Editing Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
The [[Luzerne County Historical Society]] maintains the storehouse for the collective memory of Luzerne County and its environs. It records and interprets the history, traditions, events, people, and cultures that have directed and molded life within the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.luzernecountyhistory.com/ |title=Home |date=February 5, 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205045745/http://www.luzernecountyhistory.com/ |archive-date=February 5, 2007 }}</ref>

===18th century===
{{Further|Battle of Wyoming|Pennamite–Yankee Wars|State of Westmoreland|Sugarloaf Massacre|Sullivan Expedition}}
[[File:Early Localization Native Americans NY.svg|thumb|Map of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American tribes]] in the region before the arrival of European settlers]]
[[File:Penncolony.png|thumb|A 1776 map of the [[Province of Pennsylvania]] and competing land claims at the time]]
[[File:ChappelWyomingMassacre.jpg|thumb|The July 3, 1778 [[Battle of Wyoming]] depicted in an 1858 painting by [[Alonzo Chappel]]]]
[[File:A Map Of The State Of Pennsylvania by Reading Howell, 1792.jpg|thumb|A 1792 map of Pennsylvania when [[Bradford County, Pennsylvania|Bradford]], [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna]], [[Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna]], and [[Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Wyoming]] were still part of Luzerne County]]

Long an area occupied by indigenous peoples, by the 1700s the [[Wyoming Valley]] was inhabited by several Native American tribes including the [[Susquehannock]], who spoke an [[Iroquoian language]], and the [[Lenape|Delaware]] (Lenape), who spoke an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian language]]. In the mid-18th century, [[Connecticut Colony|Connecticut]] [[settler]]s of primarily English ancestry ventured into the valley. These were the first recorded [[Europeans]] in the region. Some came as   [[missionary work|missionaries]] to the Native American peoples, while others came to farm the fertile land near the [[Susquehanna River]]. Ultimately, the violence of the [[French and Indian War]] (the North American front of the [[Seven Years' War]] between Great Britain and France) drove these Connecticut settlers away.<ref>{{cite book | last = Fisher | first = Sydney George | title = The Making of Pennsylvania | url = https://archive.org/details/makingofpennsylv00fish | publisher = J. B. Lippincott Company | location = Philadelphia, PA| year = 1896}}</ref>

The [[British colonization of the Americas|British colonies]] of [[Province of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]] and Connecticut both claimed the Wyoming Valley as their own. [[Charles II of England|King Charles II of England]] had granted the land to the Connecticut Colony in 1662, but also to [[William Penn]], the founder of Pennsylvania, in 1681. In 1769, [[Yankee]] settlers from Connecticut returned to the valley and founded the town of [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]]. However, they were not alone. Pennsylvanian settlers (Pennamites) were also in the region.

Armed bands of Pennamites harassed the Connecticut settlers in what is known as the [[Pennamite-Yankee Wars]]. While the land dispute continued, a much larger conflict began. In 1775, the [[Thirteen Colonies]] [[American Revolutionary War|began a war of independence]] against the colonial power of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]. Residents of both Pennsylvania and Connecticut were largely loyal to the [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] cause, which supported the [[American Revolution]] and independence.

On June 30, 1778, [[Loyalists|Loyalist]] forces, under the command of Major [[John Butler (Ranger)|John Butler]], arrived in the Wyoming Valley to attack the rebel American settlements. On July 1, Fort Wintermoot at the north end of the valley surrendered without a shot being fired. The next morning the smaller Fort Jenkins surrendered. Both forts were later burned to the ground.

The [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] militia assembled at [[Forty Fort]]. On July 3, a column of roughly 375 men, including a company of soldiers from the [[Continental Army]], marched from the fort under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[Zebulon Butler]] and Colonel Nathan Denison. [[Butler's Rangers]], with the assistance of about 500 Native American allies, mostly [[Seneca people|Seneca]], ambushed the approaching Americans. In the end, nearly 300 Wyoming Valley Patriots were killed during the [[Battle of Wyoming]].<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Glenn F. |title=Year of the Hangman: George Washington's Campaign Against the Iroquois. |date=2005 |publisher=Westholme |location=Yardley, Pennsylvania |isbn=9781594160134 |url=https://archive.org/details/yearofhangmangeo0000will |url-access=registration}}</ref> Today, in the Borough of [[Wyoming, Pennsylvania|Wyoming]], a [[Wyoming Monument|monument]] marks the gravesite of the victims from the battle.<ref name="Jenkins">{{cite speech|url=http://www.inman-family.org/documents/battlewyo.htm|title=Historical Address at the Wyoming Monument | first=Steuben |last=Jenkins|date=July 3, 1878|event=100th Anniversary of the Battle and Massacre of Wyoming|access-date=July 2, 2013}}</ref>

