Miners pushing a cart in a dark mine shaft - mining history sites

Self-guided · metro area, Pennsylvania

Mining History Sites in Scranton, PA

Mines, smelters, quarries, kilns and company towns, the places where the ground was worked and the towns grew up around it.

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Photo: The New York Public Library on Unsplash

History books cover the big events in a chapter each. The places those events touched are scattered across counties like this one. The Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area has about 574,418 residents, ranking 103rd in the country.

A miner wearing a headlamp and dirty overalls - mining history sites — Photo: The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Man holding basin - mining history sites — Photo: Matt Seymour on Unsplash

A person views a tunnel entrance in the woods - mining history sites — Photo: Alice on Unsplash

On the record near Scranton, PA

The 12 nearest

13 listed sites on the record match mining history sites within 120 miles of Scranton, PA, out of 65 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnaceunder a mile from the center of Scranton · Structure · Scranton · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Furnace Covered Bridge No. 1154 miles from the center of Scranton · Structure · Esther · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Oxford Furnace54 miles from the center of Scranton · Site · Oxford · listed 1977National Register of Historic Places
Durham Mill and Furnace62 miles from the center of Scranton · Building · Durham · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places
Mary Ann Furnace Historic District64 miles from the center of Scranton · District · Longswamp · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Sally Ann Furnace Complex65 miles from the center of Scranton · Building · Topton · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places
Southfield Furnace Ruin77 miles from the center of Scranton · Site · Monroe · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Furnace Hills Tenant House84 miles from the center of Scranton · Building · West Cocalico Township · listed 2005National Register of Historic Places
Isabella Furnace90 miles from the center of Scranton · District · Brandywine Manor · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Farrandsville Iron Furnace97 miles from the center of Scranton · Structure · Farrandsville · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Slate Quarry Road Dutch Barn99 miles from the center of Scranton · Building · Rhinebeck · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Codorus Forge and Furnace Historic District107 miles from the center of Scranton · District · Saginaw · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Scranton, PA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Mining History in Scranton, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Scranton, PA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Scranton, PA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Scranton, PA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Scranton

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Scranton, PA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Scranton, PA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.