaves an impoverished Earth behind.

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