George W. Scranton
Encyclopedia
George Whitfield Scranton (May 11, 1811 – March 24, 1861) was a Republican
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
from March 4, 1859, until his death in 1861.
, Connecticut
. He attended Lee’s Academy. He moved to Belvidere, New Jersey
in 1828 and became a teamster
.
ore by means of anthracite coal
in Slocum (now Scranton, Pennsylvania
). He was the founder of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company
and the city of Scranton. He projected and constructed the Northumberland division of the Lackawanna Railroad. He was the president of two railroad companies.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
from March 4, 1859, until his death in 1861.
Early life
George Scranton was born in MadisonMadison, Connecticut
Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The population was 18,812 at the 2000 census....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He attended Lee’s Academy. He moved to Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
in 1828 and became a teamster
Teamster
A teamster, in modern American English, is a truck driver. The trade union named after them is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , one of the largest unions in the United States....
.
Career
From 1835 to 1839, Scranton was interested in agricultural pursuits and in the latter year engaged in the manufacture of iron, and began experimenting with the practicability of smeltingSmelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
ore by means of anthracite coal
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
in Slocum (now Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
). He was the founder of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company
Lackawanna Steel Company
The Lackawanna Steel Company was an American steel manufacturing company that existed as an independent company from 1840 to 1922, and as a subsidiary of the Bethlehem Steel company from 1922 to 1983. Founded by the Scranton family, it was once the second-largest steel company in the world ....
and the city of Scranton. He projected and constructed the Northumberland division of the Lackawanna Railroad. He was the president of two railroad companies.