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.
Scranton - The Electric City. .
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 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
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 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
Click or scan to see this page online
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
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 Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, 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.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 19, 2017
3. The Electric Building and Scranton - The Electric City Sign
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 1,506 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 20, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
