Hazleton
Hazleton, PA
Region: Upstate PA
Hazleton owes its fame and fortune to two incongruously paired goods: coal and silk. Located on one of only two pockets of anthracite coal in the world, the city got its start when Asa Packer started mining and canal operations in the 1830s. This brought the railroads to town; at one point the nearby Weatherly terminal dispatched more than 100 trains a day. Years later, Hazelton's image softened with the rise of the Duplan Silk Corporation, which in its heyday produced about 25 million yards of cloth a year. Visitors to Hazleton today can enjoy boating, skiing, and fishing. Penn State maintains a branch campus here.
