Hungry Hill on the Sullivan Road
July 07 , 2021
Hungry Hill is a Revolutionary War memorial and gravesite of an unknown soldier located in Tobyhanna Township. This encampment site was named by Maj. Gen. John Sullivan’s 1779 expedition, which built a road through the Pocono wilderness so troops could move north to avenge the Wyoming Massacre. They called the adjacent swamp Hell’s Kitchen. Army engineers built this first road on the Pocono Plateau, across the desolate area known as the Great Swamp. Meager provisions required the soldiers to live off the land, and one died here.. Read More...
Over the river and through the woods: Stagecoach travel in Monroe County
December 12 , 2016
It was a natural evolution from sharing rides and offering a little space in a wagon to charging customers for hauling freight or for passenger seats on a stagecoach. Read More...
1924: Motorcycle races come to Monroe County
May 05 , 2016
The weekend of June 6-8, 1924 was full of two-wheeled excitement for Monroe County residents when the borough of Stroudsburg hosted a weekend of professional and amateur motorcycle races at the Stroudsburg Fairgrounds.
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19th century banking in Monroe County
April 04 , 2016
In 1857, the Stroudsburg Bank became the first official bank in Monroe County. Before this time, there were no banking institutions in Monroe County, and local residents had to travel to Easton for their banking needs. Read More...
Local leap year happenings in history
February 02 , 2016
The year 2016 is a leap year, and tomorrow, February 29th, is leap day. In reviewing some of the historical records, many local “leap day” happenings occurred over the years.
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Man’s best friend: Dog licensing in Monroe County
January 01 , 2016
Many Monroe County citizens, myself included, are dog lovers. One of the responsibilities of dog ownership is ensuring that our pets are properly registered. Locally, licensing man’s best friend dates back to the late 1800s. Read More...
Keystone Shortway (Interstate 80) comes to Monroe County
July 07 , 2015
Every day, thousands of motorists travel Interstate 80 through Monroe County. Interstate 80 traverses the United States, beginning in the east in New Jersey and ending in the west in California, and 311 of the nearly 3,000 miles of the highway are located in Pennsylvania. Plans for what became known as the Keystone Shortway began in the early 1950s. Read More...
Dying in Monroe County: Old time disease names
October 10 , 2014
As Halloween looms, there is always a feeling of macabre in the air. Neighborhood children will don costumes of zombies, mummies, or ghosts in hopes of trick-or-treat goodies. But the genealogical and historical importance of death cannot be taken lightly. Read More...
Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg founded in the 1730s
November 11 , 2011
The Borough of Stroudsburg’s history began about 1730, when a diverse group of settlers started to arrive from the area of Kingston, N.Y. Peter LaBar established his homestead, a log cabin, on the corner of present-day Main and Ninth Streets. Unfortunately, the log cabin is no longer standing. It was not until decades later, when Jacob Stroud purchased land in the area, that Stroudsburg emerged as a developed town. The area now known as East Stroudsburg has a rich and early history that dates back to the 18th century. East Stroudsburg was originally named Dansbury after Daniel Brodhead who settled there with his family in 1737. Read More...
The importance of Poconos history
April 04 , 2011
Often, when we think about studying history, we think of sitting in a classroom, listening to a lecture or reading from a text, memorizing names, dates, locations, battlefield tactics, etc. But the study of history is much, much more than that — it's personal, alive and relevant. Read More...
Items of interest in Monroe County through the years
April 04 , 2011
A timeline of interesting events over the history of Monroe County, from the mid-1700s to 1990. Read More...
History of Chestnuthill and Middle Smithfield townships
March 03 , 2011
Chestnuthill Township, located in the western portion of Monroe County, was named for its once-abundant chestnut trees, which lined many roadsides and dotted the rolling countryside of the area. Middle Smithfield Township was parceled out of the northern area of Smithfield Township and was part of Pike County until 1814. Read More...
Our earliest townships: Smithfield and Hamilton
February 02 , 2011
Smithfield Township was founded in 1748 and is named for John Smith, an early colonist who owned large tracts of land in the area. Hamilton Township was created on Dec. 24, 1762 and is the second-oldest township in Monroe County. Read More...
Before Monroe County came the Lenni Lenape
January 01 , 2011
Long before Europeans settled in modern-day Monroe County, the Lenni Lenape called this area home. These Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the Pocono Mountains, having settled in the area over 10,000 year ago. Read More...
Happy 175th Birthday, Monroe County!
January 01 , 2011
On April 1, 1836, after nine long years of debate and discussion, Monroe County was formed from pieces of land cut from Northampton County and southern Pike County. Although settled by some of the earliest-arriving European colonists, Monroe County was not one of the earliest-formed counties in Pennsylvania. It was the 53rd recognized county out of 67 statewide. Years before its official recognition as a separate entity, residents living in this developing area petitioned the legislature to create the new county. Read More...
Barrett Township celebrates its Sesquicentennial
December 12 , 2009
Barrett Township will celebrate its 150th birthday at the end of this month. This northern Monroe County township was officially created from parts of Price and Paradise Townships on December 31, 1859, although the area had been settled much earlier. Read More...
History of Local Temperance Movement
August 08 , 2007
As early as the 1830s, Monroe County citizens became concerned with the effects of alcohol on the community. Public drunkenness and disorderly conduct were becoming more prominent. The Monroe County Temperance Union was founded in 1836 with Daniel Stroud serving as the organization’s leader. Under Stroud’s administration, the Temperance movement grew to 316 members in two years. Read More...
Daylight Saving Time Affected Monroe County
April 04 , 2007
Daylight Saving Time and its enactment in Monroe County have an interesting history. In 1929, Pennsylvania decided that each county would determine if it would participate in Daylight Saving or not. Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg could not agree. Read More...
How Monroe County Got Its Name
February 02 , 2007
On April 1, 1836, after nine long years of debate and discussion, Monroe County was formed from pieces of land cut from northern Northampton County and southern Pike County. Read More...
Suffrage Movement has Local Ties
March 03 , 2006
March has been designated Women’s History Month. A key piece of women’s history lies in the fight for the right to vote. For centuries, women have spoken out, voicing their beliefs that they should be allowed to vote, just like men. From Mary Wollstonecraft’s 1792 work about equality of the sexes to Susan B. Anthony’s 1872 arrest in Rochester, N.Y., for defiantly registering to vote, women have worked to raise awareness of gender inequality. Read More...
How Stroudsburg Became County Seat
October 10 , 2005
Although settled during colonization, Monroe County was not one of the earliest official counties in Pennsylvania; it was the 53rd recognized county out of 67 statewide. It was formed from pieces of Northampton and Pike Counties on April 1, 1836. Read More...