Cresco, Pennsylvania

Nature and Wildlife

Cresco is home to a variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, American black bears, and foxes. Streams, forests, and wetlands make up the local geography. The Brodhead Creek runs through Cresco and the surrounding villages. It is a popular spot for trout fishing. Pennsylvania fishing licenses are required. For more info on trout fishing in the area see the Brodhead Trout Chapter. The Brodhead Watershed Organization is a local resource for hiking maps, local parks, and birdwatching in the area. Rattlesnake Falls and Cresco Heights are popular hiking spots.

Tourism

Although Cresco is part of the Pocono Mountains tourism area, it is located further off of the main highway so it receives significantly less traffic. Callie's Pretzel Factory and Callie's Candy Kitchen are the most popular tourist attractions. The Cresco Train Station Museum is also a popular historic site for residents and tourists. The train station no longer offers passenger train service, but is primarily used by the lumber treatment company adjacent to the tracks. Antique shops, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and camping also draw in visitors. Mountain Creek Riding Stables and Pleasant Ridge Farm and Equestrian Center are two horseback riding destinations. The Paradise Fishing Preserve, a trout hatchery located on the edge of town, offers a fishing spot for tourists and residents.

Local Businesses

Cresco is home to mainly mom and pop stores. These include Lewis' Supermarket, Mick Motors, Price's Lumber and General Store (now affiliated with Steele's True Value Hardware), Basso Italiana, Kasa's Pizza and a number of antique shops. There is a CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar located off of Route 390 in the center of town.

Weiler Corporation and J.A. Reinhardt Manufacturing are two manufacturing companies and the largest employers in town.

Library and Community Center

The Barrett Paradise Friendly Library serves all of the villages of Barrett Township and neighboring Paradise Township. The library offers free internet access, computer stations, ebooks, print books, magazines, and newspapers.

The Friendly Community Center, located in the home of the previous Barrett Friendly Library, offers a place for residents to connect and engage in community programming.

Transportation

The city is served by the Rocky Hill Ultralight Flightpark, an ultra-light aircraft airport.

Well into the 1960s, the Erie Lackawanna Railroad operated several trains a day that made stops in Cresco. These included the Lake Cities, Phoebe Snow, Pocono Express and the Twilight. The last train was the Lake Cities on January 6, 1970.Lackawanna Railroad timetable, April 25, 1954, Tables 3, 6 http://viewoftheblue.com/photography/timetables/DLW042554.pdf

Education

Barrett Township and Paradise Township are in the Pocono Mountain School District.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton operates area Roman Catholic schools. The diocese formerly operated Monsignor McHugh School in Paradise Township, with a Cresco address. It opened in 1961. Enrollment declined in the period circa 2015-2020 by 61%. In the 2019-2020 school year, the enrollment was 97. Had the school stayed open, only 70 students were scheduled to attend the following school year. The school closed that school year.

Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School is the area Catholic high school. It took graduates from McHugh.

References

References

1. {{cite gnis. 1172678. Cresco
2. ''Official Guide of the Railways,'' June 1963, Erie Lackawanna section, Table 3
3. (January 5, 1970). "Final E-L passenger trains pull away from E.S. station". [[Pocono Record]].
4. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Monroe County, PA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
5. Francis, Maria. (2020-05-07). "Diocese announces closure of Monsignor McHugh School". [[Pocono Record]].
6. Mataloni, Carmella. (2020-05-06). "Catholic elementary school to close in the Poconos". [[WNEP]].