Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

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Tobyhanna
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Etymology: Topi-hanne, Delaware for "alder streams"
Motto: 
Where God kisses the mountains
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Tobyhanna
Location of Tobyhanna in Pennsylvania
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Tobyhanna
Tobyhanna (the United States)
Coordinates: 41°10′37.1″N75°24′58.1″W / 41.176972°N 75.416139°W / 41.176972; -75.416139
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
County Monroe
Township Coolbaugh Township
Established1830
Area
  Total52.8 sq mi (137 km2)
  Land50.4 sq mi (131 km2)
  Water2.4 sq mi (6 km2)
Elevation
1,568 ft (478 m)
Population
 (2000)
  Total6,152
  Density120/sq mi (45/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
18466
Area code 570
Website www.tobyhanna.com

Tobyhanna is an unincorporated American community that is located in Coolbaugh Township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Despite its name, it is not located in Tobyhanna Township.

Contents

History

"Tobyhanna" is derived from an American Indian word meaning "a stream whose banks are fringed with alder." [1]

During the late 1800s, the Tobyhanna and Lehigh Lumber Company operated a lumber mill, clothespin factory, and silk mill in what was then called the Village of Tobyhanna Mills. In September 1900, N S Brittain, a prominent resident of Coolbaugh Township and cashier of the East Stroudsburg Bank, purchased virtually the entire village, consisting of more than thirty dwellings and 120 acres of the land but none of the former mill equipment. The lumber company sold the land, depleted of its lumber, for USD $10,000. The Monroe Water Supply Company had purchased most of the lumber company's property, over 32,000 acres (13,000 ha), in March 1899. The site was transitioning from forest products to the harvesting of ice. [2]

From approximately 1900 to 1936, Tobyhanna lakes were the site of active ice industries. The ice was cut from the lakes during the winter and stored in large barn-like structures. During the rest of the year, the ice was added to railroad boxcars hauling fresh produce and meats destined for East Coast cities.

In 1912, Tobyhanna had a Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railway station, Tobyhanna station, telegraph, and post office. The federal government acquired land within Tobyhanna that became the Tobyhanna Military Reservation, later Tobyhanna Army Depot, which was used as an Artillery training ground. [1] [3] Edward B. Reed, in The Field Artillery Journal (January–March 1917), described Tobyhanna based on his experiences with the Yale Batteries during their training:

"The camp at Tobyhanna is on a rocky, treeless crest from which no trace of man is visible. About are mountains and uncultivated valleys. The village of Tobyhanna is interesting only because it contains a station that enables you to leave it. No better place for work could be found."

In recent years, due to its location between the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and the development of new homes, many families have moved to the Poconos. Some Tobyhanna residents choose to commute to the city via Interstate 380, Interstate 80, or Interstate 84. Pennsylvania Route 611 runs southeast from Tobyhanna towards Pocono Township.

Today, the train route east toward New York has lain dormant since the mid-1960s; however, work is underway towards possible extension of commuter rail (Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project) to the village, as a means to reduce roadway crowding en route to New York City. [4] [5]

Forest scene on the Tobihanna, Alleghany Mountains (circa 1832): aquatint by Karl Bodmer from the book "Maximilian, Prince of Wied's Travels in the Interior of North America, during the years 1832-1834" Karl Bodmer Travels in America (4).jpg
Forest scene on the Tobihanna, Alleghany Mountains (circa 1832): aquatint by Karl Bodmer from the book "Maximilian, Prince of Wied’s Travels in the Interior of North America, during the years 1832–1834"

Geography

The landscape of the area is of broad, flat areas intermixed with low hills covered with a northern hardwood forest. Common tree species are beech, birch, and maple.

