1891 Map of Scranton

About this map

The anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania centers on Scranton in the late nineteenth century, where a dense urban grid and industrial rail network define the Wyoming Valley. The landscape is dominated by the Lackawanna River and the corridors of competing rail lines, including the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad and the Erie and Wyoming Valley Railroad. These arteries connect burgeoning company towns and neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Dunmore, and Providence. To the east, the steep Moosic Mountains rise sharply, dotted with isolated landmarks such as Moosic Lake and Big Shiney Mt. The map captures the region at its industrial peak, showing the close-knit proximity of residential wards to the riverbanks and the heavy infrastructure required to move coal from the valley floor to distant markets.