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Resources

Resources

Teachers: consider using Present, Personal: A Guide for Doing Local History in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania by William Kashatus to help your students with the foundations of research.

Kashatus gives strong examples of how to choose a topic for research, structure the paper, photo analysis examples, and much more.

  • A Coal Miner's Bride, The Diary of Anetka Kaminska Lattimer, Pennsylvania 1896 New York: Scholastic. 2000.
  • Aurand, Harold. Teaching Miners How to Mine. Speech. Third Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County Community College. 1991.
  • Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. A Coal Miner's Bride, The Diary of Anetka Kaminska 1896 Latimer, Pennsylvania. New York. Scholastic, Inc. 2000.
  •  Growing Up in Coal Country. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1996.
  •  Kids on Strike. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1999.
  • Brewster, William. The Certified Township of Kingston, Pennsylvania 1769 to 1929. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Smith Bennet Corporation. 1930.
  • Catrignano, Elena. Wilkes-Barre Postcard History Series. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. 2008.
  • Chapman, Isaac A. History of Wyoming. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: Sharp D. Lewis. 1830.
  • Ciesla, C. Charles. A History of Sans Souci Park. Wilkes-Barré, PA: C. Charles Ciesla. 2002.
  • Cooper, James Fenimore. The Deerslayer. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard. 1841.
  • Cox, Harold E. Wyoming Valley Trolleys. Forty Fort, Pa.: Harold E. Cox. 1988.
  • Dziak, Mark. The Battle of Wyoming. Pittston: Our History Initiative, 2008.
  •  Digging Up Wyoming Valley: An Archaeological Search in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Dallas PA: Misericordia University. 2014.
  • Dye, Kitty. Maconaquah's Story. Ohio: LeClere Publishing Co. 2000.
  • Frank, Louis. The Story of Wyoming. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Smith-Bennett Corporation. 1930.
  • Freedman, Russell. Kids at Work Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor. New York: Clarion Books. 1994.
  • Geneva School. A is for Anthracite Exploring Northeastern Pennsylvania A Hands-on History Activity Book for Kids. Scranton, Pa.: Allied Services. 1998.
  • Ghost Towns of North Mountain: Ricketts, Mountain Springs, and Stull. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1991.
  • Glahn, Bryan. Mining Disasters of the Wyoming Valley. Charleston, SC.: Arcadia Press. 2016.
  • Glickman, Jay L., Painted in Blood: Remember Wyoming! America's First Civil War. Affiliated Writers of America, Incorporated, 1997.
  • Gourley, Catherine. Good Girl Work Factories, Sweatshops, and How Women Changed Their Role in the American Workforce. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press. 1999.
  • Hanlon, Edward and Paul Zbiek,. The Wyoming Valley An American Portrait. California: Windsor Publications. 1983.
  • Harris, Avery. Avery Harris Civil War Journal, edited by Peter Tomasak. Lucerne National Bank. 2000.
  • Harvey, Oscar and Earnest Gray Smith. A History of Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes-Barre, PA: The Smith Bennett Corp. 1929.
  • Harvey, Oscar, J. A History of Wilkes-Barre Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 1909.
  • History Luzerne County Courthouse. Wilkes-Barre, PA. n.d.
  • Janosov, Robert. The Auchincloss Mine Disaster of 1904: A Case Study of the Nature of Mine Accidents and Attitudes Toward Them. Speech. First Annual Conference of the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania: The Last 100 Years. Luzerne County Community College. 1989.
  •  Dupont Powder Mills at Wapwallopen. Speech. Third Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County Community College. 1991.
  • Jenkins, Steuben and Jonathan K. Peck. Old Forty Fort Church. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Wilkes-Barre Record. 1888.
  • Jones, Benjamin. "The Settlement of the Pennsylvania-Connecticut Territorial Dispute." Unpublished manuscript. Luzerne County Historical Society Call #974.8 J77s.
