109-479: The Fred A. Williams Easton Intermodal Transportation Center is a bus terminal in downtown Easton, Pennsylvania . It serves as a hub for local routes in the Lehigh Valley area operated by LANta and for intercity routes operated by various companies. In addition to buses, the center hosts Easton's city hall and a restaurant. The center opened in 2015. The center consists of two structures. Facing South 3rd Street
218-496: A sports radio station broadcasting at 1230 AM, WODE-FM "The Hawk", a classic rock station broadcasting at 99.9 FM, WCTO "Cat Country 96", a country music station broadcasting on 96.1 FM, WJRH , a Lafayette College college radio station broadcasting at 104.9 FM, and WEST "Loud Radio", a rhythmic contemporary radio station broadcasting at 99.5 FM. WDIY-FM , a National Public Radio affiliate located in Bethlehem, maintains
327-641: A translator in Easton and broadcasts at 93.9 FM. Two national magazines, Runner's World and Bicycling , are based in Easton. Easton was once served only by the 215 area code from 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect until 1994. In response to southeastern Pennsylvania's growing telecommunication demand, Easton telephone exchanges were switched to area code 610 in 1994. An overlay area code , 484,
436-661: A 1,000-acre (4 km ) tract of land at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers for the town's establishment, and the city was formally founded in 1752. The same year, Easton was selected as the county seat of Northampton County . During the French and Indian War , the Treaty of Easton was signed in Easton by the British colonial government then governing the Province of Pennsylvania and
545-469: A 109-mile-long (175 km) river that joins the Delaware River in Easton and serves as the city's eastern geographic boundary with Phillipsburg, New Jersey . Easton is the easternmost city in the Lehigh Valley , a region of 731 square miles (1,890 km ) that is Pennsylvania 's third-largest and the nation's 68th-largest metropolitan region with 861,889 residents as of the U.S. 2020 census . Of
654-537: A New York charter for the Lehigh Valley Railway, a similar name to the LVRR, but with "railway" instead. LVRR subsidiary, Lehigh Valley Railway began constructing the main line's northern part from Buffalo to Lancaster, New York , in 1883, a total distance of ten miles. This was the second step toward establishment of a direct route from Sayre to Buffalo (thus avoiding the connecting spur to Waverly and on to Buffalo on
763-464: A few hundred acres of coal land, by 1868 the LVRR was feeling pressure from the Delaware and Hudson and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in the northern Wyoming Valley coal field, where the railroads mined and transported their own coal at a much reduced cost. The LVRR recognized that its own continued prosperity depended on obtaining what coal lands remained. In pursuit of that strategy,
872-540: A fleet of ships on the Great Lakes with terminals in Chicago , Milwaukee , and Duluth . This company became an important factor in the movement of anthracite, grain and package freight between Buffalo, Chicago, Milwaukee, Duluth, Superior and other midwestern cities. Following Federal legislation which stopped the operation of such service, the lake line was sold to private interests in 1920. The port on Lake Erie at Buffalo
981-490: A household in the city was $ 33,162, and the median income for a family was $ 38,704. Males had a median income of $ 32,356 versus $ 23,609 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,949. About 12.3% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. The Easton Area School District serves public school students from Easton, Forks Township , Palmer Township , Martins Creek to
1090-455: A mayor who is chairman and a voting member of the city council. All these officials are elected to four-year terms. The incumbent mayor, Democrat Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. , was reelected to his fourth consecutive term in 2019; he previously served two terms as Easton mayor from 1984 to 1992. Easton is part of Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district , represented in the U.S. House of Representatives currently by Democrat Susan Wild , who
1199-495: A need for dedicated transit centers in Allentown , Bethlehem , and Easton. Intercity buses stopped at a location on South 3rd Street between Center Square and Ferry Street, north of the new facility. The site in Easton, bounded on the north by Spruce Street and the east by South 3rd Street, was formerly occupied by two properties: a Perkins Restaurant & Bakery , and the shuttered Marquis Theatre. The city acquired both in 2010 for
SECTION 10
#17328800644691308-571: A quarter of it was ballasted with stone or gravel. The line had a descending or level grade from Mauch Chunk to Easton and with the exception of the curve at Mauch Chunk had no curve of less than 700 feet radius. The 46-mile-long (74 km) LVRR connected at Mauch Chunk with the Beaver Meadow Railroad . The Beaver Meadow Railroad had been built in 1836, and it transported anthracite coal from Jeansville in Pennsylvania's Middle Coal Field to
1417-504: A terminus in Jersey City, New Jersey . Construction commenced in 1872 as soon the Easton and Amboy was formed; coal docks at Perth Amboy were soon constructed, and most of the line from Easton to Perth Amboy was graded and rails laid. However, the route required a 4,893-foot (1,491 m) tunnel through/under Musconetcong Mountain near Pattenburg, New Jersey (about twelve miles east of Phillipsburg), and that proved troublesome, delaying
1526-556: A third rail within the Erie mainline tracks to enable the LV equipment to run through to Elmira and later to Buffalo. Further rounds of acquisitions took place in 1868. The acquisitions in 1868 were notable because they marked the beginning of the LVRR's strategy of acquiring coal lands to ensure production and traffic for its own lines. Although the 1864 acquisition of the Beaver Meadow had included
