The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-03
History Of Carbondale.

The population Of the town and town
ship. in 1910, was 2,39S. The lands In
this city were originally owned by Mr..
Russell, a wealthy English gentleman.
who resided with or near DR.. Priestly,
at Northumberland. lie took up large
tracts i'm the north part of the state
Pioneer Days Of Mining.
The first opening for coal was made
at tn, foot of what was then known
as Shanty Hin. now the West Side, at
a point opposite the seventh avenue
crossing of the Delaware and Hudson
company. The coal obtained here was
the outcropring and traces of 1t can
b. seen to this day. II was picked
out and was wheeled on barrows. sub
seuucntly levels were driven at points
close to the opening. The coal indus
try was the one which called into play
| the activities of the early settlers, and
as they developed, so did the town. 1t
was the growth of this industry that
! speedod Developments in other direc-
tions and as the mine openings in
! creased So also the signs of Carbon
dales prosperity multiplied With the
extension of the gravity from Homes
dale and to Archibald. then the intro
| tho Major Sykes" which is now dis
mantled in stall in the Delaware and
! Hudson company's round house in this
| city; next the building of the jefferson
| division of the Erie-all these were fac
! tors in forcing the growth of Carbon
! dale until 1851, the time of it's incor-
! roration as a city, when it was quite a
! hourishing town.
Cerbondale as a City.
| In 1851 Carbondale was an important
| center i'm this section of the state.
| Houses had multiplied churches and
| schools were numerous. and to the resi-
| dents there were strong reasons for the
necessity of being possessed of the
! powers of city. Carbondale was only
J a village then, il had not reached as
| yet the dignity Of borough. But this
was only so far as the powers of gov
| ernmcnt were concerned. Carbondal-
| ians rightly believed that they We're
| entitled to the powers and the proteC-
! tion afforded by reason of being incor-
| poratcd. II was especially desirous
! that the town have a court of its own
which would obViate the Inconvenience
! and difficulty of travelling over thirty
miles by stage to Wilkes Barre the
| county seat OF LuZeine, Accordingly
| after the disastrous fire of over a half
! a century ago, a meeting of citizens
was held, the following report of which
| is taken from the Lackawanna Jour-
| nal of oct. is, 1850:
"FirSt-Thdt as the first of a series
of measures necessary for our protec-
tiOn against fire, we take early steps
to procure through the legislature a
| city corporation.
| "SeCOnd-That a committee of twen-
tyfive citizens be appointed to act as
a police on all occasions of fire to pro-
toct property from plunder, that has
been rescued from the ilames and that
Thomas Dickson, Evan Harris and
Thomas Gillespie select such commit
tee and report at a future meeting.
"Third-That committee of seven
be appointed to procure, by subsCrip-
tion funds adequate for the purchas
ing of engines and hose to extingulsh
fires, If such should again occur.
WhereupOn the president appointed
James Archbald,JamcS Dickson, Thorn
as Gillespie. Judson Clark, Anthony
Miles, Anthony Grady and Henry Ev-
ans said committee"
The bill Incorporating CarbOndale
was passed in 1851 The member in
the legislature was :. 5. Benedict and
in the senate was Hon. c. r. BuCka-