The next day, Colonel Denison surrendered Forty Fort along with several other posts. Widespread looting and burning of buildings occurred throughout the Wyoming Valley subsequent to this capitulation, but non-combatants were not harmed.<ref name="Williams" /> Most of the inhabitants, however, fled across the [[Pocono Mountains]] to [[Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania|Stroudsburg]] and [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]], or down the [[Susquehanna River]] to [[Sunbury, Pennsylvania|Sunbury]].

In September 1778, American Colonel [[Thomas Hartley]] took partial revenge for the Wyoming defeat. He and his 200 soldiers burned a number of villages in [[Delaware]] along the [[Susquehanna River]]. The following year, Major General [[John Sullivan (general)|John Sullivan]] would lead several thousand men in a scorched-earth [[Sullivan Expedition|campaign]] against the Iroquois nations in central and western New York.<ref name="Williams" />

Two years later, in September 1780, reports of Iroquois and Loyalist activity in the region resulted in a detachment of 41 Patriot militia from [[Northampton County, Pennsylvania|Northampton County]] being sent to investigate. The detachment made it as far north as present-day [[Conyngham, Pennsylvania|Conyngham]] when they were ambushed by a party of Seneca and Loyalists. Ten men were killed in what is now known as the [[Sugarloaf massacre|Sugarloaf Massacre]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Verenna |first1=Thomas |title=Murder along the Creek: Taking a Closer Look at the Sugarloaf Massacre. |url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2015/07/murder-along-the-creek-taking-a-closer-look-at-the-sugarloaf-massacre/ |website=Journal of the American Revolution |date=July 6, 2015 |access-date=26 February 2023}}</ref>

====Post-Revolutionary War====
The American Revolutionary War ended three years later (in 1783) with the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]]. Great Britain finally recognized the [[sovereignty]] of the United States of America. The land dispute between Pennsylvania and Connecticut continued after the war. Connecticut established its own county (by the name of [[Westmoreland County, Connecticut|Westmoreland]]) in the Wyoming Valley. However, Pennsylvania insisted that they owned the land. The [[Congress of the Confederation]] was asked to resolve the matter. With the Trenton Decree, on December 30, 1782, the confederation government officially decided that the region belonged to Pennsylvania; the Wyoming Valley became part of [[Northumberland County, Pennsylvania|Northumberland County]].

Pennsylvania ruled that the Connecticut settlers, also known as the Yankees, were not citizens of the Commonwealth. They could not vote and were ordered to give up their property claims. In May 1784, armed men from Pennsylvania force-marched the Connecticut settlers away from the valley. By November, the Yankees returned with a greater force. They captured and destroyed [[Fort Dickinson]] in Wilkes-Barre. With that victory, a new state (which was separate from both Connecticut and Pennsylvania) was proposed. The new state was to be named [[State of Westmoreland|Westmoreland]].

To ensure that they didn't lose the land, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania worked out a compromise with the Connecticut (Yankee) settlers. The Yankee settlers would be allowed to become citizens of Pennsylvania and their property claims would be restored (as existing prior to the Decree of Trenton). As part of the compromise, Pennsylvania would establish a new county in [[Northeastern Pennsylvania]]. The Yankees agreed to the terms.<ref name=luzernecounty>{{cite web|title=Second Yankee-Pennamite War|url=http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county|website=Luzerne County|access-date=December 23, 2014|ref=luzernecounty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327175011/http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county|archive-date=March 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On September 25, 1786, the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]] passed a resolution that created Luzerne County. It was formed from a section of Northumberland County and named after [[Chevalier de la Luzerne]], a [[French Army|French soldier]] and diplomat to the American rebels and new government of the independent USA during the late 18th century. Wilkes-Barre was designated as the [[county seat|seat of government]] for the new territory. This resolution ended the idea of creating a new state. When it was founded, Luzerne County occupied a large portion of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The future counties of [[Bradford County, Pennsylvania|Bradford]], [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna]], [[Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna]], and [[Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Wyoming]] were all part of the original Luzerne County.<ref name="auto" /><ref name="pawchs.org" />

