From the Introduction:

"The title of this work, The Wyoming Valley:  An American Portrait, contains a statement of its subject, theme, and method of presentation.  It deals with the Wyoming Valley of northeastern Pennsylvania, from Pittston on the north to Plymouth and Nanticoke on the south, on both sides of the Susquehanna River.  While it does deal with the land itself, the coal that lies under it, and the river that flows through it - and occasionally over it, it emphasizes the people who have dwelt on that land.  From the first Indians that came here, seeking refuge from white intruders on their homes in Maryland, to the present residents, seeking to build a community for the 21st century, the peoples of Wyoming Valley have had to struggle with the elements and with one another to bring a unity out of diversity. . ."