  • Joyce, Mary Hinchcliffe. Pioneer Days in the Wyoming Valley. University of Minnesota. 1928.
  • Kashatus, William. Dapper Dan Flood: The Controversial Life of a Congressional Power Broker. The Pennsylvania State University Press: University Park. 2010.
  • Keating, Joseph. Anthracite Tears: Youth Mining Fatalities in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Ages 7 - 18, 1870 - 1920. U.S.: Laura Keating. 2008.
  • Kent, Barry C. Susquehanna's Indians. Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commision. 2001.
  • Kozemchak, James. A Portrait of Agnes. Dallas, Pa.: self-published. n.d.
  • Levin, Marjorie. Editor. The Jews of Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes-Barre, PA: Jewish Community Center of Wyoming Valley. 1999.
  • Lottick, Sally Teller. Bridging Change A Wyoming Valley Sketchbook. Wilkes-Barre, PA: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1992.
  • Luzerne County History of the People and Culture. Massachusetts: Strategic Publications. 1994.
  • Merrifield, Edward. Luke Swetland's Captivity. Scranton, Pa. 1915.
  • Miller, Donald L. and Richard E. Sharpless. Kingdom of Coal. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1985.
  • Miner, Charles. History of Wyoming. Philadelphia: J.Crissy, No.4 Minor Street. 1845.
  • Moss, Edmund. African Americans in the Wyoming Valley 1178-1990. Wilkes-Barre, PA: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1992.
  • Moyer, Paul B. Wild Yankees. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 2007.
  • Mussari, Anthony. Appointment with Disaster: the Swelling of the Flood. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: Northeast Pulbishers. 1974.
  • Myers, Wilbur and Edward Hanlon. Historical Album of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1729 - 1976. Wilkes-Barre, PA: Lewellyn and McKane, Inc., 1976.
  • Orlandini, John. Ancient Native Americans of the Wyoming Valley, Shavertown, PA: Orlandini. 2008.
  • Palladino, Grace. Another Civil War. New York: Fordham University Press. 2006.
  • Patience, Alice Patterson. Bittersweet Memories of Home. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Wilkes University. 2001.
  • Pennsylvania's Back Mountain. Charleston, SC.: Arcadia Press. 2009.
  • Petrillo, F. Charles. Anthracite and Slackwater: The North Branch Canal 1828-1901. Easton: Center for Canal History and Technology. 1986
  • Petrillo, F. Charles. Ghost Towns of North Mountain: Ricketts, Mountain Springs, and Stull. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1991.
  •  Ghost Towns of North Mountain. Speech. First Annual Conference of the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania: The Last 100 Years. Luzerne County Community College. 1989.
  •  Steamboats on the Susquehanna. Wilkes-Barre, PA: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1993.
  • Poliniak, Louis. When Coal Was King Mining Pennsylvania's Anthracite in Picture and Story. Lebanon, Pa.: Applied Arts Publishers. 1970.
  • Powell, H. Benjamin. Philadelphia's First Fuel Crisis. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press. 1978.
  • Proceedings and Collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. Vols. II (1910), 19 (1926), and 21 (1940). Wilkes-Barre: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society (now the Luzerne County Historical Society).
  • Profile 91 A Proud Legacy Triumphs Through The Years. Editor Allison Walzer. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Times Leader Publishing.1991.
  • Profile 92 Fifty Who Mattered. Editor Allison Walzer. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Times Leader Publishing. 1992.
  • Richards, John Stuart. Early Coal Mining in the Anthracite Region. Charleston, SC.: Arcadia Press. 2002.
  • Roberts, Ellis. The Breaker Whistle Blows. Scranton, Pa.: Anthracite Museum Press. 1984.
  • Sipe, C. Hale. The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania. Lewisburg, Pa.: Wennawoods Publishing. 1998.
  • Smiles, Jack. Bucky Harris. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Co. 2011.
