Shickshinny’s post office opened in 1830, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listing is the George W. Search House. Its Register listing is the George W. Search House. Below: 6 old photos and papers from 1852 on and old-book passages.
In 1782, the families of Austin and Crossley were the first white settlers in Shickshinny. The first permanent settler in the area was Lizzie James. At this time, Shickshinny was under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. In 1801, Shadrick Austin bought the 256 acres (104 ha) of land.
Another known settler in the area was William Koons (in the 1850s). Koons settled one mile outside of Shickshinny (where the Shickshinny Creek Bridge was later erected). The name of the area was changed to Koonsville (where the post office was later built). In 1773, Nathan Beach, also from Connecticut, settled outside of modern-day Shickshinny. The area was named Beach Haven after him.
Passages that mention Shickshinny, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania1909 · page 166Read the page →
Read the text
Shickshinny has had three bridges across the Susquehanna to Mocanaqua. In 1859 the first toll bridge, followed by a second toll bridge and the present beautiful concrete free bridge, the product of State and county.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania1909 · page 369Read the page →
Read the text
considered to have for its ends the growth and welfare of the community. In addition to serving as treasurer of Luzerne County for two years he was, from 1848 to 1856, postmaster of Shickshinny, and on several occasions he gave, for public improvements, properties which he owned. The Shickshinny railroad station and one of the school buildings stand on land which came to the town through his gift, together with the three others
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections1893 · page 587Read the page →
Read the text
The Union Turnpike Road company was formed in 1875, and was chartered in 1876. The charter allows the company to extend its road from Shickshinny through the township of Huntington to Fairmount springs. The road is now completed about six and a half miles from Shickshinny to the Huntington creek valley. The Stockholders, N. B. Crarv, J. W. Stackhouse, B. D. Koons, William A. Campbell, F. A. B. Koons, S. F. Monroe and D. G. Larned.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections1893 · page 648Read the page →
Read the text
went to ruins. Recently there was considerable work done there for the purpose of reopening the mine, but numerous causes combined to stop it again. In 1859 a bridge was built across to Mockauaqua — still a toll bridge. In 1877 a turnpike was made along the Shickshinny creek gap, six miles, and crossed to Huntington. An old iron furnace that made at one time considerable very good charcoal iron was operated for years. It was established by Headley & Wilson; then became the property of William Koons, who ran it for some time, but entered into large iron operations elsewhere, bankrupted and the furnace fires here went out in 1857.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Shickshinny, decade by decade
4 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1930
c. 1930