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The "Common" on the River Bank.

When Colonel Durkee laid out the town plot of Wilkes- Barre he donated the public square and the common for "the use of the public forever," and they were successively under the jurisdiction of the town of Westmoreland, the township of Wilkes-Barre and the borough and afterwards the city of Wilkes-Barre. The original boundaries of the common were probably the same as those of the present day.

Years ago it was much wider than now, numerous floods having washed away a portion. "As I first remember this common," wrote Mr. James A. Gordon, "it was a beautiful lawn extending from South street along the river bank to North street. Between Union and North streets, along the base of Redoubt Hill, was a low wet marsh, very imperfectly drained, or rather not drained at all. Immediately at the northern base of the redoubt, lived Mollie McCalpin, in rather a hard-looking shanty, built by herself with the aid of Job Gibbs, who was at that time reputed to be the laziest man in Wilkes-Barre. But Mollie was not the only trespasser upon these public grounds." Matthias Hollenback's warehouse and another, the property of John P. Arndt, stood on the common, but both disappeared long since, and mother McCalpin's shanty is seen no more

At various times enterprising or speculative business men have attempted to lease portions of the common for the erection of buildings in which to carry on commerce. In 1808 an effort was made by certain parties to drain that part lying between North and Union streets, the ulterior object being to obtain and hold possession of the land for the benefit of the proposed drainers ; but that and all subsequent attempts failed, it having been decided that the borough had no authority to lease the common nor any portion of it, and it remains today the property of the public, a place much frequented by both residents and visitors, and one of the most attractive spots in the city. Forts Durkee and Wyoming stood on the common, which because of its historical associations will long remain a point of interest.

1840's

The river common, now (1913) so beautiful with its stately trees and its lawn and its walks and flowers, was then entirely bare of trees, and cows at pasture were its principle occupants. One day in the year the common below Northampton street was given over to the circus, an event looked forward to with great interest and which gathered together a very large part of the population of the valley. The common was the playground of the town and ball games and other sports were there indulged in. (George R. Bedford)

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19th Century Wilkes-Barre