  • Smith, Ira F. III. "The Parker Site: A Manifestation of the Wyoming Valley Culture." Pennsylvania Archaeologist. (1973).
  • Spear, Sheldon. "The Best and Worst of Times: Wyoming Valley at the Turn of the Century (1894-1906)." Eleventh Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County Community College. 1999.
  •  Chapters in Wyoming Valley History. Shavertown, Pa.: Jemags & Co. 1989.
  •  The Wyoming Valley During The Great Depression. First Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County community College. 1989.
  •  Wyoming Valley History Revisited. Shavertown, Pa.: Jemags & Co. 1984.
  • Stretanski, Matthew. Independent study: "A Flourish of the People, A History of Slovak Immigrants in the Anthracite Mine Fields". Unpublished manuscript.
  • Stretavsky, Michael, P. The Sturdy Miners: A History of the First Slovaks in the Hard Coal Regions. Edited by Matthew Stretanski. n.p. 1994.
  • The Old Forty-Fort Church. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: Press of the Wilkes-Barre Record. 1888.
  • The Susquehannah Company Papers, edited by Julian P. Boyd. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 1930.
  • The Wyoming Valley. Edited by J. A. Clark. Scranton, Pa.: J. A. Clark. 1875.
  • The Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys Pennsylvania Genealogical and Family History. Editor Horace Edwin Hayden. Vol.1 and 2. New York: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1906.
  • The Wyoming Valley, Upper Waters of the Susquehanna and the Lackawanna Coal-Region. Editor J.A. Clark. Scranton: J. A. Clark. 1875.
  • This is Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: League of Women Voters. 1953.
  • Wallace, Paul A. W. Historic Indian Paths of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 1998.
  • Warnagiris, Paul A. and John J. Rygiel. The Great Flood of 1972. Wyoming, Pa. Observer-Rygiel Publishing Co. 1973.
  • Wick, Harrison. Luzerne County. Charleston, SC.: Arcadia Press. 2011.
  • Williamson, James. Joe Palooka: Local Boy/National Hero. Speech. Third Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County Community College. 1991.
  • Williamson, James R. and Linda A. Fossler. The Susquehanna Frontier: Northeastern Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary Years. Wilkes-Barre: Wilkes University Press. 1997.
  • Wolensky, Robert. Better Than Ever! The Flood Recovery Task Force and the 1972 Agnes Disaster. St. Paul, MN: Foundation Press. 1993.
  •  Sewn in Coal Country. University Park: The Pennsylvania University Press. 2020.
  •  The Growth and Decline of the Women's Garment Industry and the ILGWU in Pennsylvania's Northern Anthracite Region - 1930 to the Present. Speech. Eleventh Annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nanticoke: Luzerne County Community College. 1999.
  •  and Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. The Knox Mine Disaster. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 1999.
  •  and Joseph M. Keating. Tragedy at Avondale. Easton: Canal History and Technology Press. 2008
  • Wyoming Historical and Geological Society and the Wilkes-University Press. 1992.
  • and Zbiek, Paul, and Eric Levin, and Marjorie Levin. The Jews of Wilkes Barre: 150 Years 1845 to 1995 in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barré, Pa. 1999.
  • Wyoming Valley Proud People, Proud History. Editor Tom Mooney. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Times Leader. 2000.
  • Zbiek, Paul J. "Development Of Scholastic Football in The Wyoming Valley" First Annual Conference History of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lucerne County Community College 1989.
  •  The Importance of High School Sports in Northeastern Pennsylvania, speech. First Annual Conference of the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania: The Last 100 Years. Luzerne County Community College. 1989.
  •  Luzerne County History of the People and the Culture: Charlestown, MA: Strategic Publications. 1994.
  •  and Eric Levin, and Marjorie Levin. The Jews of Wilkes-Barre: 150 years 1845 to 1995 in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 1999.