1635-462: A total of $ 3 million. The entire cost of the project came to $ 34 million, split between the city of Easton, LANTA, and state and federal grants. The center was dedicated on September 29 and opened on October 5, 2015. It is formally named the Fred A. Williams Easton Intermodal Transportation Center , after Fred A. Williams, a local businessman and long-time member of LANta's board. The city hall relocated from
1744-502: Is College Hill, home of Lafayette College . South Easton, divided by the Lehigh River from the rest of the city, was a separate borough until 1898; it was settled initially by Native Americans and later by canal workers, and home to several silk mills . Wilson , West Easton , and Glendon are directly adjacent to the city. Wilson partly aligns to the same north–south grid as Easton. Easton's Historic Downtown District lies directly at
1853-502: Is a 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m) rectangular three-story building containing Easton's city hall , a waiting room and ticket office for bus passengers, and retail. Behind this building, are the bus bays and a multilevel parking garage above. Prior to the opening of the center, LANta's local buses used Easton's Center Square as its downtown hub. This was an open-air location with considerable traffic. The Lehigh Valley Surface Transportation Plan 2011-2030 , published in 2010, identified
1962-428: Is headquartered in nearby Palmer Township . The Lehigh Valley Railroad , Central Railroad of New Jersey , which uses the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad , Lehigh and Hudson River Railway , and Conrail are major defunct railroads that operated in Easton. Norfolk Southern Railway is now the only railroad in Easton. Easton's daily newspaper is The Express-Times . The Morning Call , based in Allentown , also
2071-678: Is home to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, a memorial for Easton area veterans killed during the American Civil War . In the first half of the 20th century, Centre Square was referred to locally as the Circle. The Peace Candle , a candle-like structure, is assembled and disassembled every year atop the Civil War monument for the Christmas season . Norfolk Southern Railway 's Lehigh Line , formerly
2180-527: Is located at 40°41′18″N 75°12′59″W / 40.68833°N 75.21639°W / 40.68833; -75.21639 (40.688248, −75.216458). According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km ), 4.3 square miles (11 km ) of which is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ) (8.39%) of which is water, including Bushkill Creek and the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. It also includes an island, Getter's Island , which
2289-596: Is read in the city. Easton is part of the Philadelphia media market but also receives numerous radio and television channels from New York City and the smaller Scranton - Wilkes-Barre media market to the northwest. Two television stations are based in the Easton area: PBS affiliate WLVT Channel 39 in Bethlehem and independent station WFMZ Channel 69 in Allentown . Five radio stations are based in Easton: WEEX ,
SECTION 20
#17328800644692398-461: Is similar to increases in Allentown and Bethlehem , the Valley's two largest cities. There were 9,544 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who
2507-678: Is the home of 27 interactive children's attractions, and the National Canal Museum , which focuses on the region's canal history, and the Crayola Experience , which is owned by Crayola LLC , formerly known as Binney & Smith, a major toy manufacturer based in nearby Forks Township . The global headquarters for Victaulic is based in nearby Forks Township. Easton also was once the home of Dixie Cup Corporation , manufacturer of Dixie Cups and other consumer products. Majestic Athletic , current provider of Major League Baseball uniforms,
2616-444: Is the trucks and wagons, loaded with farm produce, drawn up to the curb at the Circle [Centre Square]. Women, scrupulously clean in their calico house dresses, and men in overalls or ' Sunday best ,' arrange makeshift counters on which to display their vegetables, meats, crocks of apple butter , and pastries. On December 16, 1925, the nation's largest fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega , was founded at Lafayette College in Easton. Easton
2725-687: The Declaration of Independence was read aloud in public for the first time on July 8, 1776, at noon, four days following its unanimous passage by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. During the Declaration's reading in Easton, the Easton flag was flown, making it one of the first non-colonial flags to fly in the Thirteen Colonies . The same flag was later used by a militia during
2834-861: The Delaware Division Canal or transported across the river to Phillipsburg, New Jersey , where the Morris Canal and the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) could carry it to the New York City market. At Easton, the LVRR constructed a double-decked bridge across the Delaware River for connections to the CNJ and the Belvidere Delaware Railroad in Phillipsburg. Through a connection with
2943-710: The Hayts Corners, Ovid & Willard Railroad opened May 14, 1883 from the Geneva, Ithaca & Sayre to the Willard asylum, and continued in service until 1936. In Pennsylvania, the Lehigh scored a coup by obtaining the charter formerly held by the Schuykill Haven and Lehigh River Railroad in 1886. That charter had been held by the Reading Railroad since 1860, when it had blocked construction in order to maintain its monopoly in
3052-693: The Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City . The LVRR, which had built coal docks in Perth Amboy when it built the Easton and Amboy in the 1870s, desired a terminal on the Hudson River close to New York City . In 1891, the LVRR consolidated the Roselle and South Plainfield Railway into the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway , along with the other companies which formed the route from South Plainfield to
