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

Lackawaxen River

 
 
Lackawaxen River Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 29, 2020
1. Lackawaxen River Marker
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 Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and southern New York at the time Europeans arrived.

The Lackawaxen River was a major economic influence in the 1800s. Early settlers cut down trees and established communities along its banks. When its water level was high enough, logs were floated downriver to sawmills and to cities and markets beyond. Grist mills and woolen mills were also built and employed local residents. Later, engineers who designed the Delaware and Hudson Canal took advantage of the Lackawaxen's gradual elevation changes by building the canal's entire length in Pennsylvania along its riverbanks.

Floods
In 1936, 1942, and 1955, major flooding occurred over the entire length of the Lackawaxen River. During the 1942 flood, six Honesdale bridges were swept away, 24 Wayne County residents died, and over 1,200 homes were damaged. This photo [last photo caption below] was taken from Irving Cliff in Honesdale during the 1936 flood.

In 1961, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the General Jadwin and Prompton dams north and west of Honesdale to prevent further catastrophic losses from floods.

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These dams were thanks primarily to General Lyman L. Lemnitzer, a four-star general who had been born and raised in Honesdale.

Photo captions, clockwise from top right, read
• Park Lake was the scene of ice skating each winter until the flood of 1942.

• Pennsylvania State Armory was built in 1911. In 1986, it became the home of the Wayne County YMCA.

• Lackawaxen River Watershed

• In 1883, John Alden Wood began constructing a summer hotel on the summit of Irving Cliff. The four-story, castellated-style building included elevator service. All 125 bedrooms had private bathrooms. Construction was completed in 1885. The Irving Cliff Hotel was scheduled to open on June 22, 1889, but it burned to the ground the evening of May 28, 1889. The cause of the fire was never determined.

• The 1936 flood caused severe damage in the entire Lackawaxen River corridor.
 
Erected by Rotary, Wayne & Pike Trails & Waterways Alliance, Wayne County Historical Society, Wayne County, and the Wayne Conservation District.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: DisastersIndustry & CommerceSettlements & SettlersWaterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.
 
Location. 41° 34.604′ N, 75° 15.466′ W. Marker is

Lackawaxen River and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 29, 2020
2. Lackawaxen River and Marker
Irving Cliff in distant background
in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, in Wayne County. Marker is on Main Street (U.S. 6) south of Park Street, on the left when traveling south. Marker is on the bridge over the Lackawaxen River. 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 Stourbridge Lion (within shouting distance of this marker); Snubbing Post (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Stourbridge Lion (within shouting distance of this marker); Heroes of 1776-Residents of Wayne County (within shouting distance of this marker); 1829 Stourbridge Lion (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tallman Bridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Baptist Church (about 300 feet away); Wayne County World War I Memorial (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Honesdale.
 
Also see . . .
1. Lackawaxen River Conservancy. (Submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Loving the Lackwaxen: Tribute to a tributary (River Reporter, 2018). (Submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Natural Atlas: Lackawaxen River. (Submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. Explore the Lackawaxen. (Submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Lackawaxen River from Irving Cliff image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 7, 2018
3. Lackawaxen River from Irving Cliff
Marker is on second bridge over the river
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 29, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.   3. submitted on December 31, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 29, 2024