  • Best, William, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2008 - 2017.
  • Brooks, Anthony, interview with Clark Switzer, November 12, 2012.
  • Dunnigan, Bryan, interview with Clark Switzer, June, 2014.
  • Dziak, John, discussions with Clark Switzer, 2005 - 2017.
  • Dziak, Mark, interview with Clark Switzer, 2008.
  • Hastie, William, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2008-16.
  • Kashatus, William, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2002 - 2016
  •  "One-Armed Wonder Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream." North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. 1995.
  •  Past, Present, Personal: A Guide for Doing Local History in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Nanticoke, Pa: Trescanis Company. 2004.
  •  Valley With A Heart. Luzerne County, PA: Luzerne County Historical Society and Luzerne County Community College. 2012.
  • Kulesa, Chester, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2006
  • Mischak, Robert, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2001-2017.
  • Moran, John, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2006-2017.
  • Smith, Barbara, discussions with Clark Switzer, 2014.
  • Stella, Joseph, discussion with Clark Switzer, May, 2005.
  • Supey, Thomas, interviews with Clark Switzer, 2015-2016
  • Wolensky, Robert, interview with Clark Switzer, May, 2013.

  • Bell, June D. "Building on Prosperity." Profile 91. Times Leader (Wilkes-Barré, PA), April 27, 1991.
  • Binkley, Christina. "Coal Paved the Road to Riches." Profile 91. Times Leader(Wilkes-Barré, PA), April 27, 1991.
  • Churcher, Kalen. "1889 BLAST CUT SHORT 12 LIVES". Times Leader (Wilkes-Barré, PA), December 23, 2001.
  • Citizen Voice articles on people, places and moments in time by William C. Kashatus
  • Kashatus, William. "Charter Contention: Wyoming Valley once claimed byPennsylvania and Connecticut." Citizens Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA). March 8, 2015.
  • "Mail bomb spree by disgruntled coal miner marks 75th Anniversary." Citizens Voice (Wilkes-Barré, PA) 10 April 2011.
  • "Murder on W-B Mountain." Citizens Voice (Wilkes-Barré, PA) 16 Nov 2014: Section C.
  • "Pottsville Maroons." Citizens Voice (Wilkes-Barré, Pa.) 02 Nov 2014.
  • Keller, Travis. "Lives Cut Short." Times Leader (Wilkes-Barré, PA) 12 February 2014.
  • Kerstetter, James. "Sword helped rejuvenate Valley economy." 50 Who Mattered. Times Leader. (Wilkes-Barré, PA), April 25, 1992.
  • Pittston Gazette and other newspapers archived at Osterhout Library and Luzerne County Historical Society
  • Profile '91. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.: Times Leader. 1991.
  • Profile '92 50 Who Mattered. Wilkes-Barré, Pa.; Times Leader. April 27, 1991.
  • O'Boyle, Bill. "Nanticoke native remembered as baseball superstar". Times Leader (Wilkes-Barré Pa), July 19, 2014. timesleader.com online
  • Sembrat, Steve. "Rock drilling, 'scientific shin kicking' among games people played" Times Leader. (Wilkes-Barré, PA), November 11, 2011.
  • Skrapits, Elizabeth. "The Best of the Worst." Citizens Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa), Dec. 11, 2014.
  • "Scientific Shin Kicking." New York Times. query.nytimes.com. January 13, 1883.
  • "The Pottsville Maroons." WNEP.com. Nov. 13, 2014.
  • "The Works Progress Administration." PBS. n.d. n.p. Web.
  • Williams, John. "Canadian Sunset Hugo Winterhalter." YouTube. 8 September 2013.

A companion digital presentation to the online book is a DVD entitled Scratching the Surface A look at 300 years of Wyoming Valley History 1675 - 1975.

It is designed for use by teachers in the classroom as each chapter is approximately 20 minutes long. Questions for each chapter are included under the Teacher Menu. Topics and ideas can be found under that heading as well. Resources are listed on its on tab.

A DVD copy is available to borrow from many local libraries in the valley. The video is also able to be viewed on this website in the YouTube page, under the Scratching the Surface section.

 

People, Places, & Moments In Time

Spread throughout our valley are places where significant events took place. We have listed a few here for you to explore.

There are 64 historical markers in Luzerne County as well as 38 places registered on the National Registry of Historic Places.