3161-549: The Lehigh Canal at Mauch Chunk. For 25 years the Lehigh Canal had enjoyed a monopoly on downstream transportation and was charging independent producers high fees. When the LVRR opened, those producers eagerly sent their product by the railroad instead of canal, and within two years of its construction the LVRR was carrying over 400,000 tons of coal annually. By 1859 it had 600 coal cars and 19 engines. The LVRR immediately became
3270-566: The Lehigh River and break the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company 's monopoly on coal traffic from Wyoming Valley . The railroad was chartered on August 2, 1847, and elected James Madison Porter its president on October 21. Little occurred between 1847 and 1851, save some limited grading near Allentown, Pennsylvania . All this changed in October 1851, when Asa Packer took majority control of
3379-612: The Lehigh River , then as Philadelphia Road farther south), Cattell Street, Riverside Drive, and Delaware Drive (PA Route 611). Air transport to and from Easton is available through Lehigh Valley International Airport , which is located approximately 11 miles (18 km) west of the city, in Hanover Township . Braden Airpark , also known as Easton Airport, is a smaller airport located about three nautical miles north of Easton's central business district. Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad ( reporting mark LV )
Easton Intermodal Transportation Center - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-818: The Lehigh River . The Lehigh Valley Railroad's original and primary route between Easton and Allentown was built in 1855. The line later expanded past Allentown to Lehigh Valley Terminal in Buffalo and past Easton to New York City , bringing the Lehigh Valley Railroad to these metropolitan areas. By December 31, 1925, the railroad controlled 1,363.7 miles of road and 3,533.3 miles of track. By 1970, this had dwindled to 927 miles of road and 1963 miles of track. The first small repair shops for locomotives and cars were located in Delano, Wilkes-Barre, Weatherly, Hazleton, and South Easton. In 1902 these were mostly consolidated into
3597-613: The Native American tribes, including the Shawnee and Lenape, from what was then called Ohio Country . Easton and the broader Lehigh Valley region played an instrumental and supportive role during the American Revolution , which commenced in 1775. In recognition of the strong pro-revolutionary sentiment in the city and region, Easton was one of only three designated locations, along with Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey , where
3706-581: The Port of New York and New Jersey to serve consumer markets in the New York metropolitan area , eliminating the Phillipsburg connection with the CNJ that had previously been the only outlet to the New York tidewater; until it was built, the terminus of the LVRR had been at Phillipsburg on the Delaware River opposite Easton, Pennsylvania . The Easton and Amboy was used as a connection to the New York metropolitan area, with
3815-595: The Schuylkill Valley coal fields. The Vosburg Tunnel was completed and opened for service on July 25, 1886. The 16-mile mountain cut-off, a rail segment of the line that extended from Fairview, Pennsylvania , to the outskirts of Pittston, Pennsylvania , was completed in November 1888. This allowed the line's eastbound grade to be reduced and a shorter route for handling through traffic established. The LVRR had built coal docks in Perth Amboy, New Jersey , when it built
3924-829: The Thomas Iron Company , the Lehigh Crane Iron Company , the Lehigh Valley Iron Works, the Carbon Iron Company, and others. At Bethlehem, Pennsylvania , the North Pennsylvania Railroad which was completed during the Summer of 1856, provided a rail connection to Philadelphia and thus brought the LVRR a direct line to Philadelphia. At Phillipsburg, New Jersey , the Belvidere Delaware Railroad connected to Trenton, New Jersey . To accommodate
4033-498: The War of 1812 and currently serves as Easton's municipal flag. Easton maintained hospital used in the treatment of injured Continental Army soldiers during the war. On June 18, 1779, General John Sullivan led 2,500 Continental Army soldiers from Easton to engage Indian allies of the British Army on the frontier. Located at the confluence of the rapidly flowing Lehigh River and
4142-661: The Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration in 1940, described the rich and cosmopolitan fabric of Easton's society in the first half of the 20th century: The city is a composite of a hurried commercial present and a sedate mercantile past, leavened by a carefree college atmosphere. Coeds, dressed according to the dictates of Hollywood, and college boys in sports clothes and near-white buckskin shoes worn without regard for time or season, rub elbows with frugal Pennsylvania Dutch . A familiar sight on market days
4251-410: The 12 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos and is one of the nation's most elite high school athletic conferences. Easton holds the third most conference championships in all sports, behind only Parkland High School and Emmaus High School . Easton is also home to Notre Dame High School , a Catholic school. Easton is the home of one four-year college, Lafayette College , which
4360-627: The 1868 purchases of the Hazleton Railroad and the Lehigh Luzerne Railroad brought 1,800 acres (7.3 km ) of coal land to the LVRR, and additional lands were acquired along branches of the LVRR. Over the next dozen years the railroad acquired other large tracts of land: 13,000 acres (53 km ) in 1870, 5,800 acres (23 km ) in 1872, and acquisition of the Philadelphia Coal Company in 1873 with its large leases in
4469-567: The 4 ft 10 in (1,473 mm) gauge of the Belvidere, the cars were furnished with wheels having wide treads that operated on both roads. The 1860s saw an expansion of the LVRR northward to the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania , area and up the Susquehanna River to the New York state line. Asa Packer was elected President of the Lehigh Valley Railroad on January 13, 1862. In 1864,
