East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania

East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania is a formerly independent borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located along the left bank of the Lehigh River on the opposite bank from the town business district. East Mauch Chunk was founded first as a logging camp then found active growth as a railroad company town servicing the left bank rail yards of the Beaver Creek Railroad and Mining Company, then the successor Lehigh Valley Railroad founded in the 1870s.

The territory in the former Borough of East Mauch Chunk was originally in the former Township of Mauch Chunk. The Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, incorporated land on both sides of the Lehigh River into a borough by the name of The Borough of Mauch Chunk by decree of January 26, 1850, which became effective January 31, 1850.[1] On January 21, 1854, an Act of Assembly was approved by Governor William Bigler incorporating that portion of the Borough of Mauch Chunk to the northeast of the center line of the Lehigh River into a separate borough by the name of The Borough of East Mauch Chunk.[2]

On February 16, 1954, the Boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk entered into an agreement to hold a referendum on May 18, 1954, to determine if the boroughs should be consolidated as The Borough of Jim Thorpe. The referendum was approved by wide margins, with voters in the Borough of Mauch Chunk voting 1026 in favor to 90 against, and the Borough of East Mauch Chunk voting 1179 in favor to 109 against.[3] As of January 3, 1955, the two boroughs were reunited as one.

Today the village is primarily a bedroom community and tourist waypoint as the southern entrance to Lehigh Gorge State Park. The Norfolk Southern Railroad and Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroads still utilize the rail yard along the foot of Bear Mountain which towers above the town to the east and south.

References

  1. ↑ "Proceedings Incorporating The Borough of Mauch Chunk." Miscellaneous Book 1, Page 164, recorded January 31, 1850. Recorder of Deeds of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
  2. ↑ Act of January 21, 1854 (P.L. 4, No. 5), §§ 1-11
  3. ↑ "Consolidation Agreement between Council of the Borough of East Mauch Chunk and Council of the Borough of Mauch Chunk and Adoption of the Name 'Jim Thorpe.'" Charter Book 2, Page 609, recorded June 16, 1954. Recorder of Deeds of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

Coordinates: 40°52′25″N 75°44′00″W / 40.87361°N 75.73333°W / 40.87361; -75.73333

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