52 Weeks of Fun

Not Just Destination Finders, But Destination Storytellers


The Chamber of the Northern Poconos

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Local Attractions

Located in the breathtaking Northern Pocono Mountains, this community is encompassed by lakes, streams, quaint villages, and historic downtowns.

In 1749, about 300 Indians from the Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Tuscarora, Seneca, Shawnee, Delaware, and Mohican realized that the European settlers were pushing them away from their ground conveyed to the Government a strip of land containing what is now ten counties, including Pike and Wayne.

Transportation was an important part of the history of Honesdale. In 1828, the Delaware and Hudson Canal, a 108-mile waterway was completed to carry coal between Honesdale and New York.

At the same time as the canal was being built, another form of transportation was in the making. The Stourbridge Lion, which was the first locomotive on rails to be operated by steam was built and tested in Honesdale. After a successful three-mile excursion with a return from nearby Seelyville, Honesdale became known as the “Birthplace of the American Railroad” thanks to the Stourbridge Lion. The Wayne County Historical Society Museum contains a full-scale replica of the Stourbridge Lion, and the museum is located in what was once the D&H Canal Co. office.



A 52 Weeks of Fun Fascinating Fact about Honesdale

On August 8, 1829, the Stourbridge Lion started in Honesdale, ran three miles to Seelyville, and returned; Honesdale, therefore, is known as the birthplace of the American Railroad.

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Today, parts of the Delaware and Hudson Canal remain as they once were along a 108-mile waterway that was built to carry coal from the mines near Honesdale to New York.

Fulmer Falls is just one of at least 27 beautiful Northern Poconos waterfalls, 95% of which are located on private land.

This is a replica of the Stourbridge Lion, the first steam engine on rails. Built in Honesdale, the town is known as the Birthplace of the American Railroad.

Honesdale is the county seat of Wayne County, in the heart of the beautiful Northern Poconos.

Coming Soon: To do, see, stay, etc