Easton Intermodal Transportation Center - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-466: The Alpha Building on the southwest side of Centre Square on October 26. The Easton Intermodal Transportation Center hosts local and intercity bus services: Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania , United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census . Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River ,
4687-542: The Bound Brook and Easton were merged to form a new railroad company called the Easton and Amboy Railroad (or Easton & Amboy Railroad Company). The Easton and Amboy Railroad was a railroad built across central New Jersey by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to run from Phillipsburg, New Jersey , to Bound Brook, New Jersey , and it was built to connect the Lehigh Valley Railroad coal-hauling operations in Pennsylvania and
4796-654: The Central Railroad of New Jersey, LVRR passengers had a route to Newark, New Jersey , Jersey City, New Jersey , and other points in New Jersey . The LVRR's rolling stock was hired from the Central Railroad of New Jersey and a contract was made with the CNJ to run two passenger trains from Easton to Mauch Chunk connecting with the Philadelphia trains on the Belvidere Delaware Railroad. A daily freight train
4905-458: The DLS&S. Packer brought additional financing to the railroad, installed Robert H. Sayre as chief engineer, and renamed the company the "Lehigh Valley Railroad." Construction began in earnest in 1853, and the line opened between Easton and Allentown on June 11, 1855. The section between Allentown and Mauch Chunk opened on September 12. At Easton, the LVRR interchanged coal at the Delaware River where coal could be shipped to Philadelphia on
5014-490: The Easton and Amboy Railroad was opened for business on June 28, 1875, with hauling coal. The Easton and Amboy's operations were labeled the "New Jersey Division" of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The Easton and Amboy had already completed large docks and facilities for shipping coal at Perth Amboy upon an extensive tract of land fronting the Arthur Kill. Approximately 350,000 tons of anthracite moved to Perth Amboy during that year for transshipment by water. Operations continued until
5123-420: The Easton and Amboy in the 1870s, but desired a terminal on the Hudson River close to New York City . In New Jersey, the LVRR embarked on a decade-long legal battle with the CNJ over terminal facilities in Jersey City . The land that Asa Packer had obtained in 1872 was situated on the southern side of the Morris Canal's South Basin, but the CNJ already had its own facilities adjacent to that property and disputed
5232-403: The Erie), the first being the acquisition of the Geneva, Ithaca & Athens Railroad. In 1887, the Lehigh Valley Railroad obtained a lease on the Southern Central Railroad (the LVRR previously had trackage rights on the railroad starting in 1870), which had a route from Sayre northward into the Finger Lakes region. At the same time, the LVRR organized the Buffalo and Geneva Railroad to build
5341-403: The Jersey City terminal. Initially, the LVRR contracted with the CNJ for rights from Roselle to Jersey City, but the LVRR eventually finished construction to its terminal in Jersey City over the Newark and Roselle Railway , the Newark and Passaic Railway , the Jersey City, Newark, and Western Railway , and the Jersey City Terminal Railway . The LVRR's Newark and Roselle Railway in 1891 brought
5450-412: The LH&S tracks from the 1870s until the Conrail consolidations absorbed both the Central Railroad of New Jersey and Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1966. Today, the Lehigh Valley Railroad's main line is the only major rail line that goes through Easton and is now known as the Lehigh Line ; the Lehigh Line was bought by the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1999. In the mid-19th century, canal transportation
5559-429: The LV to reach White Haven. In 1866, the LVRR purchased acquired the Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad (originally the Quakake Railroad) and the North Branch Canal along the Susquehanna River, renaming it the Pennsylvania and New York Canal & Railroad Company (P&NY). The purchasing of the North Branch Canal saw an opportunity for a near monopoly in the region north of the Wyoming Valley . In 1866, two years after
SECTION 50
#17328800644695668-400: The LVRR acquired other large tracts of land starting at 13,000 acres (53 km ) in 1870, with an additional of 5,800 acres (23 km ) in 1872, and turned its eye toward expansion across New Jersey all the way to the New York City area. In 1870, the Lehigh Valley Railroad acquired trackage rights to Auburn, New York , on the Southern Central Railroad . The most important market in
5777-517: The LVRR began acquiring feeder railroads and merging them with its system. The first acquisitions were the Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company, which included a few hundred acres of coal land, and the Penn Haven and White Haven Railroad. The purchase of the Penn Haven and White Haven was the first step in expanding to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania . To reach Wilkes-Barre, the LVRR began constructing an extension from White Haven, Pennsylvania , to Wilkes-Barre. The Penn Haven and White Haven Railroad allowed
5886-407: The LVRR began an extensive expansion into New York from Sayre, Pennsylvania (just southeast of Waverly) to Buffalo. Construction from Sayre to Buffalo was split into two projects, Sayre to Geneva, New York , and Geneva, which is located at the northern end of Seneca Lake ), to Buffalo. First, it purchased a large parcel of land in Buffalo, the Tifft farm, for use as terminal facilities, and obtained