In the following years, elections were held, the courts were established, a courthouse was constructed, and a government was formed. In 1787, Lord Butler was elected the first [[sheriff]] of Luzerne County. A [[County commission|board of commissioners]] was also assembled to manage the county government. Some of the first county commissioners included Jesse Fell, Alexander Johnson, John Phillips, John Jenkins, and Thomas Wright (from 1794 to 1796).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/luzerne/1893hist/ |title=History of Luzerne County Pennsylvania 1893 |publisher=Usgwarchives.net |access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>

The population of the new county grew rapidly with new migrants. In 1790, fewer than 2,000 people resided within the Wyoming Valley. By 1800, the number of residents increased to nearly 13,000.<ref name="luzernecounty.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county|title=Luzerne County : History of Luzerne County|website=www.luzernecounty.org|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327175011/http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county|archive-date=March 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===19th century===
{{Further|History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania|Avondale Mine Disaster|Twin Shaft Disaster|Lattimer Massacre}}
[[Image:Old Dodson Breaker.jpg|thumb|This [[coal breaker]] in [[Plymouth, Pennsylvania|Plymouth]], built in 1869, was destroyed by fire 20 years later, in 1899.]]
[[File:Lattimer massacre.jpg|thumb|Photo taken just before the [[Lattimer massacre]] on September 10, 1897]]
The county gained prominence in the 19th century as an active [[anthracite]] [[Coal Region|coal mining region]]. In 1791, [[German Americans|German immigrant]] [[History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania#Early History of Coal Mining|Philip Ginder]] stumbled across anthracite (or "hard coal") near [[Summit Hill, Pennsylvania|Summit Hill]]. This resulted in the creation of the [[Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company|Lehigh Coal Mine Company]]. The company had a slow start because of the difficulty in igniting anthracite coal and the inability to transfer it to urban markets. In 1807, Brothers Abijah and John Smith were the first to successfully transport anthracite down the Susquehanna River on an [[Ark (river boat)|ark]]. In 1808, Judge [[Jesse Fell]] of Wilkes-Barre discovered a solution to ignite anthracite with the usage of an iron grate; it allowed for the coal to light and burn easier. This invention increased the popularity of anthracite as a fuel source. This led to the expansion of the coal industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Throughout the 1800s, [[canals]] and railroads were constructed to aid in the mining and transportation of coal.<ref name="luzernecounty.org"/>

As the mining industry grew, a large region north of the Wyoming Valley, close to the [[New York–Pennsylvania border|Pennsylvania border with New York state]], sought independence from Luzerne County. On February 21, 1810, the counties of [[Bradford County, Pennsylvania|Bradford]], originally called Ontario, and [[Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna]] were created from parts of Luzerne County. The two counties were officially formed in 1812.<ref>[http://bradford-pa.com/sites/history.php Bradford County History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727060055/http://bradford-pa.com/sites/history.php |date=July 27, 2011 }}, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Accessed August 21, 2007</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Township Incorporations, 1790 to 1853|url=http://www.susqcohistsoc.org/incorp.htm|publisher=Susquehanna County Historical Society|access-date=March 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623133749/http://www.susqcohistsoc.org/incorp.htm|archive-date=June 23, 2015}}</ref> Thirty years later, on April 4, 1842, [[Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Wyoming County]], the region in and around present-day [[Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania|Tunkhannock]], was also formed from a section of Luzerne County.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wycopa.org/About/Pages/WyomingHistory.aspx |title=Wyoming County &#124; WyomingHistory |publisher=Wycopa.org |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-date=January 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184745/http://www.wycopa.org/About/Pages/WyomingHistory.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The County of Luzerne witnessed a population boom as a result of the growing coal mining industry. [[Carbondale, Pennsylvania|Carbondale]], with a population of nearly 5,000 residents, was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] as a city on March 15, 1851.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hollister|first=Horace|title=History of the Lackawanna Valley|url=https://archive.org/details/historylackawan00hollgoog|year=1885|publisher=Lippincott|page=[https://archive.org/details/historylackawan00hollgoog/page/n436 488]}}</ref> [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], with a population of nearly 35,000, was incorporated as a city on April 23, 1866.<ref name="Craft1891">{{cite book|author=David Craft|title=History of Scranton, Penn: With Full Outline of the Natural Advantages, Accounts of the Indian Tribes, Early Settlements, Connecticut's Claim to the Wyoming Valley, the Trenton Decree, Down to the Present Time|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028864027|access-date=March 19, 2013|year=1891|publisher=H. W. Crew|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028864027/page/n25 18]–}}</ref> And Wilkes-Barre, with a population of just over 10,000, was incorporated as a city in 1871.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2131.html|title=History of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|website=u-s-history.com}}</ref> By 1875, anthracite coal from Luzerne County alone represented half the anthracite produced in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.<ref name="luzernecounty.org"/>

