WILKES-BARRE AT A GLANCE....1938


The following information is posted for the sole purpose of family research within the 
Yahoo Group, The Court House Gang. It is not to be published to any other web site, 
mailing list, group, etc. without prior written permission and guidelines from the group 
owner, to ensure that proper credit is given to the group and all of our volunteers that 
helped with this project.

                          
Airport	........................Wilkes-Barre Valley Airport, Forty Fort.  Regular stop on New York to Chicago 
route of American Airlines.  Landing surface covers 146.5 acres.  Modern hangar.  Flying school.  Four hard-
surfaced  runways totaling 11,270 feet, longest being 3,540 feet.

Altitude........................543,541 feet above sea level at Public Square.

Area............................7.27 square miles.  County area, 892 square miles.  Wyoming Valley embraces 
area of 115 square miles.

Assessed Valuation......$88,200,000 in 1938.

Bank Statistics..............Six banks under Wilkes-Barre Clearing House, one in Parsons.  Bank clearings as 
of November 30, 1938, $43,977,172.68.

Bonded Indebtedness...$2,755,000, as of January 1, 1939.

Churches......................31 Catholic; 63 Protestant.  Synagogs 7.

Department Stores........Twenty-two in Greater Wilkes-Barre.

Fire Department............Completely motorized and under Civil Service.  Two-platoon system with 118 officers 
and men.

Golf Courses.................Four clubs within 10 miles, one with 27-hole course, two with 18 holes, and one 
with nine.

History..........................Settled in 1769 by colonists from New England under leadership of Major John 
Durkee and named after John Wilkes and Col. Isaac Barre, defenders of American colonies in British Parliament. 
Incorporated as borough, March 17, 1806; as city, May 4, 1871, and third-class city charter issued September 
22, 1898.  Adopted commission form of government, December 1, 1913 Miners Mills and Parsons Boroughs annexed 
January 3, 1927, by court decree, after election in November, 1926.

Hospitals.......................Four in Wilkes-Barre, one each in Kingston, Nanticoke, and Pittston, all fully 
equipped.

Industries.......................Anthracite mining, silk throwing, iron works, locomotives, textile mills, 
silk weaving, wire rope, cigars and tobacco.  Second largest silk center in country.

Libraries........................One central (Osterhout) and four branches, South, North, Midvale and 
Georgetown, with a total of 95,387 volumes.  Libraries in Kingston, Plymouth, Nanticoke, Wyoming, West 
Pittston, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.

Location.........................Longitude east from Washington, 1 degree, 10 minutes, 4.6 seconds; latitude, 
41 degrees, 14 minutes, 40.4 seconds.  Situated on East bank of Susquehanna River in eastern-central part of
Pennsylvania, 18.3 miles Southwest of Scranton, approximately 90 miles airline Northeast by North of 
Philadelphia, and 134.7 miles from New York City.

Newspapers...................Three daily, one Sunday, six others, with one daily paper each in Pittston and 
Nanticoke.

Police Department...........Under Civil Service, with 105 officers and men.  Equipped with radio and cruiser 
car.

Population.......................86,626, 1930 census.  Luzerne County, 445,109 in 1930

Recreation.......................Fifteen parks totaling 415.42 acres.  Thirty-three playgrounds and three 
swimming pools operated by Playground and Recreation Association.

Schools............................Twenty-seven public and three city high schools;  10 parochial schools; two 
private, and Bucknell Junior College.  Wyoming Seminary in Kingston.

Social Service...................Thirty-two agencies in Community Welfare Federation.

Street Mileage...................Ninety-nine streets paved, totaling 72 miles; streets unpaved totaling 42 
miles; sewers, 157 miles.

Telephone.........................Wilkes-Barre exchange, 18,309; Kingston exchange, 7,212.