5995-456: The LVRR purchased the National Docks Railway outright. The 1890s began with the completion of its terminals in Buffalo and Jersey City, and the establishment of a trunk line across New York state, the company soon became entangled in costly business dealings which ultimately led to the Packer family's loss of control. The coal trade was always the backbone of the business but was subject to boom and bust as competition and production increased and
6104-400: The LVRR purchased the Penn Haven & White Haven Railroad in 1864, and began constructing an extension from White Haven to Wilkes-Barre that was opened in 1867. By 1869, the LVRR owned a continuous track through Pennsylvania from Easton to Waverly. In the following year, the LVRR—a standard gauge railroad—completed arrangements with the Erie Railroad, at that time having a six-foot gauge, for
6213-451: The LVRR's bankruptcy in 1976. The marshalling yard is now the residential area known as Harbortown . Passenger traffic on the LVRR's Easton and Amboy connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) at Metuchen, New Jersey , and continued to the PRR'S Exchange Place terminus in Jersey City; that connection was discontinued in 1891 after the LVRR established its own route to Jersey City from South Plainfield. The Easton and Amboy Railroad
6322-411: The LVRR's title, which partly overlapped land the CNJ had filled for its own terminal. Finally in 1887 the two railroads reached a settlement, and construction of the LVRR's Jersey City freight yard began. The LVRR obtained a 5-year agreement to use the CNJ line to access the terminal, which opened in 1889. It fronted the Morris Canal Basin with a series of 600-foot (180 m) piers angling out from
6431-460: The Lehigh River. The West Ward district is located west of downtown and encompasses much of west side Easton between Sixth and Fifteenth Streets. Under the Köppen climate classification , Easton falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) if the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) if the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm is used. Summers are usually hot and very muggy, averaging in
6540-403: The Mahanoy basin. In 1875, the holdings were consolidated into the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, which was wholly owned by the LVRR. By 1893, the LVRR owned or controlled 53,000 acres (210 km ) of coal lands. With these acquisitions, the LVRR obtained the right to mine coal as well as transport it. The 1870s witnessed commencement of extension of the LVRR in a new direction. In the 1870s
6649-400: The Newark Bay was bridged in 1892 by the Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway and connected to the National Docks Railway , which was partly owned by the LVRR and which reached the LVRR's terminal. In 1895, the LVRR constructed the Greenville and Hudson Railway parallel with the national docks in order to relieve congestion and have a wholly-owned route into Jersey City. Finally in 1900,
SECTION 60
#17328800644696758-405: The Northeastern New Jersey in order to reach its freight yards without using the CNJ main line. The LVRR began construction of a series of railroads to connect the Easton and Amboy line (Easton and Amboy Railroad) to Jersey City. The first leg of the construction to Jersey City was the Roselle and South Plainfield Railway in 1888 which connected with the CNJ at Roselle for access over the CNJ to
6867-406: The Southern Coal Field. That southern field held the largest reserves of anthracite in Pennsylvania and accounted for a large percentage of the total production. Through neglect, the Reading allowed the charter to lapse, and it was acquired by the Lehigh Valley, which immediately constructed the Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Railroad. The line gave the LVRR a route into Pottsville, Pennsylvania , and
6976-416: The Valley's three major cities, Allentown , Bethlehem , and Easton, Easton is the smallest with approximately one-fourth the population of Allentown, the Valley's largest city. The greater Easton area includes the city of Easton, three townships ( Forks , Palmer , and Williams ), and three boroughs ( Glendon , West Easton , and Wilson ). Centre Square, the city's town square in its downtown neighborhood,
7085-406: The canal at Mauch Chunk to Wilkes-Barre. After the LVRR opened its line, the Lehigh & Susquehanna extended to Phillipsburg, New Jersey , and connected with the CNJ and the Morris and Essex Railroad in 1868. In 1871, the entire line from Phillipsburg to Wilkes-Barre was leased to the CNJ. For most of its length, it ran parallel to the LVRR. The LVRR found that the route of the Morris Canal
7194-415: The city on an east–west alignment, but the nearest interchange is in adjacent Williams Township. U.S. Route 22 is the main highway through central Easton, following the Lehigh Valley Thruway along an east–west alignment. Pennsylvania Route 33 briefly crosses the far southwestern corner of Easton, but the nearest interchange is in Bethlehem Township. Pennsylvania Route 611 follows a north–south route along
7303-442: The city was 78.48% White , 12.71% African American , 0.24% Native American , 1.66% Asian , 0.11% Pacific Islander , 3.67% from other races , and 3.13% from two or more races. Latino or Latino of any race were 9.79% of the population. The increase in Latinos—from less than 10% of the population in the 2000 census, to nearly 20% in the 2010 census, is a significant change in the city's demographics. The growth in Latino residents
7412-425: The colony's founder and original proprietor married Juliana Fermor . On September 8, 1751, a letter was sent to Colonial Governor James Hamilton by Penn requesting that a new town on the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers be named Easton and that it be in a new county called Northampton. In 1752, as requested, the city was named in honor of Lady Juliana's family estate, the Easton Neston . The county
