Pocono and Jackson Townships

Book excerpt: Pocono Township got its name from the Native Americans, meaning "water between the mountains." Many small towns and villages dotted the landscape along the Native American trails, notably Tannersville in Pocono Township, which was named for its leather tanneries. Jackson Township was named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh United States president, and was primarily a farming and logging community. Jackson Township also became a major supplier of ice, which was harvested on the man-made lakes. The ice was transported on the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad from the depot in Reeders to Philadelphia, New York, and Jersey City. Over the years, the townships' family and honeymoon resorts, pristine streams for trout fishing, and clear mountain air have helped the area become known as "Pennsylvania's Playground."