Transportation...................Six steam railroads in Wyoming Valley; one electric r freight and passenger; 
two interstate bus services; 100 miles of city and suburban street car lines serving 350,000 people; two bus
companies operating in Greater Wilkes-Barre, covering 79 miles, a third to Hazelton.

Water Supply....................Twelve billion gallons of soft water from clear mountain lakes.

Typed by Janie Symons,  May 2004
                     
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WILKES-BARRE IN 1938

The following information is posted for the sole purpose of family research within the 
Yahoo Group, The Court House Gang. It is not to be published to any other web site, 
mailing list, group, etc. without prior written permission and guidelines from the group 
owner, to ensure that proper credit is given to the group and all of our volunteers that 
helped with this project.

     In the budget ordinance for 1938 passed on the first reading by Wilkes-Barre City Council December 28th, 
1937, the 1937 tax levy of 13 mills was retained for 1938, and a budget adopted providing for estimated 
expenditures of $1,530,912, this being approximately $46,000 greater than in 1937.

     A large part of this increased budget estimate was to meet the cost of 14 additional men in the City Fire 
Department, the appointment of these men having been approved on December 8, 1937, to comply with the new 
State law, which shortened the working hours of firemen and necessitated a larger personnel.  It was estimated 
the additional 14 men would mean an increased expenditure of at least $27,000 annually by the city. 

     In a statement made to his colleagues at the City Hall on City finances on Septemebr 14, Councilman Tom A. 
Evans, director of accounts and finances, estimated that the city will face a deficit of $177,000 for the year 
1938, making a total indebtedness of $377,000 when added to the $200,000 borrowed on short-term notes for 1937 
and the early months of 1938.

     Mr. Evans reported that the $220,000 in loans outstanding in 1937 only $120,000 was provided for their 
payment when the budget was made, and that another $100,000 was carried over from the previous year.  Early 
expectations that the city would be able to liquidate these accounts out of about $900,000 which the city 
expected to collect when Luzerne County Commissioners paid for the Retreat Hospital buildings taken over under 
the Goodrich Act on January 1 had not been realized, Mr. Evans reported.

     City Council meetings to discuss and adopt a budget for 1939 were to be held after the day of going to 
press with this Almanac.

     State and Federal approval of Wilkes-Barre City Council's request for an $87,000 project to regrade and 
beautify the River Common after completion of the flood control dike was announced to the Council by WPA 
Administrator Harry J. Williams on June 9.  The city's share of the project was estimated at $25,834.  
Estimated time of the project, to be done under the supervision of City Engineer Walter P. Johns and his 
asistant, was eight months.  Work consists of beautifying the side of the dike facing River Street, raising 
the grade of the Common to the level of the edge of the path along River Street, installing terraces, shrubs 
and grass, employing 110 men for eight months.  Estimates called for two tons of grass seed, 26,080 cubic 
yards of fill; 430,000 square feet of fine grading material and 300,000 square feet of seeding.

     The 1938 Community Welfare Federation Campaign was completed in November under the leadership of
Edward B. Mulligan, Jr., campaign chairman, and John C. Haddock, president of the Federation.  The goal was 
$360,000 and according to figures announced on December 10 by Seward C. Simmons, executive director, pledges 
had been secured totaling $315,000.  It was expected that the campaign for additional pledges would be 
continued.

     Another important event of the year in Wilkes-Barre was the dedication of the $100,000 home for the 
Polish Union of North America on North Main Street, with Governor Earle and Bishop William J. Hafey of 
Scranton Diocese, Roman Catholic Church, participating.

     During the year, Bucknell Junior College formally accepted gifts of the John M. Conyngham and Fred Chase 
residences on South River Street and of a property belonging to F. J. Weckesser on West Northampton Street.  
Local citizens assumed responsibility for the college and held a drive which netted $27,000.

