1960 Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac Luzerne County in 1959 _______________________________________ Employment in the mines in Luzerne County sank to a new low when several thousand men lost their jobs through the closing of operations following the Knox Mine disaster on January 22. At year’s end about 6,600 men were employed in the mines, a drop of about 1,750 from 1958. Competitive fuels, natural gas and oil continued to hit the anthracite industry. Despite closing of the mines, employment conditions in other industries improved and at year’s end there were approximately 118,800 employed as compared with 115,500 a year before. Approximately 18,800 men and women in Wilkes-Barre labor market were unemployed at the end of the year as compared with 21,500 at the start. Efforts of Greater Wilkes-Bare Industrial Development Fund to attract new industries to Wyoming Valley continued to bear fruit. Radio Corporation of American started construction of a $2,000,000 electronics plant at Crestwood Industrial Park in late summer with a potential employment of 3,000 persons within two years. Eberhard Faber Pencil Company neared completion of a $250,000 addition to its plant to finish ballpoint pens and process certain rubber products. Sea Isle Sportswear Company of New York City completed its $350,000 plant on Simpson Street with an employment potential of 200. Kanarr Corporation acquired its eighth plant – former Biscontini warehouse in Kingston – and provided 200 additional men with work. Prestige Shoe Corporation acquired former W. H. Nicholson Plant on North Pennsylvania Avenue and increased employment by 265. Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund began construction of a $162,000 shell building at Crestwood for potential clients but the steel strike stopped construction temporarily. Luzerne County Commissioners adopted an operating budget of $4,001,490, a decrease of 575,932 compared to the 1958 figure. Tax levy of 9.2 mills remained unchanged but the assessed valuation of property dropped to $25,458,685, about $5,000,000 less than in 1958. Budget provided for payment of a $300 salary increase to each of the county’s estimated 530 workers along lines suggested by Pennsylvania Economy League at an added cost of more than $159,000. The 1959 Institution District budget called for expending $1,150,695, with tax of 2.5 mills unchanged. Construction of the $4,500,000 home for indigents with 300 beds on an 80-acre plot near Veterans Hospital was about 75 per cent completed at the year’s end. Commissioners discharged Peter D. Clark and George Chisnell from the Board for Assessment and Revision of Taxes early in the year and later named Arthur t. Thomas and George Gwilliam, St., to the vacancies. New $2,315,000 terminal building at Wilkes-Barre – Scranton Airport was officially dedicated on October 17 with thousands of persons viewing the new facilities. Two reserve armories, constructed at a cost of $500,000 by the Federal government, were dedicated at Forty Fort Airport. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center was dedicated in May and U.S. Air Force Reserve Center in June. State Highways Department kept expenditures for new local highway improvements at a minimum. Pittston Bypass, built at a cost of $684,928 was opened September 2. Reconstructed Route 115 between Pikes Creek and Columbia County-Luzerne County line at a cost of $1,109,762, was opened October 10. State Highways Department awarded a $76,000 contract to an engineering firm to draw plans for reconstructing winding section of Harveys Lake road. Construction of Anthracite Expressway and Keystone Shortway in this area was delayed another year because of lack of federal funds. Lehigh Valley Railroad abandoned all but one of its local passenger trains in May. The railroad asked to abandon service in January but it was delayed pending ICC hearing. State took over the $13,700,000 State Correctional Institution at Dallas September 1. General State Authority allocated $7,235,000 for construction of White Haven State School for Mentally Retarded Children and was about to award contracts for construction at year’s end. After a nine-day extension, United Fund Drive in Wyoming Valley netted $1,188,667, or 93 per cent of the goal. _______________________________________ Transcribed by Joanne Case, January 26, 2009