Carbondale Historical Society

Welcome to the Carbondale Historical Society.

History is not there for you to like or dislike.

It is there for you to learn from.

And if it offends you, even better,

because you are less likely to repeat it.

History is not yours to change or destroy.  

 Pasquale and Salvatore Buonomo

Pasquale (“Patsy”) and Salvatore (“Sam”) Buonomo both worked for the D&H in Carbondale. Sam Buonomo, on the right, was the grandfather of Carbondale Historical Society member Dave Buonomo (who died on November 16, 2024), who gave a copy of this wonderful photograph to the Carbondale Historical Society on October 25, 2019. These two Buonomo brothers—and thousands of men like them--and their families are what made Carbondale the great place that it was in early years of the twentieth century.

 

Both Patsy and Sam were members of the Carbondale team in the May 21, 1925 car-building competition, held in the Carbondale Delaware and Hudson Yard. A comprehensive account of that competition is presented in the June 15, 1925 issue of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Bulletin (see also S. R. Powell’s D&H Volume XIV, pp. 106-107). Also on that team was Pasquale Cerra, the maternal grandfather of Joseph Pascoe, one of the constituent members of the Carbondale Historical Society.

In Memory of David N. Buonomo

David was a member and good friend of the Carbondale Historical Society. He loved railroads, especially the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and the Carbondale PA D&H Yard (also known as Schuster's Yard). For many years, he worked diligently at scanning the very large collection of D&H maps and blueprints in the collection of the Historical Society. He died on November 16, 2024, and the Carbondale Historical Society has been honored by the Buonomo family to be designated as the recipient of donations in memory of David.

To date we have received memorial donations from the following persons: Melissa Farrace; Jill & Mark Schie and  family; Faye Cohen In Memory of David N. Buonomo and His Love of Trains”; Patrick Durkin; and from the Brunvoll family “In Honor of Our Dear Friend David Buonomo.”

D&H Caboose No. 35964 now on display beside Carbondale City Hall. Working together to celebrate Carbondale’s astonishing history and to create a bright future for the Pioneer City (Carbondale is the oldest incorporated city in Lackawanna County and the fourth oldest incorporated city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—after Philadelphia, Lancaster, and York), the City of Carbondale and the Carbondale Historical Society placed on display in downtown Carbondale, on August 15, 2021, this important D&H railcar. Friends of D&H Caboose No. 35964 One of the primary missions of the Carbondale Historical Society is to preserve important artifacts from Carbondale’s historic past. One such artifact is D&H Caboose No. 35964, which the Society acquired in December 2010, and which was put on display next to Carbondale City Hall in August 2021. When the Historical Society purchased the Caboose in 2010, a “Friends” group was established. That “Friends” group is still in existence (with 85 members at present), and we continue to welcome all persons who are interested in this Caboose and its future to become members of the “Friends of D&H Caboose No. 35964”. To become a member, and to help create a bright future for this important D&H railcar, complete the membership form given below, and mail your tax-deductible contribution (perhaps in honor of a living person or in memory of a deceased person who worked for the D&H or in the anthracite coal mining industry*) to: Carbondale Historical Society, Post Office Box 151, Carbondale, PA 18407 Your name_________________________________________________________________________ Your address_______________________________________________________________________ Phone and E-Mail____________________________________________________________________ * All donors will be listed in the official historical logbook of the history of Caboose No. 35964. Those who donate $100 or more will be presented with a certificate recognizing their contribution on behalf of Caboose No. 35964.                                                                                     * * * * * * * *Members of the Friends of D&H Caboose No. 35964, as of September 29, 2021:1.      Richard T. Buberniak 2.      S. Robert Powell 3.      Mary R. Monahan 4.      Jack and Connie Buberniak 5.      Mr. and Mrs. John A. Brennan, In Memory of John A. Loftus #1 6.      L. Fred Thomas (New York)7.      Martin L. Langan (Greenfield Township)8.      Jermyn Historical Society (Jermyn)9.      Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Di Marino (New York), In Memory of Angelo Pinzone10.  Toulla and Joseph Vitale 11.  Linda Starzer, in memory of Edward "Sam" Coxe 12.  Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Cassaro, in memory of Patrick A. Cassaro III 13.  Thomas and Ellen Farrell 14.  Joseph E. Kuna, Philadelphia, PA, in memory of Mary Faith McDonough 15.  Kimberly L. McCarthy, Frazer, PA, in memory of Luther S. Belles 16.  Marion B. Richards, in memory of Luther S. Belles 17.  Paul I. Jacks, San Diego, CA, in memory of Evelyn Jacks Cardonick 18.  Dr. Rodney D. Brown, Waymart, PA 19.  John A. Gummo, Beech Creek, PA 20.  John V. Buberniak, Fresno, CA 21.  Genevieve G. Burke and Rose Marie Coleman, in memory of Thomas L. Burke 22.  Ron Gilroy 23.  Mary T. Pollitts 24.  Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Postlethwaite 25.  Jane M. Varcoe 26.  Milana J. Williams 27.  Thomas J. Connor, in memory of Gerard W. Connor28.  Robert W. Avery, (Rochester, NY), in memory of Raymond Avery 29.  Elizabeth M. Dowd 30.  Mary Shaw 31.  Jack Race 32.  Mike and Gwen Delfino 33.  The Dougher, Spellman, and Davies families 34.  Neil M. Davis, D.O., in memory of Thomas Davis 35.  Charles Carroll, (Endwell, NY), in memory of Gerard B. Carroll and Harry Nelson 36.  Julianne M. Pazin 37.  The Carbondale Business Association 38.  Robert H. Berry, (Brockport, NY), in memory of Raymond and Elinor Berry, (Jerymn PA) 39.  Leo B. Burke, (Vestal, NY) 40.  The Price Insurance Agency 41.  Tony Mikloiche 42.  Michael J. Yavorosky, (Hop Bottom, PA) 43.  Tom Horlacher, (Scranton, PA) 44.  Joan O. Peters, (Kingsley, PA), in memory of Frank Edwin Peters 45.  Frances Grecco, in memory of Joseph Grecco 46.  Mary Louise Dougher, (Greenlawn, NY), in memory of Genevieve Burke 47.  Michael and Debrah Dougher, (Chattanooga, TN), in memory of Genevieve Burke 48.  The family of Margaret A. and Joseph L. Moran, in memory of Dorothy Moran 49.  Mary E. Conomos 50.  Rose Marie Coleman, in memory of Genevieve Burke 51.  Colleen Baltrusaitis, (Throop, PA), in memory of Genevieve Burke 52.  Charles and Ann Marie Carroll, in memory of Genevieve Burke 53. The Free family, in memory of Genevieve Burke  54. Anthony Marino in memory of Angelina Pinzone  55. Jerry and Sophia Fives   56. Dunmore Historical Society  57. Teresa Bomba in memory of Nicholas J. Bomba  58. Teresa Bomba in memory of Nancy Bomba-Angeloni  59. Nancy and John Hollenback in memory of Raymond Rice-Hollenback  60. The Moran Children in memory of Margaret A. & Joseph L. Moran  61. Robert Schroeder  62. Mr. &. Mrs. Charles Grim in memory of Elizabeth H. Rose  63. Ms. Ruth Edwards in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  64. Small Town Red Hatters in memory of Jean Burke  65. Mr. & Mrs. Edward Jankauskas in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  66. Mr. Eddie Jankauskas Jr. in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  67. Mr. Chris Jankauskas in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose.  68. Jeff and Judy Belch in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  69. David W. Owens in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  70. David R. Wright in memory of Bessie Patten-Powderly  71. Mr. Edward G. Hughes in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  72. Mr. & Mrs. John Schott in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  73. Rose Marie Coleman in memory of Jenny Redmond  74. Rose Marie Coleman in memory of Anthony Cerminaro  75. David K. Edwards in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose  76. Susan L. Victor in memory of Ellsworth H Rose  77. Joan Cosgrove  78. Walkercise Class at the Y in memory of Jean Burke  79. Donald McCarthy  80. Gerald C. Palko  81. Friends of Justin Taylor  82. William A. Collier  83. Simpson VFW  84. Charles & Marie Carroll in memory of Alan Wills  85. Friends of Welsh Music, Jerry Williams and Ted Frutchey 86. Robert Bifano, Archbald, PA: “In Memory of His Father, Sam Bifano, and His Grandfather, Giuseppe Bifano, both D&H Engineers”87. David A. Freedman, Rehovot, Israel “In Honor of My Friends Growing Up in Carbondale”88. Carmine Artone, Front Royal, VA89. Alice and Joe Scotchlas, Simpson, PA90. John  F. Fagan, Carbondale, PA: In Memory of his Grandfather,  P. Edward Fagan, who was born in Ormskirk, England, and who worked for the D&H, 1915-1946, as a trainman-brakeman”91. Joe Callahan and Margaret Callahan Russell in memory of Margaret (Peg) Callahan92. Lynda Raitala,  Whitesburg, TN. “In Memory of William John Finney and Gerald Graham Finney, My Grandfather and Uncle, Who Worked for the D&H in the 1920s,  1930s, and 1940s”93. Patricia Morell, 187 Washington Street, Carbondale. “In Memory of Leonard R. Perri”94. Matthew Levine, 10 Hendrick Lane, Carbondale, PA95. Martin L. Langan: “In Memory of James F. Moran” 

Life Members of the Carbondale Historical Society

David Freedman

John J. Lawler, Esquire

S. Robert Powell

Cynthia Gillen Klenk

Linda Rupp

James and Mary Cay Tomaine

Jamie Lee Maher

David Dottle

Reichart, Carl

Robert Bifano

Eugene Edward Vadella

Mike Bischak

Carol J. Peknik

Harry Curnow

Cory Conway

Jason Thomas

Donald W. Powell II

Joseph A. Talerico

John Coleman, Esquire

George Essif family

Pam Fendrock

Joe Callahan

Mary Shaw

Charles F. Carroll

Donald P. and Kimberly L. McCarthy

Barbara and family Sprovkin

Sharon Hennigan Miller

David W. Maxey

Matthew T. Buberniak

Shirley Trayford

John LaDue

Harry T. Coleman, Esquire

Jane Varcoe

Dan, Eliza, Sarah and Anna Totsky

Jeffery Magistro

Cody Gonsauls

Jack Fagan

John Bifano

Mary and Bob Tomaine and family

Trudy Gerlach

Gary Lippi

Peter L. Pettinato, VMD

Nancy Moran

Vincent O'Bell

Margaret Russell

Alan & Diane Kurlansky

Alex and Missy Kelly

Kathy S. Land

Anthony Di Marino

Jeffrey W. Nepa and family

Ron and Maria Ann Konosky

Jennifer Suwak

Ronald F. Krastek

Jerry Williams

Robert S. Ryczak

Matthew Levine

Ann Marie Pettinato

Michele Bannon

Alice and Joe Scotchlas

Eugene Brown, Jr.

Marty Mulholland

        Morton and Lucille Kubel and family

Carbondale Township Historical Society

Tom Romanyshyn, Mountain Top, PA

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