Education

Two schools are located within Tobyhanna: Clear Run Elementary Center (CREC), which teaches Kindergarten through second grade, and Clear Run Intermediate School (CRIS), which generally houses students grades three through six. The two schools share the Clear Run campus, which is located on Memorial Boulevard (PA-611). Tobyhanna schools are part of the Pocono Mountain School District. Clear Run Intermediate School was built in 1995; Clear Run Elementary Center was built in 1997.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania</span> Place in Pennsylvania, United States

Coolbaugh Township is a township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 20,805 at the 2020 census. Tobyhanna State Park is in Coolbaugh Township. Tobyhanna, an unincorporated community, is also located in Coolbaugh Township rather than Tobyhanna Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania</span> Place in Pennsylvania, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania</span> Place in Pennsylvania, United States

Tobyhanna Township is a township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,290 at the 2020 census. Tobyhanna Township has Tobyhanna Elementary Center and Locust Lake Village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocono Mountains</span> Geographic highland and cultural region in Pennsylvania, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 380 (Pennsylvania)</span> Highway in Pennsylvania

Interstate 380 (I-380) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northeastern Pennsylvania that connects I-80 with I-81 and I-84. The southern terminus is in Tunkhannock Township at the junction with I-80; the northern terminus of I-380 is at I-81 and U.S. Route 6 (US 6) in Dunmore. The entire length of the highway is 28.45 miles (45.79 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 940</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 940 is a 43.2-mile-long (69.5 km) Pennsylvania highway located in the Pocono Mountains. It runs from PA 309 in Hazleton east to PA 191 in Paradise Valley. Large segments of PA 940 are located in densely forested areas. The route heads northeast through Luzerne County from Hazleton, passing through Freeland and coming to an interchange with Interstate 80 (I-80) in White Haven. From here, PA 940 turns east and runs a short distance north of I-80, coming to an interchange with both I-80 and I-476 in northern Carbon County. The route continues through Monroe County and passes through Pocono Pines before it has an interchange with I-380. PA 940 passes through Mount Pocono prior to continuing to its eastern terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 611</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, United States

Pennsylvania Route 611 is a state highway in eastern Pennsylvania running 109.7 mi (176.5 km) from Interstate 95 (I-95) in the southern part of the city of Philadelphia north to I-380 in Coolbaugh Township in the Pocono Mountains. Through most of Philadelphia, PA 611 follows Broad Street, the main north-south street in the city. The route continues north through the northern suburbs of Philadelphia and serves Jenkintown, Willow Grove, and Doylestown, the latter of which it bypasses on a freeway. North of Doylestown, PA 611 heads through rural areas and runs along the west bank of the Delaware River to the city of Easton in the Lehigh Valley. The route continues back into rural land and passes through the Delaware Water Gap, at which point it enters the Pocono Mountains region. Here, PA 611 heads northwest through Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono toward its northern terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobyhanna State Park</span>

Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 5,440 acres (2,201 ha) mostly in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, with a small portion of the park in Dreher and Lehigh townships in Wayne County, all in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the 170-acre (69 ha) Tobyhanna Lake and a portion of Tobyhanna Creek. It is located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) north of the town of Tobyhanna, with the main park entrance on Pennsylvania Route 423, and a portion that borders on Pennsylvania Route 196. The park lies immediately adjacent to Gouldsboro State Park, Pennsylvania State Game Lands 312, and State Game Land 127.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gouldsboro State Park</span> State park in Monroe and Wayne counties, Pennsylvania

