Lackawanna County Chronicles

The green hills and bustling boroughs of Lackawanna County have fostered a remarkable history of pioneering citizens and momentous events. Dr. Mary C. Nivison became the first female physician in the city when she opened her Scranton practice in 1871. Audiences were amazed in 1915, when Harry Houdini escaped from a large cask of beer at the Poli Theatre. The Pennsylvania county had its share of mayhem and tragedy as well. In 1923, the Laurel Line bandits held up the train between Moosic and Avoca, and nineteen years later, the flood of 1942 sent waters rushing down Carbondale’s Main Street. From the stories of the Great Riot of 1877 to memories of the Club Burger at Carrol’s Restaurant, local author Margo L. Azzarelli chronicles the history of Lackawanna County with this fascinating series of vignettes.