History

History of Incorporation About 90 years ago, Dupont was called the Smithville section of Pittston Township. Prior to incorporation, it was determined that another town in the Commonwealth was called Smithville, and so this section of Pittston Township had to be changed. The name was changed to the Dupont section of Pittston Township after a local industry in the area, The Dupont Powder Mill. Around 1914, an organization came about of dissatisfied township residents called,
"THE INDEPENDENT CIVIC LEAGUE OF DUPONT".
This organization was the forerunner of the group that was instrumental in incorporating the borough in 1917.
They gathered together for better streets, a better tax collection system and other services that Pittston Township officials were denying them. The organizers of the civic league were:
Theordore Bielarski of Main Street,
Lawrence Kluck of Lincoln Street,
Lawrence Pliss of Church Street (Now Lackawanna Avenue),
Paul Shubert Main Street,
Stephen & John Lukasik of Church Street,
Albert Strucke of Chestnut Street
John Sefchick of Smith Street.
After the organization was chartered in 1915, the group of members made plans to have all the property owners and taxpayers of the Dupont section of Pittston Township sign a petition which was presented to the Luzerne County Court to separate themselves from Pittston Township.
In May of 1917, the first election was held in the Independent Borough of Dupont , and Albert Strucke was elected the first Burgess (now they are called Mayors) and Paul Shubert was elected tax collector, and Joseph Lukasik , first Police Chief.
Council members elected were:
John Zaranick , Andrew Naby, John Fabian, Jacob Newman, Harold Friend, Mike Redicka, William Lis and Anthony Martone.
School Directors elected were:
Joseph Ziobro, Martin Sedlak, John Vida, Joseph Shambe, and Charles Bellas
I do not know who wrote this story of the beginning of Dupont , but most of the information contained in this letter has been verified by records of that time period. The only descrepancy I have found in the story, is how the name Dupont came into being. Some sources state that the Dupont Powder Mill did not come into being untill after Dupont already had its name. Those sources say that the name Dupont was actually arrived at by naming the borough after a PostMaster of the area, whose name was Dupont .

COURT DECREE           Now, this 26th day of March, A.D. 1917, on motion of Frank P. Slattery, solicitor for petitioners, and upon due consideration of the petition, and after an examination of the proofs of publication hereto attached, and after full investigation of the case, presented by the petition to incorporate the town of village of Dupont , Pittston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the Court finds that the conditions prescribed by law have been complied with and believes that it is expedient to grant a prayer of the petitioners, and does grant the same and decree that the said town or village of Dupont be incorporated as or into a borough, in conformity to the prayer of the petitioners, that the corporate name, style and title thereof shall be the Borough of Dupont ; that the boundaries of the said borough shall be as follows; Beginning at a corner of the Borough of Avoca in line of the borough of Avoca; thence along asid Avoca Borough line easterly one hundred nineteen (119 p.) perches, or about one thousand nine hundred and sixty-three and five-tenths (1963.5 ft.) feet to a corner of same; thence along another line of the said Avoca borough in a southeasterly direction about one hundred and eleven (111 p.) perches, about one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one and five-tenths (1831.5 ft.) feet to another corner of said Avoca borough; thence along another line of the same northeasterly about two thousand nine hundred and twenty-five (2925 ft.) feet; thence leaving said Avoca borough line in a southeasterly direction about four hundred and ninety (490 ft.) to a corner on a line between the first and second division of Certified Pittston Township; thence followin the line between lot forty-two and forty-three on second division of Certified Pittston Township, south sixty-one (61 ) degrees east, about thirty-six hundred (3600 ft.) feet to a corner on the back line of said second division of Certified Pittston Township; thence along said back division and along the line of lots numbers 42, 41, 40, 39 and 38 south twenty-five (25 ) degrees thirty (30 min.) minutes went about six thousand and fifty (6,050 ft.) feet to a corner; thence along the line between lots numbers 38 and 37 of second division of Certified Pittston Townsip, north sixty-one (61 ) degrees west about thirty-six hundred (3600 ft.) feet to a point where Third Street intersects said line; thence along the center line of said Third Street south twenty-five (25 ) degrees thirty (30 mon.) minutes west about twelve hundred (1200 ft.) feet to a point where said Third Street intersects the line between lots numbers 37 and 36 of the second division; thence along said line between said lots, north sixt-one (61 ) degrees west about one thousand seven hundred and sixty (1,760 ft.) feet to a corner on the division line between fist and second division of Certified Pittston Township; thence along said division line north forty (40 ) degrees east about two hundred and fifty (250 ft.) feet to a corner; thence along the line between lots numbers 63 and 64 of first division of Certified Pittston Township, north sixty-five (65 ) degrees west about two thousand eight hundred and seventy (2,870 ft.) feet to the center line of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad; thence along the center line of the said Delaware and Hudson Railroad in a northeasterly direction about two thousand and twenty-five (2,025 ft.) feet to a point where said center line intersects the line between lots numbers 63 and 62 of first division of Certified Pittston Township; thence along said line between lots numbers 63 and 62 north sixty-five (65 ) degrees west, about four hundred (400 ft.) feet to a corner of the Rasselas Searle Tract; thence along the line between said Searle Tract and Lacole and Shiffer, north forty (40 ) degrees east, about two hundred (200 ft.) feet to a point in the center line of the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad; thence following the center line of said Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad in a northeasterly direction about one thousand nine hundred and fifty (1,950 ft.) feet to a point on the line between lots numbers 62 and 61; thence north sixty-five (65 ) degrees west, about two thousand three hundred and fifty (2,350 ft.) feet to a corner; thence north thirty-nine (39 ) degrees forty-two (42 min.) minutes east, about four hundred and twenty (420 ft.) feet to a corner in line of Hughestown Borough, north fifty (50 ) degrees thirty (30 min.) west fifty (50 p.) perches, or about eight hundred and twenty-five (825 ft.) feet to a place of beginning. Comprising or containing parts of lots numbers 30, 59, 60, 61, 62 and 63 of the first division of Certified Pittston Township, and all of the lots numbers 42, 41, 40, 39, 38 and part of lot number 37, of second division of Pittston Township.
          It is further ordered and decreed that the said borough shall constitute a separate election district and that the place for holding the fist borough election of officers to serve until the next regular borough election shall be at the Volunteer Hose House, Dupont , and that the time for holding said election shall be the Eighth day of May, 1917, between the hours of seven o'clock in the forenoon and seven o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, in accordance with the subject to all the provisions of the laws relating to and regulating borough elections.
          And the said election shall be held by the following named persons and clerks to be appointed by them, according to law:

          Jos. Zrobro, Judge
          Jos. Castner, Majority Inspector
          Albert Sabatelle, Minority Inspector

          And the court further designates and appoints Robert Curtis as the proper person, who at least ten days before the day above appointed for the election of borough officers, shall give public notice by ten or more printed or written advertisements affixed at as many of the most public places within said borough of the time and place of holding said election, and shall also within six days after the election of officers at said election give notice in writing to the persons chosen or elected of their election of the said offices biannually thereafter in odd numbered years the borough election shall be held at the time and place provided by law.
          It is further ordered and decreed that the borough so incorporated shall constitute a separate school district of the fourth class to be designated and known as the "School District of the Borough of Dupont ," and the following are hereby appointed a board of school directors to serve until the first Monday of December, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, namely: Theodore Bilarski, George McCoola, Charles B. Bellas, Morris Keefe and Frank Kleynowski.
          (Signed) By the Court, Garman, J.
          Now, March 28, 1917, opinion filed.
          Filed November 8, 1916.

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