WILKES-BARRE, wilks'bar-re. The county seat of Luzerne County, Pa., 144 miles north by west of Philadelphia, on the Susquehanna River, here spanned by four iron bridges. and on the Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, the Delaware and Hudson, and other railroads (Map: Pennsyl vania, F 2). It is attractively situated in a region abounding in beautiful scenery, and is rich in reminiscences of the Colonial and Revo lutionary periods. In the vicinity there are of historic interest the Wyoming Monument, mark ing the site of the conflict of July 3, 1778, be tween the Americans and the Loyalists and In dians (see WYOMING VALLEY) the old Forty Fort Church, erected in HOS; and Queen Esther's Rock. Among the prominent institutions of Wilkes-Barre are the Harry Hillman Academy, the Malinckrodt Convent, Saint Mary's Convent, Home for Friendless Children, Iforne for Home less Women, and the City and Mercy hospitals. The Osterhout Free Library has 35.000 volumes. Other collections include those of the Law and Library Association (7500 volumes). the Wyo ming historical and Geological Society. and the Young Men's Christian Association. The Wyo ming Historical Museum has 20,000 volumes, and a collection of 30.000 relics of the early wars. Of the buildings the most notable are the post office. county court-house, city hall. jail, armory, and coal exchange. Wilkes-Barre is known as a centre of one of the most productive anthracite coal regions in the United States, the total output in 1900 amounting to about 19,000,000 tons. The manufacturing interests also are extensive.
To the census year 1900 the various industries had an invested capital of $10.501,537, and a production value of $10,738.348. The Wilkes Barre Lace :Manufacturing Company, the Haz ard Wire Rope Works, the Sheldon Axle Works, and the Vulcan Iron Works are among the larg est concerns of their kind in the United States.
Other important establishments include shops of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, foundries and ma chine shops, cutlery works, and manufactories of silk and silk goods, underwear, flour, malt liquors. clothing. shirts. etc. The government is vested in a mayor, chosen every three years, and a bicameral council. Of the subordinate officials, the majority are appointed by the mayor, sub ject to the confirmation of the council. In 1902 the net debt of the city was $593,014; and the as sessed valuation of real and personal property was $30,346,818, this amount being reduced by the board of revision for taxable purposes to $18, 173,409. For maintenance and operation there is spent annually about $372,000, the chief items being: schools, $144,000; municipal lighting, $38,000; street department, 838,000; fire depart ment. $36.000; police department. $35,000: inter est on net debt, $24,000. Population, in 1890, 57,718; in 1900, 51,721. The first settlers came to Wilkes-Barre in 1709 and laid out the village. In 1784, during the Pennamite-Yankee IN'ar, 23 of the 20 buildings were destroyed by the Pen namites, but the village was slowly rebuilt and in 1500 was incorporated as a borough. In 1850 its population was only 2723, hut after the Civil NN ar it grew rapidly, and in 1871 was chartered as a city. It takes its names from John Wilkes and Col. Isaac Barre", advocates of the colonists in the British Parliament, during and preceding the Revolution. Consult History of Lucerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties (New York/ 1880).