Since 1839, the people in and around the cities of Scranton and Carbondale sought independence from Luzerne County. Wilkes-Barre was determined to preserve the integrity of the county; it did not want to lose its assets in the region. Decades later, in the 1870s, residents of the proposed territory were allowed to vote for independent status. Voters favored a new county by a proportion of 6 to 1, with Scranton residents providing considerable support. [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna County]] was finally created from a portion of Luzerne County in 1878.<ref name="bradsby">Henry C. Bradsby, [https://books.google.com/books?id=4BkVAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22william+h+stanton%22+judge&pg=PA232 History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania], Volume 1, 1893, Pages 232–233</ref>

Even through Luzerne County lost a vital region (the coal mining cities of Scranton and Carbondale), its boroughs and townships continued to grow. [[Hazleton, Pennsylvania|Hazleton]] (in 1891)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hazletoncity.org/Life/history-of-hazleton.html|title=History – Life – Life|last=Administrator|website=www.hazletoncity.org|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-date=April 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412061554/http://www.hazletoncity.org/Life/history-of-hazleton.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Pittston, Pennsylvania|Pittston]] (in 1894) were both incorporated as cities due to their expanding populations. Thousands of [[European immigrants]] poured into Luzerne County due to the booming coal industry. The growing population quickly attracted the attention of factory owners in New York City and [[Philadelphia]]. Dozens of factories throughout Luzerne County were established to take advantage of the ever-increasing pool of available labor.

With an increasing population and the build-up of industry in the region, tragedies became more frequent in the second half of the 19th century. Sixteen people were killed – largely in factories – when a devastating [[Fujita scale|F3]] [[tornado]] struck Wilkes-Barre on [[1890 Wilkes-Barre tornado|August 19, 1890]].<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/06/15/striking-in-the-dark-of-night-the-wilkes-barre-tornado-was-strangely-strong/| title = Striking in the dark of night, the Wilkes-Barre tornado was a freak - The Washington Post| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> It was the deadliest tornado in the county's history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/bgm/august191890wilkesbarretornado|title = August 19, 1890 Wilkes Barre Tornado}}</ref> The region's first significant mining disaster occurred on September 6, 1869, when a massive fire at the [[Avondale Mine Disaster|Avondale Colliery]] in [[Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Plymouth Township]] killed 110 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/avondale-mine-disaster-claimed-110-lives-1.231649|title=Avondale mine disaster claimed 110 lives|author=Cheryl A. Kashuba|date= September 6, 2009 |publisher=The Times-Tribune|access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref> Another consequential mining accident occurred on June 28, 1896, when the Newton Coal Company's [[Twin Shaft Disaster|Twin Shaft Mine]] in Pittston City caved-in and killed 58 miners.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=10470 |title=Twin Shaft Disaster Marker |publisher=Hmdb.org |date=August 19, 2008 |access-date=July 21, 2009 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041807/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=10470 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/pa/mines/pittston-minecavein1896.htm |title=GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods – Events That Touched Our Ancestors' Lives |website=www.gendisasters.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121045539/http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/pa/mines/pittston-minecavein1896.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2008 }}</ref>

Towards the end of the 19th century, labor unrest and union activity intensified in the region. Miners protested poor working conditions and unfair pay. This revved up tensions throughout the county. One of the most notable and deadly confrontations occurred on September 10, 1897 (near Hazleton). Luzerne County Sheriff James Martin formed a [[Posse comitatus (common law)|posse]] and fired on a group of unarmed striking miners in what is now known as the [[Lattimer massacre]]. Roughly nineteen people were killed and dozens more were wounded. Luzerne is infamous for being the last county whose sheriff legally formed a posse to restore order in a time of [[civil unrest]].<ref name="Novak">[[Michael Novak|Novak, Michael]]. ''The Guns of Lattimer''. Reprint ed. New York: Transaction Publishers, 1996; {{ISBN|1-56000-764-8}}</ref>
<gallery widths="250px" heights="150px" class="center">
File:The Valley of Wyoming MET DT4598.jpg|[[Wyoming Valley]] in the 1860s
File:Birds eye view of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (2675064226).jpg|[[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]] in 1872
File:Hazleton (2674307151).jpg|[[Hazleton, Pennsylvania|Hazleton]] in 1884
File:Pittston-1.jpg|center|[[Pittston, Pennsylvania|Pittston]] in 1892
</gallery>

