Lackawanna State Park
State Park in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States
Lackawanna State Park is a 1,445-acre (585 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Benton and North Abington townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Lake Lackawanna, a 198-acre (80 ha) man-made lake, is the central focus of recreation at the park. Lackawanna State Park is located near Dalton on Pennsylvania Route 524 just off exit 199 of Interstate 81.
On June 1, 2023, the contractor for the park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
History
Indian Path
Lackawanna State Park is named for the nearby valley of the Lackawanna River. The word comes from the Lenape "le-can-hanna", meaning "stream that forks". This native tribe occupied the area for many years using a trail that led north to the territories of present-day New York state. The first white settlers in the area used this same path as well and gradually built homes and farms along this route.
Racecourse, railroads, and farms
The farmers of the Lackawanna Valley organized a fair in 1898. This fair, named the Maitland Fair and Driving Park Association, was held for at least twelve years.
The public source identifies “Lackawanna State Park” as state Park in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Lackawanna, State and Park.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Lackawanna State Park”, the useful work is to connect “state Park in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6468699. VIAF identifies the subject as 315529038. Authority coordinates are 41.575, -75.701. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2023 and 1898.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lackawanna State Park”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lackawanna State Park primary sources, Lackawanna State Park archive and Lackawanna research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lackawanna State Park”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lackawanna State Park” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.