Added by Jim Bussacco Former Writer for the Sunday Dispatch.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PITTSTON CITY

Pittston City had a unique situation with its park system. Pittston in 1925 had 5 parks. The city started to realize that parks were essential to city life. Creating parks and completing them was a well organized task and the administration at that time knew the value of them.
There were approximately thirty acres set aside for parks:
Burke Park, 9 acres
Sullivan Park, 7 acres
Albert West Park, 7 acres
Gilmartin Park, 5 acres
Fleming Park, 2 acres.

Eack park was named after a soldier who had lost his life in World War I, There were plans for a swimming pool in Gilmartin Park, but that was never brought to fruition. As cities of Pittston's size started their park projects, the city boasted of having one of the best in America.
The year of 1925, saw a bathing beach on the west bank of the Susquehanna River near the Water Street Bridge. The beach was crowded every summer. There were three life guards on duty at all times. A few drownings occurred during the summer, but these were foolhardy swimmers that tried to swim across the river or swim downshore away from the safety of lifeguards. Lifeguards also conducted swimming lessons for youngsters.
As the city grew, so its means of protection had to be increased. Automobiles were taking the places of horse driven carriages. Traffic became so congested in the early twenties and the police departments in all cities suddenly had a new problem on their hands, especially in Pittston which at that time was a bustling town.