Scranton in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Scranton - The Electric City

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 19, 2017

1. Scranton - The Electric City Marker

Inscription.

As early as 1910, there was an electric sign atop this building that could be seen after dark from many vantage points throughout the City of Scranton. In early photos it reads "Watch Scranton Grow". Later the message was changed to "Scranton - The Electric City" to celebrate the city's position as the first in the United States with a commercially viable electric street car line. The sign burned brightly for over six decades until it was extinguished in the early 1970's, a victim of the economic times. On December 9, 2004, the Electric City sign came to life once again, a symbol of a resurgent Scranton.

The restoration of the Electric City sign was made possible by a community-wide fund raising campaign. Through the generosity of these donors, the sign will continue to shine as an icon of our past and a beacon to our future.

Principal Sponsors • Donors
[Not transcribed]

—————————
[Marker on building window]

In 1896, a group of developers erected Scranton's first skyscraper just to the north of Courthouse Square. Looking to garner as much prestige as possible

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

for their new property, they offered the Board of Trade space for nominal rent of $36 per month - in exchange for the privilege of calling the structure the Board of Trade Building. The huge sign was not added until after 1923, when [the] Electric Company acquired the building. The sign has been changed several times over the years, but it remains the city's most prominent nocturnal landmark.

John Beck (1986)
Never Before in History
The Story of Scranton

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. A significant historical date for this entry is December 9, 2004.

Location. 41° 24.537′ N, 75° 39.712′ W. Marker is in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in Lackawanna County. It is on Linden Street east of Washington Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 507 Linden Street, Scranton PA 18503, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Wyoming Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally,

Scranton - The Electric City Marker (window) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 19, 2017

2. Scranton - The Electric City Marker (window)

it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: George Washington (within shouting distance of this marker); Courthouse Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Lackawanna County COVID 19 Memorial Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Route of the First Successful Electric Streetcar (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Route of the First Successful Electric Streetcar (about 300 feet away); General Casimir Pulaski (about 300 feet away); Vietnam War Memorial (about 300 feet away); In Memory And Commemoration (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Scranton.

Also see . . .
1. Scranton The Electric City Sign at YouTube. (Submitted on February 20, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Scranton: The Electric City and Its Coal Mining Heritage. Experience

The Electric Building and Scranton - The Electric City Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 19, 2017

3. The Electric Building and Scranton - The Electric City Sign

PA website entry (Submitted on November 23, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Scranton - The Electric City Sign on top of the Scranton Electric Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 19, 2017

4. Scranton - The Electric City Sign on top of the Scranton Electric Building

Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,530 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 20, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.