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Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Summary
Bear Creek Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township has a total area of , making it is the largest municipality (by total area) in Luzerne County. The population was 2,752 at the 2020 census.
Bear Creek was first settled in the late 18th century. The first log cabin was built in 1786 (about nine miles from Wilkes-Barre). Bear Creek, with its abundance of trees, became the lumber king of Luzerne County. The first sawmill was built in 1800 by Oliver Helme. Many more sawmills were later constructed throughout the 19th century.
Bear Creek was later incorporated as a township; it was carved from territory taken from Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Bucks, Plains, and Jenkins (in 1856). By 1890, the community had a population of 343.
In 1961, the Bear Creek Dam was constructed in the southern portion of the township. The dam spans the Lehigh River at its confluence with the tributary Bear Creek. Although the dam was originally constructed for flood management, its reservoir has since become a popular recreational area for fishing, kayaking, and boating. In 1963, the dam was renamed after a United States Congressman (Francis E. Walter).
In 1993, Bear Creek Village broke away from the township and became a borough. Today, the township is made up of several small villages, thick forests, lakes, and streams.
Bear Creek Township was the site of a plane crash on May 21, 2000; it crashed while attempting to land at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. As described by the BBC, the crash occurred in a "wooded area" of the township, near the intersection of Bear Creek Boulevard (PA-Route 115) and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The accident killed the pilot as well as all 19 passengers. NTSB investigation ruled that the crash was probably due to low fuel. The incident spurred an FBI investigation and made news across the globe. Passenger safety in the aviation field became a major issue of the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
The Bear Creek Wind Power Project began commercial operation in 2006.
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