Gouldsboro State Park is a 2,880-acre (1,165 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County and Lehigh Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the 250-acre (100 ha) Gouldsboro Lake. Gouldsboro State Park is located very close to Tobyhanna State Park and Pennsylvania State Game Lands 127 and 312. It is on Pennsylvania Route 507 near the small village of Gouldsboro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocono Mountain School District</span> Public school district in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 423</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 423 (PA 423) is a state route in Monroe and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania. It runs for 14.32 miles (23.05 km), crossing through the Pocono Mountains from PA 940 in Pocono Pines to PA 191 in South Sterling. The route runs southwest-northeast through forested areas of the Pocono Mountains as a two-lane undivided road. In Tobyhanna, PA 423 has an interchange with Interstate 380 (I-380) and an intersection with PA 611. Farther northeast, the route crosses PA 196 in Gouldsboro. PA 490 was designated in 1928 to run from U.S. Route 611 (US 611) in Tobyhanna northeast to PA 90 in Laanna. In the 1930s, the route was extended and realigned to run from PA 940 in Pocono Pines to PA 90 in South Sterling. PA 490 became PA 423 in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 196</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 196 is a state highway in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with a length of 25.7 miles (41.4 km). It runs from PA 611 and PA 940 in Mount Pocono in Monroe County north to PA 296 in Varden in Wayne County. The route is a two-lane undivided road that runs through rural areas. PA 196 intersects PA 423 near Tobyhanna State Park before entering Wayne County, where it crosses PA 507 in Angels and passes through Sterling. The route forms a concurrency with PA 191 and has a junction with PA 590 in Hamlin. Upon splitting from PA 191, PA 196 continues north to its end at PA 296.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 435</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 435 (PA 435) is a 14.9-mile-long (24.0 km) state highway located in Monroe, Wayne, and Lackawanna counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at Interstate 380 (I-380) near Gouldsboro. The northern terminus is at I-84 and I-380 in Dunmore. The route heads north from I-380 and the southern terminus of PA 507 in Monroe County as a four-lane road, passing through a small section of Wayne County before entering Lackawanna County. PA 435 becomes a two-lane road at the PA 307 junction and continues north to intersect PA 502 in Daleville and PA 690 in Moscow. After intersecting PA 590, the route becomes a four-lane divided highway and intersects PA 348 before merging into I-84/I-380.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 507</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 507 is a 27.2-mile-long (43.8 km) state highway located in Monroe, Wayne, and Pike Counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 435 and at an interchange with Interstate 380 (I-380) near Gouldsboro. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 6 in Palmyra Township. PA 507 runs southwest-northeast as a two-lane undivided through forests in the upper reaches of the Pocono Mountains, with the northern section nearly parallel to Lake Wallenpaupack. The route passes through Gouldsboro before it crosses PA 196 in Angels. In Newfoundland, PA 507 and PA 191 run concurrent for about 2 miles (3.2 km) and intersect the north end of PA 447. After splitting from PA 191, the route has an interchange with I-84 and a junction with the northern terminus of PA 390 before ending at US 6. PA 507 was designated between US 611 west of Gouldsboro and US 6 in Tafton in 1928. The route was fully paved by the 1930s and has remained on the same alignment since.

The Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA), also known as the Pocono Pony, is a public transportation service located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It provides rural and inter-city fixed route bus and paratransit service within the county. MCTA is funded in part by PennDOT, the Federal Transit Administration, local match and farebox revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Pocono Summit is a unincorporated community and census-designated place that is located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Parts of Pocono Summit are located in the municipalities of Coolbaugh and Tobyhanna townships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobyhanna station</span>

Tobyhanna station is a proposed NJ Transit commuter rail station located in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The station forms part of a site owned by a number of public and private entities including the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority. The site is adjacent to the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station; the building remains in place and is in use as the local historical society rail museum. In spring 2021, Amtrak announced plans for potential New York-Scranton route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocono Mountain station</span>

Pocono Mountain is a proposed New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJT) station located in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania and is part of a site that was formerly utilized as a summer camp. The proposed station site, which will include a 1,000-space surface parking lot, is located northwest of a multi-phased planned development for this area. Access will be from Pennsylvania Route 611 via Pocono Municipal Road/Mount Pocono Road and a local access road and the platform would be situated east of the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project</span>

The Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project is a New Jersey Transit and Amtrak effort to restore passenger service to the Lackawanna Cut-Off in northwest New Jersey.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tobyhanna State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  2. "Bought A Whole Village", The Wilkes-Barre Record, 6 September 1900, page 5 column 2, Newspapers.com
  3. "History of the Tobyhanna Army Depot". 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. Frank, Howard (May 31, 2008), "Small step for commuter rail eyed: NJ Transit to vote on filling in 7.3-mile stretch of 28-mile gap", Pocono Record, retrieved June 2, 2008
  5. Appezzato, John (June 4, 2008), "Plans move forward to revive Lackawanna Cutoff rail line", The Star-Ledger , retrieved June 4, 2008