7521-457: The confluence of the north banks of the Lehigh River and west banks of the Delaware River . Downtown adjoins each of the three other districts to the north, west, and south. Downtown continues west to Sixth Street and north to US Route 22 . College Hill is located north of downtown, starting north of US Route 22 . This neighborhood is home of Lafayette College , a liberal arts and engineering institution. The South Side district lies south of
7630-415: The death of its founder, Judge Washington McCartney, a decade later, in 1856. While at least two students, future U.S. Representative Philip Johnson and Wisconsin state senator Robert L. D. Potter , attended the school, a historian in 2000 described Union Law School as not being able to sustain itself after McCartney's death, writing that the school was "a one-man operation that died with him." Easton
7739-481: The deeper and wider Delaware River , Easton became a major commercial center during the canal and railroad periods of the 19th century and a transportation hub for the region's coal, iron, and steel industries. The Delaware Canal was built soon after the lower Lehigh Canal was opened in 1818 and became effective in delivering much-needed anthracite coal to the region's largest markets, Philadelphia , New Jersey , and New York City . Seeing other ways of exploiting
7848-748: The east side of the city adjacent to the Delaware River . Finally, Pennsylvania Route 248 begins at the junction of PA 611 and US 22 and heads westward along surface streets. Major east−west roads (from north to south) in Easton include Corriere Road, Zucksville Road, Northwood Avenue, Lafayette Street, Hackett Avenue, Northampton Street, Butler Street (known as William Penn Highway west of Wilson , then as Easton Avenue nearing Bethlehem ), Freemansburg Avenue, and Canal Street. Major north−south roads (from west to east) in Easton include Farmersville Road, Stones Crossing Road, Greenwood Avenue, 25th Street, Bushkill Drive, 13th Street, Centre Street, Sullivan Trail , Richmond Road, 3rd Street (known as Smith Avenue south of
7957-567: The east was New York City, but the LVRR was dependent on the CNJ and the Morris Canal for transport to the New York tidewater. In 1871, the LVRR leased the Morris Canal, which had a valuable outlet in Jersey City on the Hudson River opposite Manhattan . Asa Packer purchased additional land at the canal basin in support of the New Jersey West Line Railroad , which he hoped to use as the LVRR's terminal. That project failed, but
8066-436: The economy cycled. The coal railroads had begun in 1873 to form pools to regulate production and set quotas for each railroad. By controlling supply, the coal combination attempted to keep prices and profits high. Several combinations occurred, but each fell apart as one road or another abrogated its agreement. The first such combination occurred in 1873, followed by others in 1878, 1884, and 1886. Customers naturally resented
8175-591: The hands of the LVRR in September 1876, which extended from the New York state line near Sayre, Pennsylvania , to Geneva, New York , a distance of 75 miles. On May 17, 1879, Asa Packer, the company's founder and leader, died at the age of 73. At the time of his death, the railroad was shipping 4.4 million tons of coal annually over 657 miles (1,057 km) of track, using 235 engines, 24,461 coal cars, and over 2,000 freight cars of various kinds. The company controlled 30,000 acres (120 km ) of coal-producing lands and
8284-414: The lands were later used for the LVRR's own terminal in 1889. The CNJ, anticipating that the LVRR intended to create its own line across New Jersey, protected itself by leasing the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (L&S) to ensure a continuing supply of coal traffic. The L&S had been chartered in 1837 by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (the Lehigh Canal company) to connect the upper end of
8393-474: The line from Roselle into Newark, where passengers connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Bridging Newark Bay proved difficult. The LVRR first attempted to obtain a right of way at Greenville , but the Pennsylvania Railroad checkmated them by purchasing most of the properties needed. Then the CNJ opposed the LVRR's attempt to cross its line at Caven Point . Finally after settling the legal issues,
8502-463: The main line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad , runs through Easton on its way to Bethlehem and Allentown heading west across the Delaware River to Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Easton is located 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Allentown, 51 miles (82 km) north of Philadelphia , and 64 miles (103 km) west of New York City . On August 22, 1751, Thomas Penn , the son of William Penn ,
8611-445: The mid-80s during the day, though the high humidity makes it feel much warmer. Fall and spring months are typically mild, offering many days in the mid-60s, as well as stronger winds. Winters are usually very cold and produce about 30 inches of snow. The local hardiness zone is 6b. Easton operates a mayor-on-council city government. Residents elect a city controller, six city councilpersons (three at large and three district), and
8720-511: The new fuel source, other entrepreneurs quickly moved to connect across the Delaware River reaching into the New York City area to the east through the Morris Canal in Phillipsburg, New Jersey , so the town became a canal hub from which coal from Mauch Chunk reached the world. Early railroads were often built to parallel this transportation corridor. Historians of angling believe that, in 1845, Samuel Phillipe, an Easton gunsmith , invented
8829-586: The north. As of the 2000 census, the combined population of the municipalities in the Easton Area School District was 53,554. The school district has seven elementary schools: Cheston, Forks, March, Palmer, Paxinosa, Shawnee, and Tracy for grades K-5, Easton Area Middle School Campus (in Forks Township) for grades 6–8, and Easton Area High School (in Easton) for grades 9–12. Total student enrollment in
