Editing Shickshinny, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===Early history===
[[File:Bird's-eye view from river, Schickshinny, Pa (68645).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Shickshinny along the Susquehanna River]]
In 1782, the families of Austin and Crossley were the first white settlers in Shickshinny. The first permanent settler in the area was Lizzie James.<ref name="founding"/> At this time, Shickshinny was under the jurisdiction of [[Connecticut]].<ref name="founding">"The Founding of the Shickshinny Borough",  undated. ''Suburban News'' article posted on the website of the Historical and Preservation Society of the Greater Shickshinny Area</ref><ref name="rootsweb1" /> In 1801, Shadrick Austin bought the {{convert|256|acre}} of land.<ref name="rootsweb4" />

Another known settler in the area was William Koons (in the 1850s).<ref name="rootsweb1" /> Koons settled one mile outside of Shickshinny (where the Shickshinny Creek Bridge was later erected). The name of the area was changed to [[Koonsville, Pennsylvania|Koonsville]] (where the post office was later built). In 1773, Nathan Beach, also from Connecticut, settled outside of modern-day Shickshinny. The area was named Beach Haven after him.<ref name="rootsweb3" />

A farm, which encompassed nearly the entire current-day borough, was established by [[Matthias Hollenback]]. By this time, it was under the [[Pennsylvania]] claim. The land was later inherited by his daughter, Cist Hollenback, who married Chester Butler. In 1857, upon C. Hollenbeck's death, the land was divided and sold to the proprietors of the Shickshinny Company:<ref name="rootsweb2" /> [[George W. Search House|George W. Search]], Lot Search, Nathan Beach Crary, and Nathan Garrison. Walter Garrison bought the corner where the modern-day bank is located. Lot Search held the position of [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne County]] [[treasurer]] in 1855 and maintained it for two years.<ref name="rootsweb4" />

N. Garrison and Andrew J. Eldon built the first store, located outside the old storehouse, in June 1857. But a few months after the store opened, Eldon fled to [[China]] with $3,000 of Garrison's money. It was reported that Eldon was lost in a storm at sea and drowned from the weight of gold in his pockets. The business soon closed and was bought by Nathan B. Crary.<ref name="rootsweb1" /> A drug store opened at the same time. It was run and managed by Stephen Bond.<ref name="rootsweb2" />

===Borough===
[[File:Union Street, Shickshinny, Pa (68647).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Union Street in Shickshinny]]
Shickshinny was incorporated as a [[Borough (Pennsylvania)|borough]] on November 30, 1861. It gained its independence from [[Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Salem Township]] and [[Union Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Union Township]], the majority (two-thirds) being from Union. The first officers were Burgess and Enke. The council was composed of Search, Koons, Crary, Nicely, and Davenport. G. W. Search became the secretary, while Slippy became supervisor. Second was Burgess, third Knor, fourth Youlls, fifth Bear, sixth Post, seventh Hughes, eighth Hartman, and ninth Bulkley.<ref name="rootsweb2" />

Many businesses sprung up in the next decade, including a [[gristmill|flour mill]] (set up by G. W. and Lot Search in 1865), a [[foundry]] (set up by Jesse Beadle, L. T. Hartman, and Frederick Beach in 1866), and a [[planing mill]] (set up by Amos Hess in 1874). Two [[blacksmith]] shops were also built and run by Miner Brown and Henry Wagner. The first [[newspaper]] in the area, ''The Mountain Echo'', was first issued in 1873, established by C. A. Boone and M. E. Walker.<ref name="rootsweb1" /><ref name="rootsweb2" />

Shickshinny became a central hub for many farmers and businesses. A toll bridge was built in 1865 to [[Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania|Mocanaqua]], the first of three up to 1920. An 1877 [[Toll roads in the United States#History, funding through toll|turnpike]] was built along the creek, heading towards [[Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania|Huntington Mills]] (modern-day [[Pennsylvania Route 239|Route 239]]).<ref name="rootsweb4" /><ref name="rootsweb2" />

===Coal mining===
[[File:River bridge, across the Susquehanna River, Schickshinny, Pa (68646).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bridge across the Susquehanna River (Shickshinny, Luzerne County)]]
Shickshinny is located at the lower end of the [[Wyoming Valley]] Coal Deposit, near a Red Ash vein that runs across the [[Susquehanna River]].<ref name="rootsweb2" />

Humphrey Davenport was employed in 1830 to prospect Nathan Beach's land. He soon discovered coal on Rocky Mountain. For the next decade, coal was extracted from the mountain by teams of men.<ref name="rootsweb1" /> Finally in 1840, Beach's grandson, Dr. Darwin Crary, invented the first inclined chute, which was used by the coal industry. It sent coal to the canal down the mountain.<ref name="rootsweb4" /> Two years later, in 1842, James A. Gordon built a [[inclined plane|plane]] for Beach and Crary. It ran for several successful years.<ref name="rootsweb1" />

The mines were passed over to Truman H. Clark. In 1865, during the last year of the [[American Civil War]], John M. Stackhouse and Matthew Wier purchased the mines. Cyrus Stackhouse bought out Wier's stock the following year. Again, in 1869, the mines exchanged hands and were bought by the Paxton Coal Company. The Salem Coal Company was formed four years later. Under their guidance, the mines produced 65,000 tons and employed just short of 200 men and boys.

A nearby mountain — Newport — provided coal as well. It sits on the opposite side of the Susquehanna River and was found to possess superior coal. In 1857, roads and bridges were built to connect the [[Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad]], which lay on opposite sides of the river, so as to be able to mine Newport Mountain. Neither the Shickshinny nor Mocanaqua mines are in service today.<ref name="rootsweb2" />