===20th century===
{{Further|Coal strike of 1902|Laurel Run mine fire|Baltimore Mine Tunnel Disaster|Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins|Knox Mine Disaster|Hurricane Agnes}}
[[File:Child Labor in United States, coal mines Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|Children working in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]] coal mine in 1906]]
[[File:Group of Breaker boys. Smallest is Sam Belloma.jpg|thumb|[[Breaker boy]]s in [[Pittston, Pennsylvania|Pittston]] in January 1911]]
[[File:Baltimore Mine Tunnel Disaster marker.jpg|thumb|Historical marker of the June 5, 1919 [[Baltimore Mine Tunnel disaster]] in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]]]]
[[File:East Main Street, Nanticoke, Pa (79611).jpg|thumb|[[Nanticoke, Pennsylvania|Nanticoke]] as depicted in a drawing from between 1930 and 1945]]
At the beginning of the 20th century, Luzerne County was in the midst of an economic boom. Industry, which included manufacturing and coal mining, drew thousands of immigrants (mostly from Europe) to the region. However, there were several drawbacks to the industrial boom. Labor unrest, mining accidents, and [[child labor]] were just a few problems facing the county. Labor disputes led to miners striking in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The [[Coal strike of 1902|Great Strike of 1902]] gained national attention when it threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply for major U.S. cities. At that time, residences were typically heated with anthracite (or "hard coal"). The [[United Mine Workers|United Mine Workers of America]] protested for higher wages, shorter workdays, and the [[Recognition strike|recognition of their union]]. President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] became involved and set up a fact-finding commission that suspended the strike. The strike never resumed, as the miners received a ten percent wage increase and reduced workdays (from ten to nine hours). It was the first [[labor dispute]] in which the [[U.S. federal government]] intervened as a neutral [[arbitration|arbitrator]].<ref name="luzernecounty.org"/>

Also, in the early 1900s, the anthracite coal mining industry – and its extensive use of child labor – was one of the industries targeted by the [[National Child Labor Committee]] and its hired photographer, [[Lewis Hine]]. Many of Hine's subjects were photographed in the mines and coal fields in and around Pittston and Wilkes-Barre. The impact of the Hine photographs led to the enactment of [[child labor laws]] across the country.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/biography.html | title = About Lewis Wickes Hine | publisher = New York Public Library | access-date = May 22, 2007 | first = Anthony T | last = Troncale |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070308123219/http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/biography.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = March 8, 2007}}</ref>

Despite the better working conditions, industrial accidents were still commonplace. On December 6, 1915, an [[Laurel Run mine fire|underground mine fire]] started in the Red Ash Coal Mine near the communities of [[Laurel Run, Pennsylvania|Laurel Run]] and [[Georgetown, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Georgetown]]. Hundreds of residents living near the mine fire were later relocated. The fire continued to burn well into the 21st century.<ref name = "coal fires">{{Citation|editor = Glenn B. Stracher|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=eJU0WOABSWIC&q=%22Laurel+Run+Mine+Fire%22&pg=PA266|title = Geology of Coal Fires: Case Studies from Around the World|date = January 1, 2007| publisher=Geological Society of America |access-date = January 30, 2014|isbn = 9780813741185}}</ref> On June 5, 1919, another major mining accident occurred nearby. An explosion killed 92 miners at the [[Baltimore Mine Tunnel Disaster (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)|Baltimore Colliery]] in Wilkes-Barre.<ref>{{Cite news|title=New York Times "FLAME IN TUNNEL KILLS 84, BURNS 42: Spreads Like Blanket Over Miners."|date=June 6, 1919}}</ref>

Regardless of the industrial setbacks, the region continued to grow economically. In 1906, construction began on a new [[Luzerne County Courthouse|county courthouse]] in Wilkes-Barre.<ref name="arch">{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| title = National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania| publisher = CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System| format = Searchable database| access-date = January 15, 2018| archive-date = July 21, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070721014609/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| url-status = dead}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url = {{NRHP-PA|H000735_01H.pdf}}| title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Luzerne County Courthouse| access-date = March 13, 2012| author = Gary F. Lamont| format = PDF| date = n.d.}}</ref> Twenty years later (in 1926), [[Nanticoke, Pennsylvania|Nanticoke]], with a population of just over 22,000, was incorporated as a city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nanticokecity.com/history.htm|title=history|website=www.nanticokecity.com|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-date=March 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303005316/http://www.nanticokecity.com/history.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was the last city established in the county. By [[1930 United States Census|1930]], the county's population peaked at 445,109. It was obvious that industry was the driving force behind the expanding population. From the 1930s to the 1980s, Pittston City emerged as a national center for [[Clothing industry|clothing manufacturing]]. Thousands of workers, mainly women, labored in many factories throughout the [[Greater Pittston]] area. Most were members of the [[International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union]] (ILGWU). It advocated for higher wages, improvements in workplace health and safety, and employee rights. The ILGWU was active in civic and political life throughout Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tyler|first=Gus|title=Look for the Union Label: A History of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union|year=1995|publisher=M. E. Sharpe|location=Armonk, NY}}</ref>

