Honesdale in Wayne County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Lackawaxen River

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 17, 2020

1. Lackawaxen River Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

The Lackawaxen River is a 31.3-mile-long tributary of the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Lackawaxen is a Native American name. In Lenape it means "swift waters." The Lenape inhabited eastern PA, New Jersey, Delaware, and southern New York at the time Europeans arrived. The river has served as an ever-changing economic engine for the area, from logging and coal to fishing and recreation.

Gravity Railroad
The gravity railroad was built in the 1820s by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company in order to haul coal over the mountains from Lackawanna County to Wayne County. The coal was then loaded onto boats in Honesdale and traveled down the D&H canal which paralleled the Lackawaxen River.

Floods and Dams
Several times during the 1900s major floods swept the length of the Lackawaxen River. During a flood in 1942, 24 residents died, over 1,200 homes were damaged, and six bridges were destroyed. In 1961 the Jadwin and Prompton dams were built north and west of Honesdale to prevent further catastrophic losses.

[Top main photo caption reads]
Bridge over the Lackawaxen River

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in Seelyville with views of the Stick Factory and R&S Factory circa 1890

[Lower left photo caption reads]
Prompton State Park offers a 290-acre lake formed by the dam and 26 miles of hiking trails

[Back side of marker]

Riparian Zones
[Nature information, not transcribed]

Erected by Wayne & Pike Trails & Waterways Alliance, Rotary, Wayne County, Wayne County Historical Society, and Others.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Native Americans • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 41° 34.656′ N, 75° 15.346′ W. Marker is in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, in Wayne County. Marker is at the intersection of Park Street and Dyberry Place, on the right when traveling east on Park Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Honesdale PA 18431, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Tallman Bridge (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Baptist Church (about 400 feet away); Snubbing Post (about 600 feet away); The Stourbridge Lion (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Lackawaxen River (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Stourbridge Lion

Riparian Zones [back side of Lackawaxen River Marker] image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 17, 2020

2. Riparian Zones [back side of Lackawaxen River Marker]

(about 700 feet away); Heroes of 1776-Residents of Wayne County (approx. 0.2 miles away); 1829 Stourbridge Lion (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Honesdale.

Also see . . .
1. Lackawaxen River at Wikipedia. (Submitted on July 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Prompton State Park PA. (Submitted on July 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 17, 2020

3. Lackawaxen River Marker

The river is to the left of the marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.