The mining of high-quality anthracite coal fueled industrialization in the city, which reached the height of its prosperity in the first half of the 20th century.

As a result, the Lenape attacked the colonists on October 15, 1763, killing thirty settlers and taking several others as prisoners.

With the Decree of Trenton, on December 30, 1782, the confederation government officially decided that the region belonged to Pennsylvania, and the Wyoming Valley became part of Northumberland County.

To ensure that they didn't lose the land, Pennsylvania's state government negotiated a compromise with the Connecticut (Yankee) settlers.

It was formed from a section of Northumberland County and named after Chevalier de la Luzerne, a French soldier and diplomat during the 18th century.

[7][9][10] In 1797, several decades after the community's founding, Louis Philippe, later the King of France from 1830 to 1848, stayed in Wilkes-Barre while traveling to the French Asylum settlement.

In 1808, Judge Jesse Fell of Wilkes-Barre discovered a solution to ignite anthracite with the usage of an iron grate; it allowed for the coal to light and burn more easily.

The growing demand for coal as a domestic heat source resulted in changes to patterns of immigration to Wilkes-Barre in the 19th century.

The Pennsylvania guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration in 1940, noted that:[12]Until 1870 all immigration was from the north of Europe, with the Irish predominating.

Then mine operators sent representatives to central and southern Europe to induce peasants to come to the American coal fields.

The cleavage along national lines, however, gave to Wilkes-Barre such picturesque sections as Five Points, now East End, where a crowd of miners used to gather nightly on the steps of Mackin Brothers' Store, a scene described by Con Carbon in a popular ballad of the 1890s:And once thy peaceful tide The Far Downs and Connaught men Fight, and then make up again, Dutch and Scotch and English men— All like chickens in a pen.

The powder smoke does be so thick, You could not cut it with a pick, The smell of gas would make you sick In front of Mackin's store.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants flocked to the city; they were seeking jobs in the numerous mines and collieries that sprang up throughout the region.

[15] The coal industry continued despite several disasters, including an explosion at Wilkes-Barre's Baltimore Colliery in 1919, which killed 92 miners.

The industry declined when the United States switched to other energy sources, and most coal operations had left Wilkes-Barre by the end of World War II.

[17] In 1929, baseball player Babe Ruth hit one of the longest home runs in history at Artillery Park in Wilkes-Barre.

As local ordinances prohibiting direct-to-cable telecasts of theatrical feature films prevented Time-Life from launching HBO over its New York City-based Sterling Manhattan cable franchise, the company initially sought an agreement with Teleservice to launch it on the provider's Allentown system; possible television blackout conflicts for HBO-televised NBA games, as Allentown was located within the Philadelphia 76ers's 75-mile [121 km] blackout radius, resulted in Teleservice electing to offer it on its Wilkes-Barre system instead.

[21] Manufacturing and retail remained Wilkes-Barre's strongest industries, but the city's economy took a major blow from Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972.

The levees protected Wilkes-Barre, but nearby boroughs did not escape, as West Pittston, Plymouth, and parts of Plains Township were affected by extreme flooding.

Also, the canopy and matching street lights in Public Square and across downtown were removed; they were replaced by new green lampposts.

Several events, including a Beach Boys concert, were planned but canceled due to extremely heavy rains.

Fountains and color-changing lights have been added underneath two bridges which carry pedestrian traffic across the normally-open levee.

The completion of the James F. Conahan Intermodal Transportation Facility has added parking and relocated Luzerne County buses from their former Public Square staging sites.

[29] The surrounding mountains have an influence on the climate (including both precipitation and temperatures), leading to wide variations within a short distance.

Its features include a 750-person amphitheater, paved walk-ways, gardens, ornamental trees, seating areas, a fishing pier, and two grand gateways connecting the city to the river.

More than half (59.3%) of the city's population is religious: 43.8% Catholic, 4.4% Methodist, 3.1% Lutheran, 2.0% Presbyterian, 1.1% Pentecostal, 0.8% Judaism, 0.6% Episcopalian, 0.5% Baptist, 0.5% Islam, and 0.3% The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The following are current members of the council: Bill Barrett, Mike Belusko, Tony Brooks, Stan Mirin, and Jessica McClay.

This vote was the direct result of the corruption, wasteful spending, higher property taxes, and out-of-control debt facing the county.

The Wilkes-Barre Traction Company formed a streetcar line from Georgetown to Nanticoke and over the river into Plymouth (it ceased operations in the mid-1940s).

The Wyoming Valley's NBC affiliate, WBRE-TV 28, is the only television station licensed to Wilkes-Barre, but WNEP-TV 16 (ABC), WYOU 22 (CBS), WVIA-TV 44 (PBS), and WSWB 38 (CW), all in Scranton, WOLF-TV 56 (Fox) in Hazleton, and WQMY 53 (MyNetworkTV) in Williamsport also serve the city.