     Conventions held in the City and Valley during the year included Luzerne County Spanish War Veterans, 
Northeastern Pennsylvania Osteopaths, State Association of Township Commissioners, Regional Association of 
American Guild of Organists, Northern Anthracite Bankers, State Pharmaceutical Association, Primitive 
Methodist Church Conference, State Federation of Bible Classes.  Kingston was host to annual Wyoming 
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Six-County Firemen's Association.

     Some other events that occurred in the city of Wilkes-Barre during the year 1938 and December, 1937, are 
as follows: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on South Franklin Street celebrated its 120th anniversary with a 
dinner in December, 1937.

     The Young Men's Division of the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce was launched on January 14.
     
     For the second time in two years, The Wilkes-Barre Record won the award of the Pennsylvania Newspaper 
Publishers Association for "best production" meaning the best make-up and general typographical appearance of 
any newspaper of its circulation class in Pennsylvania.

     The city received a new 85-foot, $16,000 aerial ladder truck for the fire department.  The truck reached 
the city on March 14.

     On March 25, J. Andrew Boyd rsigned as asociate editor of The Record, ending 65 years' service and 
becoming editor emeritus; five days later, on March 30, Robert W. Johnson was elevated from the managing 
editorship to editor.

     On April 4 the Boston Store announced the purchase of a South Main Street building adjoining its other 
store properties for $141,000.

     The American Legion presented a Packard ambulance to the city on June 1.

     On June 3, the city opened 34 playgrounds for the 1938 summer season.

     S.S.Peters' and Paul's Ukrainian Catholic Church, city, announced on July 25 plans for a new school 
building to cost $17,000.

     Wilkes-Barre City School Directors on October 30 accepted a $171,818 PWA grant for a new East End school.

Typed by Janie Symons,  May 2004                  

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LUZERNE COUNTY IN 1938

The following information is posted for the sole purpose of family research within the 
Yahoo Group, The Court House Gang. It is not to be published to any other web site, 
mailing list, group, etc. without prior written permission and guidelines from the group 
owner, to ensure that proper credit is given to the group and all of our volunteers that 
helped with this project.

The Goodrich Bill, passed in 1937 by the State Legislature, abolished poor boards and in their place created 
a Department of Public Assistance run by the State Government.  This provided that all home relief, care of 
the insane and physically infirm persons and dependent children would come under a new board governing Luzerne 
County Institutional District, under the County Commissioners.  Under an act of September 29, 1938, the 
institution at Retreat for mental diseases was taken over by the State Department of Health, without 
compensation to the County.  Under an act passed October 11, 1938, the task of caring for mentally deficient 
persons was taken from Luzerne County Institutional District and placed with the State Department of Welfare.  
This latter duty does not take effect until June 1, 1939.

The Luzerne County Institutional District Board selected Robert W. Bowen, superintendent of  Ransom Hospital, 
as administrative director and named the Luzerne County members of the Ransom Poor Board, Middle Coal Field 
Poor Board and Central Poor District as administrative agents.

An improvement long awaited by Luzerne County residents, the new Luzerne by-pass, got under way during the 
Fall of 1938.  The new road, which will eliminate the bottle-neck at Luzerne on the road to Harvey's Lake, is 
being built by Yeo Construction Company of Chestnut Hill.  It was necessary to purchase part of the Traction 
Company's right-of-way along Toby's Creek as site for the new road.  When the road is finished, sometime 
during 1939, streetcars to Luzerne and Dallas will be replaced by busses.  Main and Bennett Streets, Luzerne, 
will be paved after the streetcar tracks are removed.

Work progressed steadily on Wyoming Valley's flood control system.  The million-dollar Toby's Creek pressure 
tunnel, running through portions of Pringle, Kingston and Edwardsville into the Susquehanna River below the 
Woodward Colliery, was more than half completed.  A dispute between Edwardsville Borough and the United States 
Army Engineers over the Engineers' plan to leave Toby's Creek uncovered through Edwardsville held up work for 
some time.  The problem was finally solved by acceptance of a plan to run a 72-inch pipe with 42-inch sewers 
along the creek bed, to be enclosed in a 96-inch pipe.  The creek bed is then to be filled in.  Earthen dikes 
were erected on the River Commons in Wilkes-Barre and, in the latter part of the year, work was started on 
grading these dikes and the River Commons.  Large portions of the dikes along the river were riprapped with 
stone during the year.  Portion of the Kingston-Plymouth Narrows Road was raised over the dike in that section.

