Wilkes-Barre, PA
Music connected to Wilkes-Barre
About Wilkes-Barre
- • Actor Amanda Seyfried, known for "Mean Girls," was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre.
- • Planters Peanuts, an iconic American snack brand, originated in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
- • Abundant anthracite coal deposits put Wilkes-Barre on the map during the Industrial Revolution.
- • Wilkes-Barre was once home to a minor league baseball team named the Barons.
- • The Susquehanna River flood of 1972 significantly reshaped Wilkes-Barre's landscape.
- • Named in 1769 for John Wilkes and Isaac Barré, British parliamentarians sympathetic to colonists.
- • With around 44,000 residents, it's smaller than nearby Scranton.
- • At 545 feet, the elevation offers views of the picturesque Wyoming Valley.
- • Healthcare, education, and government are significant employers in Wilkes-Barre.
- • A resilient spirit pervades, with echoes of its industrial past still lingering.
- • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the local AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- • Joe Namath, a Beaver Falls native, led the Jets to Super Bowl III, near Wilkes-Barre.
