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Just how old is Wilkes-Barre? We were just discussing that in our newsroom.

A bash set for Sept. 7 will mark the 25oth anniversary of its founding — and, not surprisingly, is being described as a Founders’ Day celebration.

The date we often hear about is 1806. That’s when Wilkes-Barre was incorporated as a borough. It wasn’t incorporated as a city until 1871.

But it was in 1769 that a permanent settlement was laid down and named for John Wilkes and Isaac Barré, two British members of Parliament who supported the colonial American cause in the House of Commons. (For while this was still then a British colony, discontent was already simmering in many places, and a distinct sense of American patriotism was on the rise among colonists, many of whom had never even set foot in the mother country.)

So it is that the upcoming event will mark two-and-a-half centuries since the city that radiates out from Public Square began to be carved out of the woods.

The city’s architectural legacy alone, offers glimpses of the many eras and transitions Wilkes-Barre has undergone over 250 years, from the 1793 Zebulon Butler House, now under restoration, to the grand mansions on the edge of downtown, towering office buildings from the gilded age, the magnificent Luzerne County Courthouse, dignified old churches with their towering spires, and across the city rows and rows of wood-frame homes built for workers and miners.

Its former industrial prowess, meanwhile, is recalled by such landmarks as the Stegmaier Brewery, Planters Peanuts offices and the former railroad station on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard.

The years may not always have been kind, but Wilkes-Barre stands tall, having bested floods, fires, tornadoes and dramatic shifts in its economic base.

We think there is much to celebrate, and the Times Leader Media Group is a proud supporter of the upcoming event.

As you will see on the front page of today’s edition, the festivities will include games, food vendors, hot air balloon rides and live entertainment at Kirby Park, capped off with a fireworks display. As well, there will be a special cocktail reception on the rooftop level of the Citizens Bank Building.

We will have more information about the celebration as it draws closer, but we encourage you to mark your calendars and be ready to party.

— Times Leader