|
About Tobyhanna Township
Overview
Tobyhanna Township is another Monroe County, Pennsylvania township. Hosting a population of a little over 8,000, it's perhaps one of the larger sized townships in the area. It takes up a total area measuring over 52.6 square miles, mostly land, with at least 2 square miles comprised of water.
Tobyhanna Township is an area that's naturally sheltered by dense forest. Thanks to this, timbering became the occupation of choice for many residents. The surrounding bodies of water, including the rivers, gave residents ways to transport freshly lobbed timber downstream into the larger markets located in Easton.
Fishing and other wildlife-related activities were also abundant, thanks to the land rich in streams, rivers and the surrounding forest. This helped supply all the necessities required for the settlers to develop settlements and sustain themselves.
Tobyhanna Township is now a mostly residential community, featuring areas for both commercial and industrial based development. It hosts the villages of Blakeslee, Pocono Lake and Pines and portions of the Pocono Summit.
In 1997, the historic Pocono Manor District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Tobyhanna Township Today
Tobyhanna Township, like other townships of Monroe, represent the rather cozy residential area within the Pocono Mountain region. Prospective and current residents have access to many commercial based businesses and industries, in addition to the residential Pocono homes and dwellings in the township.
The Pocono real estate scene is considered relatively healthy, featuring many Pocono homes well suited for families.
History
Tobyhanna Township was formed in 1830, taken from portions of Coolbaugh Township. The town of Tobyhanna, the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the Tobyhanna Lake and the Tobyhanna State Park actually reside within the boundaries of Coolbaugh, which joins Tobyhanna to the north.
The origin of the township's name came from a Native American word meaning 'a stream whose banks are fringed with alder.' That particular phrase also referred to the Tobyhanna Creek, a tributary of the Lehigh River. Besides the scenic deep woods and swamps encompassing the area, Tobyhanna is also located around the Pocono Plateau.
The earliest settlers from Europe arrived from various places within the Northeastern United States, particularly the states New York, Connecticut and Ohio. Some settlers came directly from Europe, while others arrived from other places within Pennsylvania.
The first and oldest road was paved through the area during the late 1700s. Throughout the next century, new residential and business developments established themselves throughout the township.
During the 1800s, Tobyhanna Township started attracting tourists and other vacationers who visited to get away from the city life. Tobyhanna Township resides close to mountains on a relatively high plain that's elevated around 2,000 feet, where visitors could 'taste the mountain air.'
| 