8938-482: The opening of the line until May 1875, when a coal train first passed over the line. To support the expected increase in traffic, the wooden bridge over the Delaware River at Easton was also replaced by a double-tracked, 1,191-foot (363 m) iron bridge. At Perth Amboy, a tidewater terminal was built on the Arthur Kill comprising a large coal dock used to transport coal into New York City. These tracks were laid and
9047-458: The purchase of the Penn Haven and White Haven, the extension from White Haven to Wilkes-Barre opened. Construction of a rail line to the New York state line started immediately and, in 1867, the line was complete from Wilkes-Barre to Waverly, New York , where coal was transferred to the broad gauge Erie Railroad and shipped to western markets through Buffalo, New York . To reach Wilkes-Barre,
9156-517: The railroad acquired land in northeast Pennsylvania and formed a subsidiary called The Glen Summit Hotel and Land Company. It opened a hotel in Glen Summit, Pennsylvania , called the Glen Summit Hotel to serve lunch to passengers traveling on the line. The hotel remained with the company until 1909, when it was bought by residents of the surrounding cottages. In New York State, s branch line,
9265-481: The railroad ended operations and merged into Conrail along with several northeastern railroads that same year. The Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad (DLS&S) was authorized by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on April 21, 1846, to construct a railroad from Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania , now Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, to Easton, Pennsylvania . The railroad would run parallel to
9374-508: The railroad was incorporated and established, initially called the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Company . On January 7, 1853, the railroad's name was changed to Lehigh Valley Railroad. It was sometimes known as the Route of the Black Diamond ; black diamond is a slang word for anthracite , the high-end type of Pennsylvania coal that it initially transported by boat down
9483-523: The rest of the 97-mile Geneva to Buffalo trackage, from Geneva to Lancaster. Finally, in 1889, the LVRR gained control of the Geneva, Ithaca, and Sayre Railroad and completed its line of rail through New York. As a result of its leases and acquisitions, the Lehigh Valley gained a near-monopoly on traffic in the Finger Lakes region. It also continued to grow and develop its routes in Pennsylvania. In 1883
9592-546: The rivalry marked its 100th anniversary. The game, which was broadcast on ESPN , was won by Easton. In 2009, Easton was the location of the Gatorade REPLAY Game in which the 1993 teams from the Easton vs. Phillipsburg game met again following their 7–7 tie in 1993. The REPLAY Game was won by Phillipsburg, 27–12. Easton Area High School competes in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference , which includes
9701-588: The route in New York state to Buffalo, considerably shortening the line. The majority of the Lehigh Line is now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) and retains much of its original route in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey , although it no longer goes into New York City. The former Lehigh Valley tracks between Manville, New Jersey , and Newark are operated separately by Conrail Shared Assets Operations as their own Lehigh Line . In 1976,
9810-460: The school district is approximately 8,289 students in all grades as of 2020–21. Easton Area High School is known for its long-standing athletic rivalry with Phillipsburg High School in neighboring Phillipsburg, New Jersey . The two teams play an annual football game on Thanksgiving Day that is considered one of the largest and longest-standing rivalries in American high school football . In 2006,
9919-626: The shops at Sayre, Pennsylvania on the New York State border, which featured a 750 by 336-foot machine shop with 48 erecting pits. The shops in Packerton, Pennsylvania , located in the Coal Region north of Allentown, served as the primary freight car shops. Conrail maintained the line as a main line into the New York metropolitan area , and the line became known as the Lehigh Line during Conrail's ownership of it. In 1976, Conrail abandoned most of
10028-553: The shoreline but was too narrow for a yard, so the LVRR built a separate yard at Oak Island in Newark to sort and prepare trains. The South Basin terminal was used solely for freight, having docks and car float facilities. Passengers were routed to the Pennsylvania Railroad's terminal and ferry. The LVRR strove throughout the 1880s to acquire its own route to Jersey City and to the Jersey City waterfront. The LVRR decided to expand more to
10137-645: The six-strip split-cane bamboo fly rod , which is commemorated by a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission plaque near Easton's Center Square. By the late 1860s, the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (LH&S) and Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR) were built to augment the bulk traffic through the canals and provide lucrative passenger travel services. The LVRR, known as the Black Diamond Line operated twice daily express passenger trains to and from New York City and Buffalo, New York via Easton. The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), leased and operated
10246-695: The trunk line down the Lehigh Valley, with numerous feeder railroads connecting and contributing to its traffic. The production of the entire Middle Coal Field came to the LVRR over feeders to the Beaver Meadow: the Quakake Railroad , the Catawissa, Williamsport and Erie Railroad , the Hazleton Railroad , the Lehigh Luzerne Railroad and other smaller lines. At Catasauqua, the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad transported coal, ore, limestone and iron for furnaces of
10355-448: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for
