The little village by the creeks

ANN O"HARA
Posted 11/20/18

Initially, Wayne Borough was established in 1853 from portions of Scott and Preston Townships. The town was renamed Starrucca in 1873 and sits at the confluence of the Starrucca and Shadigee creeks. …

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The little village by the creeks

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Initially, Wayne Borough was established in 1853 from portions of Scott and Preston Townships. The town was renamed Starrucca in 1873 and sits at the confluence of the Starrucca and Shadigee creeks. Starrucca was slow to develop, from the time it was settled in the 1700s, until Henry Sampson built a gristmill there in 1818, shortly followed by a sawmill. Like much of Wayne County, Starrucca was surrounded by lush forests, and its first industry was lumbering. The logs were hauled to Hale’s Eddy on the Delaware River 12 miles away and floated down the river to market in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

The borough’s boom years began in 1844 with the opening of the first tannery and lasted roughly 40 years until the supply of hemlock bark was exhausted. Starrucca’s industrial period continued with the establishment of several “acid factories,” which manufactured wood alcohol, acetate of lime and charcoal. With the decline of manufacturing, the borough turned to dairy farming and the population dropped. As of the 2010 census, Starrucca’s population was 173.

From the collection of the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale. The museum, research library and museum shop are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.

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