Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Lehighton (pronounced Lee-HIGH-ten with a silent "T") is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States, 77 miles (124 km) north of Philadelphia, and 54 miles (87 km) south of Scranton. In the past, it developed early industries because of water power from the Lehigh River. With the location of a repair facility here and its regional operations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became for years a major employer of thousands of people from the area. Post-World War II railroad and industry restructuring led to job and population losses.

From a peak of nearly 7,000 in 1940, the population was 5,500 at the 2010 census. Lehighton is the most populous borough in Carbon County and still the business hub of the county.

History

At the time of European encounter with historic American Indian tribes, this area was part of the territory of the Lenape, also called Delaware, after their language and territory on the Delaware River. Their bands occupied much of the coastal mid-Atlantic area in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.