Railroad accidents were common throughout the United States in the 1800s and 1900s. In 1934, the right arm of [[Hughestown, Pennsylvania|Hughestown]] resident Harry Tompkins was crushed by an [[Erie Railroad]] train. This resulted in the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] case ''[[Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins]]'', which laid the foundation for a large part of modern American [[civil procedure]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/us/aaron-danzig-89-who-argued-landmark-case-on-court-power.html |title=Aaron Danzig, 89, Who Argued Landmark Case on Court Power |first=Stuart |last=Lavietes | newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 17, 2002 |quote=Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins, the landmark 1938 Supreme Court case that limited the power of the federal courts}}</ref>

As the United States entered the age of mass air transportation, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, the two largest cities in [[Northeast Pennsylvania]], recognized the need for a large-scale airport. Despite the [[Great Depression]] and hard times affecting the local coal mining industry, a windfall multimillion-dollar opportunity to plan and build a regional airport was presented to the counties of Luzerne and Lackawanna through the federal government's [[Public Works Administration]]. It became apparent that a modern airport would be needed for the economic survival of the region. The site in and around [[Pittston Township, Pennsylvania|Pittston Township]] was first surveyed in 1939 by the county commissioners of both counties.

In 1941, John B. McDade, president of the Heidelberg Coal Company and father of [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]] [[Joseph M. McDade]], donated 122 acres on which part of the airport now sits. Most of the land was previously owned by various coal companies. By 1945, the two counties entered into a legal agreement to co-sponsor and operate the airport. Between 1945 and 1947, construction of the [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport]] took place in and around Pittston Township. Today, the airport is known as the "Gateway to Northeastern Pennsylvania and the [[Pocono Mountains]]." It is the fifth busiest airport in Pennsylvania.

By the mid-20th century, anthracite production was declining at a steady rate. Consumers were gradually switching from coal to other forms of energy (e.g., oil, natural gas, and electricity). The [[Knox Mine Disaster]] was the final blow to the industry. On January 22, 1959, the Susquehanna River broke through the River Slope Mine in [[Port Griffith, Pennsylvania|Port Griffith]], [[Jenkins Township, Pennsylvania|Jenkins Township]]; it claimed the lives of twelve people. In the following months, two of the area's largest coal companies announced a full withdrawal from the anthracite business. Thousands of jobs were lost and the mining industry never recovered in Luzerne County.<ref name="Times Leader">{{cite news |url=http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/mines/knox.htm |title= Knox Mine Disaster |date=1998 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |author= David Pencek |newspaper= Times Leader}}</ref>

The Wyoming Valley witnessed historical flooding from the Susquehanna River in the past. In June 1972, [[Hurricane Agnes]] devastated much of the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]] (including Pennsylvania). The Susquehanna River rose to 40.9 feet and breached the levees of several communities in the Wyoming Valley. In Wilkes-Barre, hundreds were trapped in their homes; nearly nine feet of water inundated Public Square. At the historic cemetery in [[Forty Fort, Pennsylvania|Forty Fort]], 2,000 caskets were washed away, leaving body parts on porches, roofs, and in basements. In Luzerne County alone, 25,000 homes and businesses were either damaged or destroyed. Losses in the county totaled $1&nbsp;billion.<ref name="TTL">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesleader.com/news/FLOOD_OF_MEMORIES_06-21-2009.html|title=Agnes now a flood of memories|author=Bill O'Boyle|date=June 22, 2009|newspaper=[[Times Leader]]|access-date=March 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193257/http://www.timesleader.com/news/FLOOD_OF_MEMORIES_06-21-2009.html|archive-date=January 2, 2014}}</ref>

Luzerne County's economy was hit hard with the collapse of the mining industry and the devastating Agnes flood. To make matters worse, factories throughout the county were shutting down. They could not compete with lower labor costs elsewhere. By the end of the 20th century, Luzerne County was in the midst of a [[recession]].