Work of elevating Pierce Street, Kingston, over the dike had not started when the Almanac went to press.

On September 29, 1938, President Judge William S. McLean, Jr., who had been in ill health for some time, 
announced that he had sent his resignation as judge in Luzerne County Courts to Governor Earle.  Judge 
McLean's post as president judge was filled by Judge Benjamin R. Jones, next oldest jurist in point of service.  
The vacancy on the bench was filled on December 1 when the Governor announced the appointment of Attorney 
Michael F. McDonald, Sr., of Hanover Township as judge.

Judge McLean died on November 17 at his North Mountain home and a few days later an impressive military 
funeral was attended by scores of military and legal figures from all parts of the State.  His post of 
Brigadier General in command of 53rd Field Artillery Brigade had not been filled when the Almanac went to 
press.

Building operations in the County during the year included a new grade school building at Trucksville to 
replace two buildings destroyed in a $50,000 fire in December, 1937.  Construction of the new building was 
started in October, 1938.  Pittston City Council had completed arrangements for a new City Hall when the 
Almanac went to press.  It will cost about $100,000.  
Kingston's new Post Office, on Wyoming Avenue, costing about $75,000 was started.  Wyoming Seminary did 
extensive remodeling and repair work to its buildings. 

Important among welfare movements in the Valley were the arrangements to make use of the Martha Bennet Estate.  
This fund, which now totals about $800,000, was left early in this century to be used for a home for children.  
Rather than have another Children's Home in addition to the Home for Friendless Children, the trustees of the 
estate evolved a plan to use the funds for the purpose stated in Miss Bennet's will and still have only one 
Children's Home in Wilkes-Barre.  The Children's Service Center of Wyoming Valley was incorporated, and 
Gilbert S. McClintock was elected president, with Conrad Van Hyning as executive director.  The work of the 
present Home for Friendless Children and Child Welfare Division of United Charities have been consolidated 
with the Service Center.  Two modern cottages, costing $72,000, are being built in rear of Home for Friendless 
Children and plans call for razing of the original Home, built in 1862, to make room for more cottages.  The 
school building will be remodeled into offices for the Child Placing Division and Child Guidance Clinic.

During the year a fresh-air camp for 40 children was established for Georgetown Settlement on 200 acres at 
Meadow Run Lake, near Bear Creek, as a gift of Mrs. Sidney S. Warner in memory of her mother, Mrs. Daniel C. 
Roberts.

By decision of Judge W. A. Valentine of Luzerne County Common Pleas Court, handed down on December 1, 1938, a 
decision corroborated the same day by Judge Gardner of Allegheny in a similar care, the Fair Sales Act adopted 
by the Legislature on July 1, 1937, was ruled out as unconstitutional.  In the care of Commonwealth versus M. 
L. Hodin of Giant Markets, Judge Valentine sustained the Hodin demurrer.  He ruled in conformance with 
decisions quoted from Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Associate Justice Sutherland of United States 
Supreme Court; also from rulings in three cases in Pennsylvania Supreme Court, all of them dealing with 
legislation that would prohibit advertising of goods sold at retail at less than cost. 

The Fair Sales Act, said Judge Valentine, violated Sections One and Nine of Article One of Pennsylvania's 
Constitution, and also violated Section One of Article XIV of the United States Constitution, amounting to an 
illegal exercise of the State's police power and an illegal restriction of individual right to possession and 
disposition of property. 

Typed by Janice Walker,  May 2004