Pocono and Jackson Townships

By Pocono-Jackson Historical Society

Pocono Township got its name from the Native Americans, meaning "water between the mountains." Many small towns and villages dotted the landscape along the Native American trails, notably Tannersville in Pocono Township, which was named for its leather tanneries. Jackson Township was named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh United States president, and was primarily a farming and logging community. Jackson Township also became a major supplier of ice, which was harvested on the man-made lakes. The ice was transported on the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad from the depot in Reeders to Philadelphia, New York, and Jersey City. Over the years, the townships' family and honeymoon resorts, pristine streams for trout fishing, and clear mountain air have helped the area become known as "Pennsylvania's Playground."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jan 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781439638422

Pocono-Jackson Historical Society

The Pocono-Jackson Historical Society has chosen historic photographs from the many images in its archives, as well as from members and residents, to commemorate the area's history in Pocono and Jackson Townships. Captions for the photographs have been supplied from the recorded history of the area and memories of days gone by.

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INTRODUCTION

When the older residents of Pocono and Jackson Townships get together at the church, fire hall, or any meeting place, they more often than not say remember when? And for those who have an interest in the history and people of the townships, they lean in close in an effort to add to mental photographs of the area and how it came to be.

In the years prior to the Revolutionary War, the area that later was named Pocono Township was made up of mostly uninhabited land. Early records indicate the first settler, John Learned, came to the area about 1740. Eighty years later, the population numbered less than 600 persons. Many of these early settlers came from Germany through Bucks County, which lies to the south.

Monroe County, which encompasses Pocono and Jackson Townships, was formed from Northampton County in 1836. Pocono was decreed a township in 1816 and subsequently divided in 1843 into what is present-day Pocono and Jackson Townships.

Through the years, the area that later was named Pocono Township was a base for farming and timbering where numerous early sawmills were built. Tanneries, for which the village of Tannersville is named, came on the scene in the 1830s, with hotels and stores soon following. The largest tannery located in Pocono Township burned in 1884 for the third time, and with it, the economy attached to this industry declined. Ice harvesting took place during cold winters on local lakes, with railroad spurs being built to transport the ice to distant markets.

Many one-room schools were built throughout the townships starting about 1818. However, beginning in the 1920s, these schools began to close in favor of a consolidated and high school in Tannersville for Pocono Township students. Jackson Township students had to pay tuition to be able to attend this school.

In the late 1800s, people began coming to the area by railroad, bus, and automobile from New York and Philadelphia to take in the cool mountain air. The area became part of what is now known as the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, which attracted many tourists each year. Summer camps for children dotted the landscape, with names like Camp Akiba, Camp Cherith, Lindenmere, Massad, Pinemere Camp, and others. The pristine cold water creeks and wooded landscape provided ample fishing and hunting opportunities for sportsmen.

The resort industry experienced a decline beginning in the 1950s with the closing of many of the large resort hotels. However, a recent resurrection has occurred with the development of a year-round ski and water park and a major shopping outlet located nearby. These two attractions have generated a need for hotel and restaurant services to exist in the area.

Interstate 80 was built in the early 1960s and courses directly through Pocono and Jackson Townships. This road has provided easy access to the area from points east and west and has lead to the development of a bedroom community for New York and New Jersey commuters. The communities continue to draw people with many interests, including shopping, sports, and the area’s natural beauty. Those who call it home take pride in Pocono and Jackson Townships and their unique history.

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BUSINESSES, LARGE AND SMALL

Kistler’s Mill was located to the north of Glenwood Hall behind what appears to be a multifamily home. The mill was torn down when the Pocono Township Consolidated and High School was built in 1924 and 1925. (Courtesy of the Pocono-Jackson Historical Society.)

The Wallingford store interior features a sale on Palmolive soap during the early 1930s, as evidenced by the National Recovery Act sign common to the Depression years. (Courtesy of Robert Wallingford.)

Records show that the first store in Jackson Corner, now known as Appenzell, was built by John Osterhack of New York. The first post office was located in the store, and W. H. Rhinehart was its first postmaster. Shown in the photograph are Aaron Smith, Amandas Possinger, Stanton Smith, and an unidentified boy. This photograph was taken prior to 1918, when the Wallingford family purchased the store. (Courtesy of Diane Davis Abeel.)

This 1930 photograph shows storekeeper and postmaster John Alleger Sr. (1876–1946) inside the Bartonsville general store that he owned along with his wife, Daisy (1883–1974). He served as postmaster from 1912 until his death in 1946. The Bartonsville Post Office remained