Following the Agnes flood (from the 1980s to 2000), two notable tragedies occurred in Luzerne County. The first took place on September 25, 1982, when [[George Banks (spree killer)|George Banks]] killed thirteen people in a shooting [[Spree killer|rampage]] in Wilkes-Barre and Jenkins Township.<ref name=AP82>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=Banks named in 8 more murder indictments|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MfwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5013,6481003&dq=george+banks+murders&hl=en|work=The Reading Eagle|date= September 30, 1982 |access-date=March 26, 2011}}</ref> The second incident took place on May 21, 2000, when a plane crash in [[Bear Creek Township, Pennsylvania|Bear Creek Township]] (near the intersection of Bear Creek Boulevard – PA Route 115 – and the Northeast Extension of the [[Pennsylvania Turnpike]]) killed the pilot as well as all nineteen passengers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0005/21/wv.10.html |title=CNN Transcript – WorldView: NTSB Begins Investigation Into Charter Plane Crash in Pennsylvania Which Killed All 19 Onboard – May 21, 2000 |publisher=Cnn.com |date=May 21, 2000 |access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>

===21st century===
{{Further|Rust Belt|Kids for cash scandal|Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri|Tropical Storm Lee (2011)}}
[[File:Industry and Agriculture.jpg|thumb|[[Ashley, Pennsylvania|Ashley]]'s abandoned [[Huber Breaker|Huber coal breaker]] in May 2008]]
[[Image:Flood Walls on Market Street in Wilkes-Barre.jpg|thumb|The levees and temporary flood walls that protected [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]] from [[Tropical Storm Lee (2011)|Tropical Storm Lee]] flooding in September 2011]]
Many factories and coal mines were long since closed by the turn of the 21st century. Like most regions in the [[Rust Belt]], Luzerne County witnessed [[Population decline|population loss]] and [[urban decay]] over many decades beginning in the mid-20th century. Luzerne County in particular had reached the apex of its population around 1930. However, despite continuing population loss in recent years, the economy has grown moderately; [[Warehouse|warehousing]] has replaced manufacturing as the main industry.<ref>{{cite web|author=Money By ADAM DAVIDSON |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/magazine/blaming-trade-and-voting-trump-in-the-rust-belt.html |title=Blaming Trade and Voting Trump in the Rust Belt – The New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 6, 2016 |access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>

In the late 2000s, several scandals related to public corruption, [[cronyism]], patronage hiring, and [[Government waste|wasteful spending]] affected the county.<ref name="standardspeaker.com">[http://standardspeaker.com/news/voters-say-yes-to-home-rule-1.1058604 Voters say 'yes' to home rule – News]. ''Standard Speaker'' (November 3, 2010). Retrieved on July 23, 2013.</ref> The [[Kids for cash scandal|"kids for cash" scandal]] unfolded in 2008 over judicial [[kickbacks]] at the Luzerne County [[Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas|Court of Common Pleas]] in Wilkes-Barre. Two judges, President Judge [[Mark Ciavarella]] and Senior Judge [[Michael Conahan]], were convicted of accepting money from Robert Mericle, builder of two private, for-profit youth centers for the detention of juveniles, in return for contracting with the facilities and imposing harsh [[adjudication]]s on juveniles brought before their courts to increase the number of residents in the centers.<ref name="wsj-frank">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123854010220075533|title=Thomas Frank Says 'Kids for Cash' Incentivizes the Prison Industry|last=Frank|first=Thomas|date=April 1, 2009|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|access-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref> In the following years, additional county officials faced criminal charges (e.g., a clerk of courts, a deputy chief clerk, a director of human resources). County Commissioner [[Greg Skrepenak]] resigned in 2009; he was ultimately sentenced to prison for [[Pay to play|accepting money]] from a developer who received government-backed financing.

In May 2009, voters approved the creation of a government study commission. The commission proposed and wrote a [[List of Pennsylvania municipalities and counties with home rule charters, optional charters, or optional plans|home rule charter]] for Luzerne County. On November 2, 2010, the voters of Luzerne County held a [[referendum]] on the question of home rule. A total of 51,413 (55.25%) voted in favor of home rule, while another 41,639 (44.75%) voted against the move.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/election-results-archive |title=Election Results Archive |publisher=Luzerne County |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111220601/http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/election-results-archive |archive-date=January 11, 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The home rule charter would eliminate the positions of the three county commissioners; they would be replaced by an eleven-member [[county council]] (who will appoint and work alongside a county manager). This referendum "starts a new chapter in Luzerne County history," remarked James Haggerty, the chairman of the commission that wrote and proposed the charter. The first election for the new government was scheduled for 2011 – which ended up becoming an eventful year for Luzerne County.

