Duryea, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Duryea, Pennsylvania
Borough
Aerial view of Duryea, looking southwest
Location of Duryea in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Duryea, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Duryea, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Region	Greater Pittston
Incorporated	1901
Government
• Type	Borough Council
Area
• Total	5.71 sq mi (14.80 km2)
• Land	5.53 sq mi (14.31 km2)
• Water	0.19 sq mi (0.49 km2)
Elevation	623 ft (190 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,036
• Density	911.49/sq mi (351.91/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code	18642
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code	42-20512

Duryea is a small town, called a borough, located in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It's about 9 miles south of Scranton. The Susquehanna River forms Duryea's western border. The Lackawanna River also flows right through the town.

Duryea became an official borough in 1901. It was once famous for its large train yard, called the Duryea yard. This yard connected the central Wyoming Valley to places in New York and other parts of Pennsylvania. In its early days, coal mining and making silk were the main jobs here. In 2020, about 5,032 people lived in Duryea.

History of Duryea

Early Native American History

The land where Duryea now stands was once home to the Susquehannock tribe. They were also known as the Conestoga people. Their territory stretched from southern New York State down to the Potomac River. By 1612, the Susquehannock became friends with Dutch traders. The Dutch traded tools and guns for animal furs.

The Dutch set up trading posts along rivers. These rivers were near old Native American trails. These trails connected the Susquehannock with the Delaware nation (Lenape people). The Susquehannock and Lenape sometimes fought over these lands.

In the 1630s, the Susquehannock and Lenape tribes went to war. Later, in 1642, the British Province of Maryland fought the Susquehannock. The Dutch sided with the Susquehannock during this war. A few years later, the English took over from the Dutch in North America.

The Susquehannock tribe grew stronger. But in the 1660s, they faced big challenges. A military conflict weakened two other tribes, the Seneca and Catagua. Then, around 1670, a terrible sickness hit the Susquehannock. Nine out of ten people died. After this, renewed wars with the Iroquois tribe kept them from getting strong again. The few remaining Susquehannock people moved to an area between Harrisburg and Philadelphia. There, they began to work with William Penn and the new Province of Pennsylvania.

How Duryea Was Established

The Lackawanna River in Duryea

On February 8, 1769, forty original settlers arrived from Connecticut. They built temporary homes near where the Lackawanna River and Susquehanna River meet. This area is now the southern part of Duryea. One of the first settlers was Zebulon Marcy. Marcy Township was named after him. In 1770, he built the first log cabin on the west side of what is now Duryea's Main Street.

As more people moved in, mining became important. The residents asked for their area to become a township. Marcy Township was formed in 1880 with 1,159 people. By 1894, the township had 2,396 people and 475 homes. By the 1890s, the area was known as Duryea.

Duryea's population kept growing. In 1901, it had 1,005 registered voters. The town asked to become a Pennsylvania borough. The Borough of Duryea was officially created on May 28, 1901. It was named after Hiram Duryea. He was a general in the American Civil War. He also owned a lot of land and was important in the starch industry. He was also a coal operator and an official for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. This railroad often named its stops after its officials, which is how Duryea got its name.

Coal Mining and Industry Changes

In the very early days, farming was the main job in Duryea. Settlers found good land for growing food. Soon after, coal mining became the biggest source of wealth for the area. Silk mills and stone quarries also provided jobs.

Three large coal mines, called collieries, once operated around Duryea. Like in other nearby towns, coal was often dug up right under the town itself. You can still see signs of old strip mines and piles of coal waste, called culm banks, today. After the Knox Mine Disaster in 1959, which happened close to Duryea, the coal mining industry in the Wyoming Valley almost disappeared.

After coal mining ended and the silk mill closed, Duryea tried to attract new businesses. Companies like Schott Optical (which makes glass) and Topps Bubble Gum opened medium-sized factories. However, these new jobs never fully replaced the many jobs and money that coal mining brought. The town's population started to shrink, and fewer students were in its schools. Because of this, the Pittston Area School District took over the town's schools. The remaining local schools eventually closed, with Duryea Elementary shutting down in 1981.

Duryea in the 21st Century

In late 2009 and early 2010, the Reading & Northern Railroad Company invested in the Duryea Yard. They added new tracks for 100 train cars. They also built a place to store up to 800 cars of sand. This sand is used for "fracking" (a way to get natural gas) at Marcellus Shale sites in northeastern Pennsylvania. There's also a sand quarry just north of the town.

In September 2011, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee caused serious flooding in Duryea. Many homes and businesses along the Lackawanna River were destroyed. After the floods, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Bob Casey visited the damaged areas.

Also in 2011, Duryea was part of an important Supreme Court case. It was called Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri. The court decided that if a government employer takes action against an employee, it's only a problem if the employee's complaint was about a public issue.

Geography of Duryea

Duryea Borough is located at coordinates 41°20′52″N 75°45′30″W. The town is on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River in northern Luzerne County. The Lackawanna River flows through the middle of Duryea and joins the Susquehanna River. Most of the homes and businesses are south of the Lackawanna River. The land north of the river is mostly forested mountains, like Campbell's Ledge.

Major highways, Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 11, run through the eastern part of Duryea. The borough is also part of the Pittston Area School District.

The United States Census Bureau says Duryea covers about 5.7 square miles (14.8 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 5.5 square miles (14.3 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.2 square miles (0.49 square kilometers), is water.

Campbell's Ledge in northern Duryea

Duryea's Population

In the year 2000, there were 4,634 people living in Duryea. There were 1,984 households and 1,297 families. The population density was about 841 people per square mile.

About 24% of households had children under 18. About 49% were married couples. About 32% of all households were single people living alone. The average household had 2.32 people. The average family had 2.94 people.

The median age in Duryea was 43 years old. About 19.1% of the population was under 18. About 20.6% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were about 88 males.

Education

Students in Duryea attend schools within the Pittston Area School District.

Notable People

• Gene Guarilia, a basketball player for the Boston Celtics
• Albert K. Bender, a writer known for his work on UFOs

See also

In Spanish: Duryea para niños