Looking Back

A town cut in two

By Anne O’hara
Posted 3/25/21

The remains of the bridge that carried travelers on Honesdale, PA’s Main Street from the business district to the northward residential district sank into the swollen river on May 24, 1942. It …

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Looking Back

A town cut in two

Posted

The remains of the bridge that carried travelers on Honesdale, PA’s Main Street from the business district to the northward residential district sank into the swollen river on May 24, 1942. It occurred one day after the surging waters of the Lackawaxen River and Dyberry Creek swept through Honesdale. Note the Hotel Wayne, which survived the flood, on the far right. 

This was not the only bridge that washed away. Every bridge in town was gone, and Honesdale was effectively cut in two. Residents who worked in the downtown business district were cut off from their homes. Eight hundred to 900 homes were completely destroyed or severely damaged, Delaware Street was essentially washed away, factories were damaged or destroyed, and debris was piled high in the streets. Help soon arrived from neighboring towns and cities, and the Red Cross set up stations for food and drinking water. The 1942 flood, along with others before and after, eventually led to the 1960 construction of the Prompton and Jadwin flood control dams.

From the files of the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale. For more information, call 570/253-3240 or visit www.WayneHistoryPA.org

Lackawaxen River, Dyberry Creek, Honesdale, Hotel Wayne,

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