From March to June of that year, the Borough of [[Duryea, Pennsylvania|Duryea]] received national attention for its role in the landmark Supreme Court case ''[[Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri]]'', in which the court stated that "a government employer's allegedly retaliatory actions against an employee do not give rise to liability under the Petition Clause unless the employee's petition relates to a matter of public concern."<ref name="Cornell">{{cite web|title=BOROUGH OF DURYEA, PENNSYLVANIA, et al.,<br/> PETITIONERS v. CHARLES J. GUARNIERI|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/09-1476.ZO.html|publisher=Legal Information Institute, [[Cornell University Law School]]|access-date=August 26, 2013|date=June 20, 2011}}</ref>

The second major event occurred in September 2011, when Luzerne County witnessed historical flooding from [[Tropical Storm Lee (2011)|Tropical Storm Lee]]. The Susquehanna River reached a record high of {{convert|42.6|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} in Wilkes-Barre. The river topped the {{convert|40.9|ft|m|adj=on|abbr=off|sp=us}} level in flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. However, unlike 1972, the levee system in Wilkes-Barre and several other communities held. Those municipalities without a levee system witnessed severe flooding.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120912101401/http://timesleader.com/stories/Mandatory-Evacuation-of-Wyoming-Valley-by-4-pm-,191403 Mandatory Evacuation of Wyoming Valley by 4 p.m.], Times-Leader, September 8, 2011</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-flooding-idUSN1E7880XA20110909 | work=Reuters | first=Paul | last=Eckert | title=UPDATE 3-Pennsylvania hit by huge flooding, towns submerged | date=September 9, 2011 | access-date=July 1, 2017 | archive-date=September 24, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155128/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/09/usa-flooding-idUSN1E7880XA20110909 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/flooding-devastates-nepa-1.1199789 Luzerne officials issue mandatory evacuation in footprint of Agnes flood], Times Tribune, September 8, 2011</ref>

The [[Luzerne County Council elections#2011 county council election|first general election]] for [[Luzerne County Council]] was held on November 8, making it the third and final consequential event of 2011. In the end, six [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], four [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]], and one [[independent politician]] were elected.

The home rule charter took effect on January 2, 2012. The Luzerne County [[County commission|Board of Commissioners]] was abolished and replaced with the new form of government ([[council–manager government]]). The last three commissioners were Chairwoman [[Maryanne Petrilla]], [[Stephen Urban|Stephen A. Urban]], and Thomas Cooney. The first eleven council members were sworn in that same day. According to the charter, the [[chairman|council chair]] is "recognized as [[Head of government|head of the county government]] for ceremonial purposes."<ref name="luzernecounty1">{{cite web |url=http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/row_offices/controller/home-rule-charter |title=Home Rule Charter |publisher=Luzerne County |access-date=March 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204182339/http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/row_offices/controller/home-rule-charter |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first council chair was Jim Bobeck.<ref name="youtube1">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UoGiwHEvpA | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/7UoGiwHEvpA| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|title=Luzerne County Council members sworn in – The Times Leader reports |publisher=YouTube |date=January 2, 2012 |access-date=February 22, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the first council meeting, Tom Pribula was appointed [[Interim management|interim]] [[Luzerne County Manager|county manager]].<ref>{{cite web|author=System Administrator |url=http://citizensvoice.com/news/luzerne-county-s-manager-search-1.1262279 |title=Luzerne County's manager search – News – Citizens' Voice |date=January 24, 2012 |publisher=Citizensvoice.com |access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> Several weeks later, the council officially appointed the first permanent manager (Robert Lawton).<ref name="pahomepage.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.pahomepage.com/news/luzerne-county-manager-robert-lawton-resigns/280048758|title=Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton Resigns|date=November 26, 2015|website=pahomepage.com|access-date=March 16, 2017|archive-date=December 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231155457/http://www.pahomepage.com/news/luzerne-county-manager-robert-lawton-resigns/280048758|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the [[Luzerne County Council elections#2019 county council election|2019 county council election]], Republicans secured a majority on the county's governing board for the first time since 1989.<ref>{{cite news|title=Voting Republican again preferred choice in county|date=November 7, 2019|last=Buffer|first=Michael P.|work=The Citizens' Voice|location=Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|url=https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/voting-republican-again-preferred-choice-in-county-1.2556383|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref>