Laurys Station is an unincorporated area in North Whitehall Township

North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania

North Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of North Whitehall Township was 14,731 at the 2000 census....

, Lehigh County

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, about 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Allentown

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...

 and about 6 miles (9.7 km) miles southeast of Slatington

Slatington, Pennsylvania

Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is located 15 miles northwest of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state...

. Laurys Station is located along Pennsylvania Route 145

Pennsylvania Route 145

Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...

, and is situated along the Lehigh River

Lehigh River

The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...

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History

Laurys Station was initially known as "Slate Dam," after the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company

Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company

The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company is an anthracite coal mining company headquartered in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with operations in the areas of Tamaqua, Coaldale, and Lansford...

 built a large dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 here in 1830. In 1832, David Laury established a hotel here, which would become a popular resort during the summer months. Laury would later become the settlement's postmaster

Postmaster

A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...

 (1853) and station agent

Station agent

In many countries, the station agent is the person in charge of a railway station Variants of station agents can also work at other transit terminals such as airports, ferry terminals, etc....

, when the Lehigh Valley Railroad

Lehigh Valley Railroad

The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...

 opened a station here in 1855. The Lehigh Valley Railroad's four track mainline was located directly in the middle of the town, which was situated around present-day Mauser Street.

Education

Laurys Station is part of the Parkland School District

Parkland School District

Parkland School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. It serves North Whitehall, South Whitehall, and Upper Macungie Townships, as well as the Trexler Park neighborhood in West Allentown.-High school:...

. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Parkland High School

Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania)

Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District....

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