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About Eldred Township
Overview
Eldred Township is a township of Monroe County, located in the eastern portion of the state of Pennsylvania. This township, when compared to other townships, is relatively small in population, despite its modest total area.
The total area, in fact, extends over 24 square miles that mostly consists of land with little bodies of water. The bodies of water that do run throughout the area include the Aquashicola Creek and the Buckwha Creek, which both drain west into the Lehigh River. It's also located relatively close to the Blue Mountain to the south, where it forms its natural southern boundary.
Eldred Township neighbors other municipalities in Monroe and other surrounding counties, including Polk Township, Chestnuthill Township, Ross Township and Moore Township in Northampton County.
Eldred Township Today
The township today is another one of Monroe County's natural areas featuring plenty of Pocono real estate properties and miles of beautiful land. This mostly rural area is historically known as a farming community, which led to its natural population of farmers from across the country and around the world.
Since it's a relatively quiet, rural area, it holds the smallest population of all the townships residing within Monroe County; the 2010 US Census, in fact, reported a little more than 2,900 residents that currently live in Pocono homes located there.
History
Eldred Township was first established as a township in September 1851, following the approval of a petitioned request from the residents of the area that eventually became the township itself. The township was formed out of a part of Ross Township. The origins of its name stem from a Monroe County judge named Nathaniel B. Eldred, who served from 1849 to 1853.
The first European settler who arrived in the area was a Moravian missionary known as Count Zinzendorf. The township itself actually remained relatively unchanged since its early European colonization. Many residents within the area, in fact, are actually descendants from early settlers, as evidenced by the many surnames remaining from eras past.
Some of the earliest village places in Eldred Township included Kunkletown, Fiddletown and Smith's Gap. The largest village was actually Kunkletown, named for settler businessman Joseph Kunkle—one of the earliest businessmen and hotel owners in the area.
Following its establishment as a township, many businesses and other necessary establishments opened throughout the area. Eldred Township didn't, however, gain significant traction in the vacation and resort business, unlike other Monroe County townships.
The township did provide support to the Philadelphia Brick Company, perhaps the largest industry in the township at the time. Their efforts eventually led to the building of the Chestnut Ridge Railroad that later helped transport the bricks to the Central Railroad Company in New Jersey.
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