10464-544: Was a railroad in the Northeastern United States built predominantly to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Northeastern Pennsylvania to major consumer markets in Philadelphia , New York City , and elsewhere. On April 21, 1846, the railroad was authorized to provide freight transportation of passengers, goods, wares, merchandise, and minerals in Pennsylvania . On September 20, 1847,
10573-511: Was absorbed into the parent Lehigh Valley Railroad. In 1875, the LVRR financed the addition of a third rail to the Erie Railroad main line so that cars could roll directly from colliery to the port at Buffalo. While the third rail on the Erie Railroad main line between Waverly and Buffalo gave the LVRR an unbroken connection to Buffalo, the road's management desired its own line into Buffalo. The Geneva, Ithaca & Athens Railroad passed into
10682-490: Was added to the 610 service area in 1999. As of 2017, there were 72.75 miles (117.08 km) of public roads in Easton, of which 13.45 miles (21.65 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 59.36 miles (95.53 km) were maintained by the city. Interstate 78 is the most prominent highway passing through Easton. It briefly passes through the southeastern corner of
10791-578: Was critical to the LVRR's shipments of coal to western markets and for receipt of grain sent by the West to eastern markets. Although in 1870 the LVRR had invested in the 2-mile (3.2 km) Buffalo Creek Railroad, which connected the Erie to the lakefront, and had constructed the Lehigh Docks on Buffalo Creek , it depended on the Erie Railroad for the connection from Waverly to Buffalo, New York . In 1882,
10900-558: Was elected president, a position he held for 13 years. The 1880s continued to be a period of growth, and the LVRR made important acquisitions in New York, expanded its reach into the southern coal field of Pennsylvania which had hitherto been the monopoly of the Reading, and successfully battled the CNJ over terminal facilities in Jersey City . In 1880, the LVRR established the Lehigh Valley Transportation Line to operate
11009-400: Was established in 1826. Lafayette is located in Easton's College Hill section and is home to 2,514 undergraduate students as of the 2022–2023 academic year. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Lafayette as the nation's 36th best liberal arts college . Prior to the American Civil War , Easton was also home to Union Law School , which was founded in 1846 but struggled soon after
11118-522: Was expanding rapidly into New York and New Jersey. The railroad had survived the economic depression of 1873 and was seeing its business recover. Leadership of the company transferred smoothly to Charles Hartshorne, who had been vice president under Packer. In 1883, Hartshorne retired to allow Harry E. Packer, Asa's 32-year-old youngest son, to assume the Presidency. A year later, Harry Packer died of illness, and Asa's 51-year-old nephew Elisha Packer Wilbur
11227-565: Was first elected to the office in 2018. As of the 2010 census, the city was 67.2% White, 16.8% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 4.9% were two or more races. 19.9% of the population were of Latino ancestry. As of the 2000 census, there were 26,263 people, 9,544 households, and 5,735 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,168.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,381.6/km ). There were 10,545 housing units at an average density of 2,476.7 per square mile (956.3/km ). The racial makeup of
11336-477: Was impractical for use as a railroad line, so in 1872 the LVRR purchased the dormant charter of the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Railroad which had access to the Perth Amboy, New Jersey , harbor, and added to it a new charter, the Bound Brook and Easton Railroad. The State of New Jersey passed legislation that allowed the LVRR to consolidate its New Jersey railroads into one company; the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook and
11445-533: Was largely replaced by railroads, and Easton became a hub for five railroads, including the Jersey Central , Lehigh Valley Railroad , and others. Easton lost its prominence in passenger transportation with the rise of the automobile in the mid-20th century. Like the Pennsylvania Dutch region to the southwest, Easton was settled largely by Germans . The Pennsylvania Argus , a German language newspaper,
11554-660: Was named after the estate's location, which was in the south of Northamptonshire , England. The Lenape Native Americans originally referred to present-day Easton and its surrounding region as Lechauwitank, meaning 'the Place at the Forks'. The land that includes present-day Easton was obtained from the Lenape in the Walking Purchase in 1737. A plaque commemorating the transaction appears in Easton's town square. Thomas Penn set aside
11663-502: Was published in Easton until 1917. As part of their heritage, the Germans put up one of the continent's earliest Christmas trees in Easton; Daniel Foley's book states that, "Another diary reference unearthed recently makes mention of a tree set-up at Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1816." A plaque in Scott Park along the Delaware River commemorates this event. The Pennsylvania guide , compiled by
11772-486: Was put into operation leaving Easton in the morning and returning in the evening. In the early part of October 1855, a contract was made with Howard & Co. of Philadelphia to do the freighting business of the railroad (except coal, iron, and iron ore). The length of the line from Mauch Chunk to Easton was 46 miles of single track. The line was laid with a rail weighing 56 pounds per yard supported upon cross ties 6 x 7 inches and 7-1/2 feet long placed 2 feet apart and about
11881-419: Was the site of Pennsylvania's last public execution. Easton is divided into four districts: Downtown (DD), College Hill (CH), South Side (SS), and West Ward (WW). A number of smaller additional parks and institutional districts also exist. Downtown Easton lies at the confluence of the Lehigh River and Delaware River and is a low-lying area surrounded by hills to the north, west, and south. North of downtown
#468531