Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
| Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania | |
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The Susquehanna County courthouse in Montrose
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 Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | October 13, 1812 |
| Named for | Susquehanna River |
| Seat | Montrose |
| Largest borough | Forest City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 832 sq mi (2,155 km2) |
| • Land | 823 sq mi (2,132 km2) |
| • Water | 8.7 sq mi (23 km2), 1.0% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 41,666 |
| • Density | 51/sq mi (20/km²) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Susquehanna County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,356. Its county seat is Montrose. The county was created on February 21, 1810, from part of Luzerne County and later organized in 1812. It is named for the Susquehanna River.
The first settlers began to move into the area from Philadelphia and Connecticut in the mid 1700s. At the time, the area was part of Luzerne County. As more and more people from Connecticut moved in, there began to be some conflict. Under Connecticut's land grant, they owned everything from present day Connecticut to the Pacific Ocean. This meant their land grant overlapped with Pennsylvania's land grant. Soon fighting began. In the end, the Connecticut government was asked to surrender their claim on the area, which they did.
In 1810, Susquehanna County was formed out of Luzerne County and later in 1812, Montrose was made the county seat.
Susquehanna County was one of the main stops on the Underground Railroad. Although this is not completely backed up by fact, there are many pointers saying this is true. These pointers say Montrose was the main hub. Here slaves would take refuge in the homes of citizens.
After the Civil War, coal started to be mined. Following this, railways and roads were built into the county allowing for more people to come. At one point the county had nearly 50,000 people. Coal became, as with neighboring counties, the back bone of the economy. This boom in coal would allow for an age of prosperity in the county.
When the Great Depression hit, the coal industry suffered horribly. Within months the coal industry was struggling. During World War II the coal industry picked up again, but only for a short time. Soon after the economy in the county failed. Between the 1950s and 1990s many mines were closed, railways were torn apart, and the economy took a turn for the worse. Unemployment rose and population decline increased.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 832 square miles (2,150 km2), of which 823 square miles (2,130 km2) is land and 8.7 square miles (23 km2) (1.0%) is water.
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Wikipedia