Luzerne County
Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Formed September 25, 1786 from Northumberland County. Named for Chevalier de la Luzerne. Wilkes-Barre, the county seat, was settled 1769. A center of the Yankee-Pennamite Wars (begun 1769) and 1902 Anthracite Strike, conflicts that changed America.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Formed in 1786 from Northumberland County and named for the French nobleman Chevalier de la Luzerne, an ally of the American Revolution, Luzerne County has long been a place shaped by conflict and coal. Its seat, Wilkes-Barre, was settled in 1769 amid the Yankee-Pennamite Wars — bitter contests between Connecticut and Pennsylvania claimants over the same Wyoming Valley land. More than a century later the region became a flashpoint again during the great Anthracite Strike of 1902, a landmark clash between miners and coal operators.
Why it matters
Luzerne County witnessed struggles that helped define America — colonial land disputes and a national coal strike whose settlement marked a turning point in the relationship between labor, capital, and the presidency.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Chevalier de la Luzerne
Related events
- · Yankee-Pennamite Wars
- · Anthracite Strike of 1902
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Wyoming Division Canal
Wilkes-Barre, PA · est. 1994
Built by the state between 1831 and 1834 as part of the North Branch Canal, the Wyoming Division ran seventeen miles from West Nanticoke to Pittston and opened the Wyoming Valley's rich anthracite beds to the coal markets of the mid-Atlantic. A public boat basin once stood on this spot. Together with the railroads that followed, the canal helped make the valley the world's leading anthracite producer before the line closed in 1882.
American Institute of Mining Engineers
Wilkes-Barre, PA · est. 2016
By 1871 the anthracite fields of northeastern Pennsylvania powered much of American industry, but mining remained deadly and technically primitive. That year twenty-two mining professionals met at the Wyoming Valley Hotel in Wilkes-Barre to found the American Institute of Mining Engineers, one of the nation's first engineering societies, aimed at improving safety, training, and technology. From that meeting grew an organization that today counts well over a hundred thousand members worldwide.
William G. McGowan (1927-1992)
Wilkes-Barre, PA · est. 2006
For most of the 20th century, a single company controlled American telephone service until entrepreneurs like Ashley native William G. McGowan set out to break that grip. As founder of MCI Communications, McGowan waged a long legal and business fight against AT&T's monopoly, helping open the industry to competition. His success also funded major gifts to medical research and institutions.
Daniel J. Flood (1903-1994)
Wilkes-Barre, PA · est. 2010
Daniel J. Flood represented northeastern Pennsylvania's coal country in Congress for much of the mid-20th century, rising to power on the House Appropriations Committee. A flamboyant former actor with a waxed mustache, he used his mastery of the legislative process to steer landmark programs — Medicare, Appalachian economic aid, and coal mine health and safety law — while championing Cold War military strength. His long career ended in scandal and resignation.