Shickshinny, Pennsylvania Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Shickshinny, Pennsylvania
Borough
View of Shickshinny from the Mocanaqua Loop Trail
Location of Shickshinny in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Shickshinny, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Shickshinny, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Settled	1782
Incorporated	1861
Government
• Type	Borough Council
Area
• Total	0.49 sq mi (1.27 km²)
• Land	0.48 sq mi (1.23 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²)
Elevation	512 ft (156 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	632
• Density	1,327.73/sq mi (512.14/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	18655
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code	42-70224

Shickshinny is a small town, called a borough, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 630 people lived there.

The town gets its name from Shickshinny Creek, a stream that flows through the area. Some people think the name means "Fine Stream" in a Native American language. Others believe it means "Five Mountains." This makes sense because five mountains — Newport, Knob, Lee, River, and Rocky — surround the creek and the town.

History of Shickshinny
Population Information
- 2000 Census Details
Education
Geography
Famous People from Shickshinny
See also

History of Shickshinny

Early Settlers

Shickshinny along the Susquehanna River

The first white families to settle in Shickshinny arrived in 1782. Lizzie James was the first person to live there permanently. At that time, the area was part of Connecticut. In 1801, Shadrick Austin bought a large piece of land, about 256 acres.

Other early settlers included William Koons, who arrived in the 1850s. He settled outside Shickshinny, and the area was later named Koonsville after him. Nathan Beach, also from Connecticut, settled nearby in 1773. His area was named Beach Haven.

A large farm, covering most of what is now Shickshinny, was owned by Matthias Hollenback. This land later went to his daughter, Cist Hollenback. After she passed away in 1857, the land was divided and sold. Some of the buyers were George W. Search and Nathan Beach Crary.

In 1857, the first store opened in Shickshinny. It was started by N. Garrison and Andrew J. Eldon. Around the same time, Stephen Bond opened a drug store.

Becoming a Borough

Union Street in Shickshinny

Shickshinny officially became a borough on November 30, 1861. This meant it became its own town, separate from the nearby townships of Salem and Union. The first leaders of the borough were chosen, including a Burgess and council members.

Many new businesses started in the next ten years. These included a flour mill in 1865, a foundry (a place where metal is melted and shaped) in 1866, and a planing mill (for working with wood) in 1874. Two blacksmith shops also opened. In 1873, the first local newspaper, The Mountain Echo, began.

Shickshinny became an important center for farmers and businesses. A toll bridge was built in 1865 to connect to Mocanaqua. A turnpike (a road where you pay a fee to use it) was built in 1877, leading towards Huntington Mills.

Coal Mining History

Bridge across the Susquehanna River (Shickshinny, Luzerne County)

Shickshinny is located near the end of the Wyoming Valley Coal Deposit. This area had a special type of coal called Red Ash.

In 1830, Humphrey Davenport found coal on Rocky Mountain. For the next ten years, people dug coal from the mountain. In 1840, Dr. Darwin Crary invented the first inclined chute. This invention helped send coal down the mountain to the canal. Two years later, a special plane was built to move coal, and it worked well for many years.

Over time, different companies owned the mines. In 1865, John M. Stackhouse and Matthew Wier bought them. Later, in 1869, the Paxton Coal Company took over. The Salem Coal Company was formed in 1873. Under their management, the mines produced 65,000 tons of coal and employed almost 200 men and boys.

Another mountain nearby, Newport, also had coal. It was on the other side of the Susquehanna River. In 1857, roads and bridges were built to connect it to the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad, so coal could be mined there too. Today, neither the Shickshinny nor Mocanaqua coal mines are still in use.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	1,045	—
1880	1,058	1.2%
1890	1,448	36.9%
1900	1,456	0.6%
1910	1,917	31.7%
1920	2,289	19.4%
1930	2,451	7.1%
1940	2,354	−4.0%
1950	2,156	−8.4%
1960	1,843	−14.5%
1970	1,685	−8.6%
1980	1,192	−29.3%
1990	1,108	−7.0%
2000	959	−13.4%
2010	838	−12.6%
2020	630	−24.8%
2021 (est.)	629	−24.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2000 Census Details

In 2000, Shickshinny had 959 people living in 415 households. Most of the people (99%) were white. The population was almost half male (47%) and half female (53%). About 21% of the people were under 18 years old, and 23% were over 65. The average age was 40.

Out of the 415 households, 60% owned their homes, and 40% rented. About 30% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 41% of households had people over 65. The average household had 2.3 people.

When it came to education, most students (63%) were in elementary school. About 27% were in high school. Many adults (47%) had a high school diploma.

Education

The Northwest Area School District serves Shickshinny. This district also includes the town of New Columbus and several townships. Students go to primary, intermediate, and junior/senior high schools.

The district used to have three elementary schools. One of them, Garrison Elementary, was in downtown Shickshinny. However, Garrison Elementary closed at the end of the 2009–2010 school year.

Geography

Shickshinny is located at 41°9′15″N 76°9′4″W / 41.15417°N 76.15111°W / 41.15417; -76.15111. It sits along U.S. Route 11, between the towns of Nanticoke and Berwick. The town is on the western side of the Susquehanna River, where the Shickshinny Creek flows into it. Another smaller stream, Little Shickshinny Creek, also joins Shickshinny Creek in the borough.

The United States Census Bureau says that Shickshinny covers about 0.49 square miles (1.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The eastern part of Shickshinny is flat, but the land gets higher as you go west. The town has homes and businesses, and it is surrounded by thick forests. The Susquehanna Warrior Trail also goes through Shickshinny.

Main Roads

US-11 runs through Shickshinny, going north and south. Pennsylvania Route 239 also enters Shickshinny from the northwest. It then leaves the town to the southeast, crossing the Susquehanna River towards Mocanaqua.