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About Tunkhannock Township
Overview
Tunkhannock Township is a township located within Monroe County of Pennsylvania, seated close to the far eastern edge of the state. Like other townships in the area, it enjoys a relatively modest area and population size. Tunkhannock Township is also home to several famous places of interest.
The township measures over 38 square miles, which mostly consists of land and a few bodies of water. The area also enjoys a relatively cooler climate, since the area is prone to cooler temperatures within its moist environment. Thanks to this ideal environment, the township can sustain uncommon flora like the small Rhodora azalea within its part of North America.
Tunkhannock Township's claim to fame involves the Pocono Raceway, built in the Long Pond area in the 1960s. The first race actually took place a few years later in 1968, with its first Indy 500 and NASCAR races taking place in the following decade.
Tunkhannock Township Today
Tunkhannock Township is considered another ideal choice for people looking to relocate into Monroe County or the Pocono Mountain area itself.
People who enjoy residing in a more rural area may find Pocono homes more suited to their tastes here. There are many Pocono real estate properties available for sale, modestly priced properties that suit the rural and city-like surroundings. Over 6,700 people currently make their home in Tunkhannock Township.
History
Tunkhannock Township was first formed in the year 1856 from land portioned off from the nearby Coolbaugh Township. The origins of its name come from the Native American word tank-hanne, meaning 'small stream.'
The word also represents Tunkhannock Creek, which runs through the center of the township; it widens at its far end to form Long Pond. Long Pond itself is around three miles long and a quarter mile wide. From the west, it empties into the Lehigh River.
A lot of Tunkhannock Township consists of swamplands, a significant part of that also being heavily wooded. Thanks to the abundance of water and trees, timbering was a big industry in this township, too, as it was popular in many Monroe townships at the time. The first sawmill was established in 1820 at Long Pond, which helped accommodate the tree harvesting going on the area at the time.
The early population in Tunkhannock was lower than other similarly sized townships of the time. The first permanent settlers were Peter Merwine and George Altemose, who both moved from Chestnuthill Township into what's known as Tunkhannock Township today. One of the earliest settlements within the township, in fact, was known as Fern Ridge, now known as Soxville near Long Pond.
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